Books
 
posts>categories>books
 

13

Add Comment Minus flag this

AIGA's 50 Books/50 Covers 2008 selections for 2009 show

Source: www.aiga.org| Tags:  Books Graphic Design Events & Competitions

The winning entries for AIGA’s annual 50 Books/50 Covers design competition are viewable online as thumbnails.

“The jury’s selections will be mounted as a public exhibition during the “Make/Think: AIGA Design Conference.”

Congrats to all the design:related members with selected designs, including:


Isaac Tobin

Jennifer Carrow
Jennifer Carrow

Anne Twomey
Anne Twomey

Henry Sene Yee - Columbine book cover
Henry Sene Yee


... and to the rest of this year's winners.

matt sung| 4 months ago| (23)| send

 
 

Karen Horton

on June 25, 2009 - 01:46 AM

“Congrats! I'm still in admiration of Isaac Tobin + Lauren Nassef's collaboration on the Obsession
jacket design.


When I looked at the winning cover designs online last week, I took it for granted that there were exactly 50 jackets/covers, and 50 book entries selected. It was brought to our attention that this year's jury panel elected to only choose 41 winning cover design entries, an acknowledged omission by the organization based on a motto of quality over quantity.
Is it misleading to still refer to the competition/exhibition as “50 Books / 50 Covers "? Could the decision to only have 41 cover designs in the show be a reflection of the current economic recession (fewer organizations and individuals willing to fork over cash for entry fees, cuts in production budgets, layoffs in the industry...)?


AIGA wrote the following in their eligibility terms for the competition:


"Following AIGA’s membership in Icograda (International Council of Graphic Design Associations) and in keeping with a deepening commitment to demonstrating the importance of diversity, entries from all countries will be eligible for AIGA competitions for the first time in AIGA’s history..."


In the past I've found the show to be heavily New York-centric. As someone who is aware of many beautiful and/or unique cover designs in the book publishing field, it sounds surprising that there wouldn't be 9 additional winning selections to fill the quota (especially now that the competition is "international"). Although, I can't make fully educated judgments without seeing the pool of submitted cover design entries.


Entry fees and actual submissions aside, are there any cover designs from 2008 you feel should’ve made the cut?”


Send Message

Catherine Casalino

on June 25, 2009 - 10:29 AM

“Thanks for pointing to Parisa Tashakori's work! It's gorgeous. I was hoping to see more international design like this in the competition this year... I only counted 14 (out of 91) from outside the US (Canada, the UK, Mexico, Brazil)


While some of my favorites from the past year were included (Translucent Tree-Timothy Goodman, Columbine-Henry Sene Yee, Obsession-Isaac Tobin & Lauren Nassef), there were so many other designs that I loved from 2008 that I was hoping to see on the list:


Against Happiness - Jennifer Carrow
Lewis Carroll in Numberland - Henry Sene Yee
Here's How I See It, Here's How It Is - Christopher Brand
The 351 Books of Irma Arcuri - Paul Buckley
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Peter Mendelsund
Spade & Archer - Jason Booher
The Great Gamble - Christopher Sergio
Grand Obsession - Jason Heuer


Like Karen mentioned, I'm not sure if these books were among the "more than 900 entries," but 9 open spots seems ridiculous to me considering what I've seen in my local B&N this past year, and what I haven't seen in bookstores around the world... Lame, AIGA.

”


Send Message

Gregg Kulick

on July 02, 2009 - 10:45 AM

“I found it to be rather pretentious of the judges to do this, especially considering people payed a lot of money to enter this. I thought it was a bit of a slap to the face of the industry considering the fact there was so much quality work out there this year. Perhaps it is more of a statement on the quality of the judges.


Some of my picks would be


2666 by Charlotte Strick
Spade and Archer by Jason Booher
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Peter Mendelsund
Against Happiness - Jennifer Carrow

”


Send Message

Henry Sene Yee

on July 03, 2009 - 02:51 PM

“What is the point of naming the competition AIGA's 50 Books/50 Covers?

It is really insulting to book design that they couldn't recognize 50 examples of quality work. Was finding 50 out of 900+ entries so hard? The AIGA always seems to highlight the same handful of designers. Is it a matter of "quality" or elitism? I would love to see more academic / university / smaller presses & smaller budgets recognized. But I'm sure the high AIGA entry fees are a deterrent.

If the state of book cover design is so bad that you can’t find 50 worthy covers, then the end of book cover design will not be coming from e-Books but from within.”


