Reprinted - Making Books: 2015 "China's Most Beautiful Books" book appreciation
[Reprint] - make a book
The 2015 "China's Most Beautiful Book" selection was announced yesterday (November 9), and 20 kinds of books from 18 publishing houses across the country won the title of "China's Most Beautiful Book" this year, and will represent China to participate in the 2016 "World's Most Beautiful Book" selection.
2015 China's Most Beautiful Book, Award-winning Books, Book Shadows and Reviews
1. "Shanghai Ziji - A Hundred Years of Chinese Character Design Archive" book design: Jiang Qinggong, Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House
Comments: The author and designer of this book are the same person, and the overall design fully reflects the hardships of the author's research and argumentation, and the light red of the cover reveals the author's painstaking efforts. The content is rich but not heavy, and the book format is just right for easy reading. The layout of the text and pictures is appropriate, and the text and white space are alternated. The printing and binding process is excellent, and the paper is used in place. The design not only reflects the traces of the 20th century, but also has a sense of contemporary design.
2. Book design of "Order - Fangyuan Story": Li Jin Guangxi Fine Arts Publishing House
Comments: The cover is wrapped in paper, the title of the book is modeled after the order, and the selection of materials and design are very novel. Beginning with a letter from a publisher, each page is signed with a different portrait, which is full of fun and personality. In addition, it breaks the mold by inserting images between the preface and the table of contents to inspire readers to explore and discover.
3. "Pain" book design: Pony Orange Chongqing University Press
Comments: The inner page color palette is applied and the hierarchy is clear. The design of the book reflects this very well, and the gray of the paper and the """-" of the cover are both emotional and rational design methods. The feelings before and after the pain are transitioned through several black pages, showing the emotional world of different periods. The design language of the designer editor is different, leaving a rich imagination space for reading.
4. Book design of "Ecological Wisdom Series": Zhang Zhiqi Higher Education Press
Comments: As a set of science and technology books, the design focuses on modernity and readability, with bold blank space and rhythm. The folio is in the golden ratio, and each book is designed with a different simple pattern on the cover according to the theme, reflecting the advantages of graphic design. The ring lining treatment is unique and articulates with the theme and cover. The diagram design is in place, which promotes the comprehension of the content and the absorption of knowledge through the transmission of visual information.
5. "Can't Put It Down" book design: Hong Wei, Jiangsu Phoenix Fine Arts Publishing House
Comments: The use of handwriting, raw edge style, the feel is extremely special, attracting readers, making people feel, in this way can fully express their own feelings, the overall design composition is unique, the content form is integrated, and there is visual tension. Since the author of the book is a designer, he can achieve zero distance between the content and the design, and his design pays attention to the touch, temperature and texture.
6. "Craftsman" book design: Zhu Yingchun, Luo Wei Nationalities and Construction Publishing House / Purui Culture
Comments: Every book is designed with a story behind it, and the book ends with such a story. The author and the designer work together to go to the local area, and the author leaves a lot of space for the designer, and this kind of collaborative design relationship is very novel. The design of this book is mainly black, and the text of the page is uniquely written.
7. "Thin Hometown" book design: Sun Xiaoxi, Chongqing University Press, Chu Chen Culture
Comments: The book is the personal notes of director Wang Xiaoshuai, which uses a lot of handwritten text around the original printed text, which extends the reading and enriches the reading, and uses handwriting to make the layout design richer and more innovative, attracting readers. Old photos and other plate materials and personal information are interspersed to form multiple reading clues and increase the readability of the whole book.
8. "The Rabbit Lost His Ears" book design: Liu Xiaoxiang, China Children's Press and Publication Group
Comments: The designer presented the paper-cut in its most original form, and photographed it after overlapping and combining. The retention of the paper-cut projection highlights the three-dimensional sense and strengthens the appeal of the original paper-cut. The editorial language of the book is unique, the paper has a distinctive character, the page number design is novel, and the story narration has the charm of traditional Chinese folk. The binding is bareback, so that the picture of each page can be fully displayed. It can be seen that the designer plays a controlling role in the communication of the book text, which reflects the added value of the design.
9. "Learning and Not Getting Tired" book design: Qu Minmin, Jiang Qian, Jiangsu Phoenix Fine Arts Publishing House
Comments: Using traditional rice paper to print Chinese paintings and calligraphy, rich in texture, the pages are folded up and down left and right, giving the reading a sense of dynamism and complementing the content. The cover is made in the form of a picture frame, which is very consistent with the theme, and the bareback binding method is easy to flip through. The arrangement of the text is irregular and swimming, seeking change in the rules, which is the opposition and unity of the virtual and the real, the orderly and the disorderly. The oriental charm is conveyed in place in the design, which makes the humanistic atmosphere of the book and the traditional Chinese aesthetic sense strong.
10. Book design of "Wen Wan - Ancient Chinese Women's Cultural Relics Exhibition", Jiang Song Yilin Publishing House
Comment: This catalogue of ancient Chinese women's cultural relics covers many categories of ancient women's lives. The design is uniquely arranged, with a large amount of information, rich picture materials, various display forms, and suitable for the content. As a conventional exhibition atlas, the book has an innovative breakthrough in design, using different paper and binding methods to separate the content, with strong craftsmanship, attention to design details, and the organic combination of structure and sequence, which is a book with a high degree of combination of form and content.
11. "Ancient Rhyme Bells" book design: Liu Xiaoxiang, Liu Xiaoxiang Studio, Beijing Yanshan Publishing House
Comments: Rational, rigorous, and thoughtful. Vectorized information design concepts are used throughout the book to guide readers to read and appreciate. The designer knows how to sort out and integrate the information, and has a rhythm to be visualized, so that the reader's reading interest continues to increase, and the design of the book has a guiding role in the design of similar books at present. The book's special Zhong Ding pages have a strong sense of concave and convex, proper use of rubbing, and strong reading texture, presenting Chinese classical art in an orderly and perfect manner.
