Faber Finds generative book covers
August 5, 2008
Faber Finds is a recently launched service offered by publisher Faber and Faber that utilises digital print technology and affordability to make out-of-print books available once more. Basically, a book is only printed when someone orders it - and, thanks to some clever generative programming by Universal Everything collaborator Karsten Schmidt (undertaken through his own studio, postspectacular.com), each cover printed promises to be totally unique. Various decorative elements designed by Marian Bantjes are arranged by the programme into a decorative border around the book’s title and author. The latter appear in a bespoke font, b-hmmnd, designed by Build’s Michael Place.
The process may sound relatively straightforward when distilled like this but Karsten Schmidt has talked to cr about the complexities of the programming – from getting to grips with the rules and nature of the design elements to creating a generative solution which would introduce variations at certain points of its design process, manage and even aesthetically judge them automatically. As promised in the current issue, here is Schmidt’s full technical breakdown of the processes involved:
A year ago Faber & Faber commissioned PostSpectacular to help with the design of a software system to generate complete & print ready book covers for their new imprint Faber Finds, an on-demand print service of out-of-print books. The challenge was more of a creative than a technical one, as the task given was to build a “design machine” which would be flexible enough to generate a very large (theoretically infinite) number of unique designs, one for each single book printed, within the agreed boundaries set by Faber’s art direction.
Faber also commissioned Canadian typographer Marian Bantjes to create four designs used as templates for the desired look & feel of the borders styles of each of the different genres offered by the imprint (Fiction, Non-fiction, Arts and Children’s). Each of her design routes then needed to be abstracted, decomposed into smaller elements & shapes, parametrized and generally reverse engineered conceptually.
Only once we understood all the rules and nature of the design elements used on all levels, we could start building a generative solution which would introduce variations at certain points of its design process, manage and judge them automatically. This initial part of the process included things like identifying the 5 levels of symmetry used in Marian’s sketches, experimenting with minimum and maximum border widths & densities, exploring individual symmetry limits per shape element, finding the right amounts of shape elements used per border quadrant, ensuring author names and titles (set in Michael C. Place’s beautiful B-HMMND font) are correctly word wrapped whilst not being obscured by the borders etc. In total we isolated over 35 of such rules and parameters…
Generative design systems often work on the premise of extrapolating a given design idea/art direction. Because our aim was to create such a system (rather than a single one-off design), it was important to find the extreme cases and boundaries of expressions possible and then shaping them. Finding appropriate values to these design parameters required a phase of constant experimentation and conversations with Faber’s design team - these collaboratively agreed boundary values then became the encoded art direction within the software.
Generating the borders was just one, if major, task of the final solution, though. Our custom software was developed in Processing (http://processing.org), Java and PHP and works as an internal webservice at Faber which receives new batch orders and then generates complete, print ready PDF files with all copy, branding, spine, ISBN, barcode and optional high-res JPG preview using the book details supplied. Generating a single cover only takes about 1 second, but due to its iterative and semi-random nature can sometime require hundreds of attempts until a “valid” design is created which is judged to be “on brand” by software itself.
The project was art directed by Darren Wall at Faber and Faber.
To see Karsten Schmidt’s own blogpost about this project, visit postspectacular.com/process/20080711_faberfindslaunch
faber.co.uk/faberfinds
bantjes.com
wearebuild.com
AOL Video Gets Social Media Facelift
August 5, 2008
If at first you don’t succeed, redesign and relaunch. Two years after the debut of AOL Video, AOL is premiering an updated version packed with social media features: sharable music videos and…
Faber Finds generative book covers
August 4, 2008
Faber Finds is a recently launched service offered by publisher Faber and Faber that utilises digital print technology and affordability to make out-of-print books available once more. Basically, a book is only printed when someone orders it - and, thanks to some clever generative programming by Universal Everything collaborator Karsten Schmidt (undertaken through his own studio, postspectacular.com), each cover printed promises to be totally unique. Various decorative elements designed by Marian Bantjes are arranged by the programme into a decorative border around the book’s title and author. The latter appear in a bespoke font, b-hmmnd, designed by Build’s Michael Place.