Send Message

Charles Brock

on July 03, 2009 - 06:20 PM

“They should refund part of the entry fees since the odds of getting were decreased by almost 20%. It is ridiculous the amount of money it costs to enter all the competitions and then if you do win you have to pay for the trophy. The AIGA and the judges should be ashamed. There were so many great covers last year. I think now would be a good time to announce the FaceOut Books 41 Covers Design Competition.”


Send Message

Alex Camlin

on July 05, 2009 - 09:54 AM

“50 Bucks/41 Covers of 2009!

It would be interesting to see if there is any precedent for this (a year when less than 100 winners were chosen)...I doubt it. When I worked at Houghton, I spent a lot of time looking through 50/50 catalogs from past years—the design department's library had them dating back to the 1930s. I'm pretty sure there were 100 entries in each and every one.

Is this truly the AIGA's take on state of book and cover design, or is it just another indicator of the decreasing value they place on the 50/50 competition each year? It's already been inextricably tethered to the 365 Competition, I'm sure it will soon be folded in completely. So much for the sound bite on "time-honored tradition" they append to the call for entries each year.

W. A. Dwiggins is spinning in his grave, I'm sure.”


Send Message

Kimberly Glyder

on July 05, 2009 - 12:36 PM

“I believe they have picked under 50 before.

I think you just have to peruse the portfolios on designrelated (or even just the designers above) to know there are 9 covers out there that would be great additions to the selections for this year.”


Send Message

James Reyman

on July 05, 2009 - 07:08 PM

“They have, indeed, picked less than 50 covers before, and with the same poor excuse; they couldn't find 50 covers which met their criteria for good design (of course they could). The competition is called 50 books/50 covers. The judges' job is to find the 50 best covers, not 41. If they can't find 50 they should go back to the books and look again. They should not be able to leave the judging until they find 50. All entrants have been mislead. Number 42 didn't make it into the best 50 show and paid good money to try. Designers numbered 42 through 50 should all be placed into the next year's book with an apology from AIGA. Past years too. ”


Send Message

Christopher Tobias

on July 06, 2009 - 10:19 AM

“I would argue the quality of book design overall is increasing and more competitive (and I would guess that the entries to 50/50 would reflect that). Therefore, the problem shouldn't have been finding 50, but limiting it to 50 worthy entries. Looking at the portfolios of any of the above respondents is testimony to that.”


Send Message

Catherine Casalino

on July 06, 2009 - 10:20 AM

“I agree with Henry that this is a disservice to the book industry as well as to design. Every year I find myself picking up copies of the books that make AIGA's 50/50 list, and I know other people do the same. Being included on the list is free advertising for a book, and may rejuvenate sales on books that have begun to flag after a year on the shelves. At the rate the publishing industry is going, every book sold is important. I think that especially after a year when so many publishing employees were laid off it's important to show that the industry is still producing strong work. ”


Send Message

Gregg Kulick

on July 06, 2009 - 11:13 AM

“These were this years judges.

Jane Brown
Distributed Art Publishers (D.A.P.), Los Angeles

Rodrigo Corral
Rodrigo Corral Design, New York

Vanessa Eckstein
Bløk Design, Mexico City

Franc Nunoo Quarcoo
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore

Brett Yasko
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
”


Send Message

Nate Salciccioli

on July 06, 2009 - 11:23 AM

“Yes, 2008 didn't seem like a year with a design drought. I'd be interested to hear an AIGA representative weigh in on this.”


Send Message

albert tang

on July 06, 2009 - 12:04 PM

“I agree with Charles. Some art directors who work at smaller publishing house with no budget for design competitions pay out of their own pockets. That stings quite a bit.
”


Send Message

Jonathan Sainsbury

on July 06, 2009 - 12:33 PM

“Even at big houses designers and art directors pay fees out of pocket. Just sucks all around.”


Send Message

Richard Grefé

on July 06, 2009 - 01:32 PM

“It is wonderful that people are following 50 Books/50 Covers so closely. The conversation validates its continuing relevance.


AIGA selects a jury of thoughtful, experienced, respected professionals to select a representation of the best design of the year, considering a variety of criteria applied to the books that have been entered (and we know there are worthy and exciting designs that are not entered). AIGA has never set a quantitative target over a qualitative judgment and we respect the jury in deciding where the threshold falls in meeting a consistent standard in their judgment.


