AIGA (The American Institute of Graphic Arts), the New York situated oldest and largest professional membership organization for design, with 70 chapters and more than 25,000 members and Design Observer, a website devoted to a range of design topics including graphic design, social innovation, urbanism, popular culture and criticism, have published the results for 50 Books | 50 Covers for the year 2016. The competition choses 50 of the best world editions in each of the two named categories (book and cover design), and among them 2 of the works signed by Studio Sonda are listed.
One of it is the monograph In the line of fire: the history of firefighting in Poreč, that through its 254 pages brings a section of chronological history about voluntary and professional fire service on the Poreč territory, from the 19th century to the present day. The cover is made of handprints of all the employees and workers who were employed during the creation of the book by the Public Fire Department – Center for Fire Protection in Poreč.
The second book awarded is a catalog conceived as a virtual tour of the (Athens) exhibition Metaphoria II commissioned by the French artistic lab Grupe Bel: Lab’Bel.
Book designers and publishers entered nearly 700 book and cover designs from more than 23 countries. After careful and considered review, the jury – consisting of Gail Anderson, Michael Carabetta and Jessica Helmand – recognized submissions that successfully demonstrate design excellence in book and cover design.
AIGA was founded in 1914, and the award 50 Books | 50 Covers has been given since 1923.
In the line of Fire and Metaphoria II, which are exemplars of the craft and effect of good design, will become part of the AIGA collection at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University’s Butler Library and at the Robert Haas Arts Library at Yale University.
AIGA will also promote the Poreč firemen and Metaphoria II through its campaign “Bookends” which collects all inspirational designer works since 1924. Afterwards they will become permanent part of the historical showcase of the most significant graphic design AIGA Design Archives, and will be published in the Design Observer too.
