I have been designing for New Zealand publishers since 1991.
Publishers generally come to me (the designer) seeking design advice at the very beginning of a publishing project. Publication design is time consuming and requires early consultation to allow adequate production space in the studio.
Often when negotiating a book design or magazine project the designer requires input from as many of the people involved in the project as possible. These may include editors, subeditors, writers, agents, photographers and printers. As a designer working within an editorial team, if I have maximum information on the project in advance, production will run smoothly.
The objective is to sell product, therefore it is very important that the designer has a good understanding of a publication’s target audience and the trigger that will ultimately lead them to make a purchase. Frequently the publisher will have a vision for his or her book. It is then the designer’s job to guide that vision to print.
I believe that a well-designed book should be a pleasure to read, easy to navigate and visually rewarding. As a point of difference it should try to break a design rule, but only a very small one.
Working with large amounts of text is a challenge that, I believe, can only be mastered through time and experience. Typography is an art that requires sensitivity to form, space and weight. It is the reader who is your client, and as a book designer you want them to fall in love with not only the content, but the book itself.
If you are interested in viewing of more of my work, you can see my professional design portfolio here.