In this competition, as in the broader 365 competition, AIGA trusts the jury to explain the standards it sets and to apply them consistently and appropriately. This is not the first time that there have not been 50 covers; however, this is still a more generous selection than in the categories of 365, in which only 5-15 might be selected (even for broad categories like brand design or package design or information design).


The title is simply that: a title and a target that we provide to the jury in its deliberations and usually it works well, although every jury has the greatest challenge in closing the gap between the selections that meet a natural consensus, usually fewer than fifty, and the strive target, since this often involves changing the criteria that have been agreed upon and then reducing the number of selections that meet a different criterion.


We hope you will all join us in encouraging designers and publlshers to enter their work next year so that they can be certain to be considered.
”


Send Message

Charles Brock

on July 06, 2009 - 01:43 PM

“Sounds like a pretty standard admin response. I'm not satisfied with that answer. Oh well.”


Send Message

Arthur Cherry

on July 06, 2009 - 02:36 PM

“Agreed, Charles!

How much will it cost to enter the FaceOut Books 41 Covers Design Competition and how many selections will there actually be?”


Send Message

Charles Brock

on July 06, 2009 - 02:48 PM

“Not sure of the cost but we will pick around 30 covers. Just kidding. It was a joke of course but who knows. I would rather put the money we would normally invest in next years 50 Covers into developing a FaceOut Books competition.

”


Send Message

Ian Shimkoviak

on July 06, 2009 - 06:19 PM

“Another reason why I don't submit to design competitions. Too much politics. There is no question that hundreds of more covers could have been chosen. The simple fact remains: As with any industry competition, majority of the winners are repeat or very reputable designers/firms. It's rare to find a happy mix. That, coupled with costs and the extra charges never make it worth it in my eye.

If a persons work is good, it should be featured—simple. No costs etc. Recognition is not something you should have to pay for. You already paid for it by being good at what you do.

The job of judges should be to seek out great work and contact the firms/designers responsible to ask if they wish to be featured. That's it. We should not have to pay for some judges expensive Latte and flight. They should be honored to be chosen as a judge and have the chance to look at and review amazing work.

As far as a "drought design year", I do not think there has been one since the dawn of the computer age... people are producing amazing things every second of every hour. Just look.”


Send Message

Alex Camlin

on July 07, 2009 - 06:22 PM

“I stand corrected.

Mr. Grefé: Forgive me, but your statement seems to confirm my suspicion that the 50/50 competition is being relegated to some sort of component-of-365 status. If it is not, then your comparisons to categories within 365 aren't very convincing—different competition, right?

Why not simply re-name the competition, or integrate it as two categories within AIGA/365? Dispensing with 50/50 would relieve AIGA of the chore of picking so many winners for two annoyingly narrow categories, but it would also erase over 80 years of tradition that can be associated with AIGA/365 . . . so I guess I answered my own question!

The title of the 50/50 competition is more than just a title because it indicates that "quantitative target" will be reached. Everyone can have an opinion about the judges' "qualitative targets", but 50 is 50, except when it isn't.

I think the reason why many people on this forum feel mislead and/or cheated is that 50/50 is in some way dear to them, probably because it is an exclusive celebration of—as it has been for nearly 100 years—book design. Increasingly rare, in a world where books as we know them—once thought to be the ultimate form of graphic design—are facing unfavorable odds.
”


Send Message

Steve Cooley | Cooley Design Lab

on July 09, 2009 - 10:52 AM

“Very thoughtful comments on this topic.

I agree with Ian. I haven't entered a design competition in years due mostly to the increasingly high fees and the politics. As a solo freelancer it is nearly impossible for me to justify the cost of entering versus the returns of having a piece accepted.

And others comments regarding just the work of design:related members would provide a cornucopia of great work is spot on. I see fabulous covers every time I enter a bookstore. ”


Send Message

James Perales

on July 20, 2009 - 02:23 PM

“Maybe they should be have a class action suit filed against them for deceitful/false advertising?

They should call the contest "41 Books and 41 Covers".”


Send Message

David Jordan Williams

on July 20, 2009 - 03:02 PM

“I have to say that I am constantly seeing strong conceptual work on the shelves of bookstores that certainly, in my opinion, could have made the cut in this competition. One would think that with the international flavor being introduced into the competition there would have been enough of an influx to make the 50 but all this aside you never know about the judging panel and their group selection process. A friend of mine put it perfectly for me when he described any competition as a crap shoot.”


Send Message

Please login to add a comment