The process may sound relatively straightforward when distilled like this but Karsten Schmidt has talked to cr about the complexities of the programming – from getting to grips with the rules and nature of the design elements to creating a generative solution which would introduce variations at certain points of its design process, manage and even aesthetically judge them automatically. As promised in the current issue, here is Schmidt’s full technical breakdown of the processes involved:
A year ago Faber & Faber commissioned PostSpectacular to help with the design of a software system to generate complete & print ready book covers for their new imprint Faber Finds, an on-demand print service of out-of-print books. The challenge was more of a creative than a technical one, as the task given was to build a “design machine” which would be flexible enough to generate a very large (theoretically infinite) number of unique designs, one for each single book printed, within the agreed boundaries set by Faber’s art direction.
Faber also commissioned Canadian typographer Marian Bantjes to create four designs used as templates for the desired look & feel of the borders styles of each of the different genres offered by the imprint (Fiction, Non-fiction, Arts and Children’s). Each of her design routes then needed to be abstracted, decomposed into smaller elements & shapes, parametrized and generally reverse engineered conceptually.
Only once we understood all the rules and nature of the design elements used on all levels, we could start building a generative solution which would introduce variations at certain points of its design process, manage and judge them automatically. This initial part of the process included things like identifying the 5 levels of symmetry used in Marian’s sketches, experimenting with minimum and maximum border widths & densities, exploring individual symmetry limits per shape element, finding the right amounts of shape elements used per border quadrant, ensuring author names and titles (set in Michael C. Place’s beautiful B-HMMND font) are correctly word wrapped whilst not being obscured by the borders etc. In total we isolated over 35 of such rules and parameters…
Generative design systems often work on the premise of extrapolating a given design idea/art direction. Because our aim was to create such a system (rather than a single one-off design), it was important to find the extreme cases and boundaries of expressions possible and then shaping them. Finding appropriate values to these design parameters required a phase of constant experimentation and conversations with Faber’s design team - these collaboratively agreed boundary values then became the encoded art direction within the software.
Generating the borders was just one, if major, task of the final solution, though. Our custom software was developed in Processing (http://processing.org), Java and PHP and works as an internal webservice at Faber which receives new batch orders and then generates complete, print ready PDF files with all copy, branding, spine, ISBN, barcode and optional high-res JPG preview using the book details supplied. Generating a single cover only takes about 1 second, but due to its iterative and semi-random nature can sometime require hundreds of attempts until a “valid” design is created which is judged to be “on brand” by software itself.
The project was art directed by Darren Wall at Faber and Faber.
To see Karsten Schmidt’s own blogpost about this project, visit postspectacular.com/process/20080711_faberfindslaunch
faber.co.uk/faberfinds
bantjes.com
wearebuild.com
Iron Fists: Branding the 20th c. Totalitarian State
August 4, 2008
“Glory to the great October!” A Russian poster commemorating the 1917 Revolution,
from Steven Heller’s new book, Iron Fists: Branding the 20th-Century Totalitarian State
In Iron Fists, an illustrated survey of totalitarian visual propaganda, Steven Heller offers an insight into the visual representations of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Communist USSR and China. Heller’s argument centres around the idea that totalitarian imagery is based on the potential of brand devotion. “Like any corporate identity campaign,” he writes, “the totalitarian regime demands the brand loyalty of its subjects.”
In his new book, Heller discusses how posters, magazines and advertisements were used within the visual systems of these dictatorships, alongside more formalistic elements such as typefaces and colour palettes…
Each chapter explores a particular aspect of the visual culture that surrounded these dictatorships (such as the autocrat’s persona as visual device) and looks at the design and branding strategies used to help enforce each regime. Heller draws a parallel between the imagery of advertising and that of dictatorships on the level of branding strategies: as in marketing or corporate branding, these systems indoctrinate the viewer and establish an allegiance to a particular institution. As Heller contends, the purpose of authoritarian propaganda is ideological, with one essential aim: to fortify the power of the dictator and their regime.
The Socialist Realist poster (above) establishes brand fealty for the Communist system through key Soviet trademarks: the hammer and sickle insignia embodies the alliance between the workers and peasants; and the Aurora battleship, that sounded the signal to storm the Winter Palace in 1917, is placed in the centre of the star (hence the line, “Glory to the great October!” commemorating the start of the Revolution).
This Nazi pamphlet from 1936 was intended for Hitler Youth (Hitler-Jugend) members. The illustration communicates brand loyalty via symbols including the swastika and the impactful ‘H’ and ‘J’ letters. Again, each of these elements promotes the Nazi autocracy endorsed by the contents of the booklet.