12. "One Table and Two Chairs - Running at Night, The Story of the Crested Ibis" book design: KJ. Design Studio, Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Press
Comments: The typography is full of rhyme, the design is just right for the content, the opening is moderate, and the picture placement is full of novelty. The cover is made of hand-made paper, and the hand-made paper on the inner page tries the two-color printing effect, which has a certain experimental spirit.
13. "Qi Baishi's Four Uniques and Ten Directions" book design: Yuan Yinchang, Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House
Comment: The multi-layered step-by-step setting at the front makes the information progressive, making reading interesting. The photographs are taken with great care, paying attention to the relationship between the virtual and the real and the perspective, the light and projection of the photography are meticulously processed, and the pattern is cut and intercepted ingeniously. The designer uses the transparency of the paper to print the seal rubbing on the reverse side in a variety of ways and angles to richly present the seal information in the folding of the page. The concise content of the Shifang seal greatly expands the volume and connotation of information through exquisite editorial and design language.
14. "The Old Man and Haiquan Translation" book design: Zhang Zhiqi Studio Chongshu Company
Comments: The overall color is gradient blue, and the cover is made of the shimmering material of beach bays, and the images of fish and people are printed in silver, which is close to the theme context. There is a lot of space at the end of the text, as if leaving room for the sea to flow away. The designer drew a notebook full of nostalgia with a variety of vivid forms of fish, inserted the pages of the book, and adopted the design of "book within a book". The illustrations are subtle and add a lot of spice to the text.
15. "Cohesion and Movement - Famous Sports Architecture Culture in Shanghai" book design: Zhang Guoliang, Dong Wei, Shanghai Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing House
Comment: The distribution of stadiums in the city is used as the basis of the narrative, and the sense of location runs through the book. The dots on the cover correspond to the geographical location of each venue in Shanghai, which is concise and original, and the information can be read at a glance. The folding part of the book page is specially set up with an information interface, which increases the level of information data and information, and enriches the reading experience. The exterior of the venue is condensed into a pattern that runs through all parts of the book for easy identification. The paper used for books is soft and has good physical properties.
16. "Men and Women" book design: Hanqingtang Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy Publishing House
Comments: It reflects the ethereal beauty of Taoism, the bold use of blank space, and the handling of the picture title is very distinct. The alternating rotation of male and female figures on the front of the multiple pages provides a multi-layered and dynamic visual transition of information, injecting the taste of the concept of time. The single and double pages of graphics and blank pages correspond to the whole book, and occasionally supplemented by a small number of folded picture pages, which increases the variety and interest of reading, and the design fully reflects the witty and obedient temperament of the literati painter.
17. "China Guanzhong Shehuo" book design: Yang Dazhou, China Photography Publishing House
Comments: It is full of the visual characteristics and style of traditional folk opera, reflecting the aesthetic habits of China, and the color restoration is very good. The size is varied, the composition is ingenious, and it echoes the header, with tension, coordination and rhythm. The three volumes are combined into one and have a good proportional relationship with each other. The illustrations on the pages of the fascicle are unique in their form of expression, and their painting techniques are distinctive. The treatment of colors and graphics throughout the book maintains a strong local atmosphere, and the application of paper is in line with the folk temperament.
18. "Where Are You From: Selected Poems of the 2003-2012 Decade" book design: Han Zhanning Haitian Publishing House
Comments: Warm colors such as yellow, gray, beige, etc., and yellow and gray for the cover and cutouts, which are harmonious and modern at the same time. The paper is soft, and some of the fonts are handwritten, which is full of personality. The text on the cover is embossed, and the overall design is concise, which combines traditional and modern design well, making poetry a more interesting literary form and stimulating people's interest in reading.
19. "Black and White Jiangnan" book design: Shen Yuhao, Zhejiang Photography Publishing House
Comments: Black and white is used throughout the book. The arrangement of many photographs in the book enhances the reader's interest in reading and reminiscing about the past. With the development of society and economy, many scenes in the south of the Yangtze River are difficult to reproduce, and the book does a good job of describing and documenting them. Textured old photographs are arranged in beautiful prose, with a unique style that evokes reverie.
20. Book design of "Cloth Cloth Pot Sect - The Biography of Gu Jingzhou": Zhou Weiwei, Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House
Comments: The cover design pays attention to the texture, and the outer incision page is uneven and varied, which is full of interest. One of the successes in the design of the book lies in the fact that the pictures are arranged in place, which is conducive to the reader's reading, and many manuscripts, old photos, and photos of Zisha works are interspersed with different papers, which is very atmospheric. The chronology is pot-shaped, quite unique, and reflects the creativity of information design. The designer can let various design elements settle down in this book, showing the tension of the book.
background
Since 2003, 12 batches of 251 "China's Most Beautiful Books" have been unveiled in Leipzig, Germany, of which 13 books have won the title of "The World's Most Beautiful Books". This reflects the face and level of Chinese book design today, and also reflects the spirit of continuous innovation and exploration and the progress made by Chinese book designers in the process of contacting and communicating with the international design community.
In order to ensure the authority and objectivity of the selection of "China's Most Beautiful Book", and fully reflect the principles of fairness, justice and openness, according to international practice, the "China's Most Beautiful Book" jury stipulates that the works designed by the judges themselves will not participate in the selection; In order to make "China's Most Beautiful Book" more extensive, in principle, no more than two award-winning works of the same designer in the same annual selection should not be awarded; The jury also ensures that outstanding designers at home and abroad join the jury team through the judge rotation mechanism.
The scene of the awards