Heller also looks at the transposition of a dictators’ personal traits – a face, or even more specifically, Lenin’s goatee or Hitler’s moustache – onto public buildings. In reality, however, the four regimes examined viewed corporate branding in different ways. Lenin actually refrained from visual self-adulation as a means of enforcing his power. As Heller remarks: “[Lenin’s] concern with art was limited to practical matters.” Rejecting state branding, the dictator aspired towards classlessness and an external image of modesty. Nonetheless, Lenin’s followers deified him after his death. “As Lenin’s health declined, the appearance of his image increased,” Heller neatly observes.
Portrayals of Lenin also exploited discernible trademarks such as his plebeian hat. Lenin’s political successor, Stalin, in fact helped to initiate the cult of this first Soviet dictator. For example, photos and paintings of Lenin were hung in homes and offices in what were known as “Red Corners”. These reproductions immortalised the dictator’s image in the minds of the common people. Moreover, this leader cult reinforced Stalin’s authority, ensuring the continuation of Soviet totalitarianism.
This photograph from 1967 features a poster of Lenin suspended on a department store in Moscow with pedestrians passing by. The portrait’s enormity – compared to the size of the pedestrians – glorifies Lenin as a leader. Moreover, the stars on the building also embody the standard symbols of Soviet domination.
In contrast to Lenin, Hitler overtly manipulated his outer identity to drive his leadership cult. Heller writes: “Hitler’s image was designed to become the face of the Nazi state.” He presented himself as the nation’s guardian and was influenced by the principles of Peter Behrens, a pioneer of corporate identity. Hitler also depicted himself as a man of the people in his visual propaganda. For instance, he was frequently portrayed as stroking dogs and receiving flowers from young women. He then created the emblematic Nazi salute by combining Mussolini’s Roman salute with the greeting “hail to Hitler”. This infamous salute came to represent incontestable loyalty towards Hitler and the Nazi party. Indeed, through cultivating this positive self-image, Hitler was able to achieve an intimate connection with the German people.
This brochure from 1936 (cover shown, above), illustrated by Ludwig Hohlwein, advertises a Nazi sporting event. On a formalistic level, Hitler and his subordinates are painted in warm colours – in the reds and browns of their uniforms – whereas the background is infused with cold shades of blue. As warm colours are traditionally associated with optimism in Western iconography, the brochure’s design again attempts to generate a positive perception of the Führer.
Overall, Heller’s book is a fascinating study of the power inherent in symbols and visual branding – and, moreover, how that power bears the potential to be abused to terrible ends.
Iron Fists, published by Phaidon Press, is available now; £45
Tax Rebate Stimulus Plan Not So Stimulating
August 4, 2008
The Core Personal Consumption Expenditures Index — the Federal Reserve’s means of gauging inflation — rose 0.3 percent, compared to the 0.2 percent rise expected by economists. The news put Wall…
Ex-Clinton Aid Reps Phorm to Policy-Makers
August 2, 2008
Behavioral ad targeting firm Phorm selected Ricchetti, Inc., a lobbying firm headed by Steven Ricchetti, to represent its interests on Capitol Hill. Mr. Ricchetti was the deputy chief of staff to the…
Faber Finds generative book covers
July 31, 2008
Faber Finds is a recently launched service offered by publisher Faber and Faber that utilises digital print technology and affordability to make out-of-print books available once more. Basically, a book is only printed when someone orders it - and, thanks to some clever generative programming by Universal Everything collaborator Karsten Schmidt (undertaken through his own studio, postspectacular.com), each cover printed promises to be totally unique. Various decorative elements designed by Marian Bantjes are arranged by the programme into a decorative border around the book’s title and author. The latter appear in a bespoke font, b-hmmnd, designed by Build’s Michael Place.
The process may sound relatively straightforward when distilled like this but Karsten Schmidt has talked to cr about the complexities of the programming – from getting to grips with the rules and nature of the design elements to creating a generative solution which would introduce variations at certain points of its design process, manage and even aesthetically judge them automatically. As promised in the current issue, here is Schmidt’s full technical breakdown of the processes involved:
A year ago Faber & Faber commissioned PostSpectacular to help with the design of a software system to generate complete & print ready book covers for their new imprint Faber Finds, an on-demand print service of out-of-print books. The challenge was more of a creative than a technical one, as the task given was to build a “design machine” which would be flexible enough to generate a very large (theoretically infinite) number of unique designs, one for each single book printed, within the agreed boundaries set by Faber’s art direction.
Faber also commissioned Canadian typographer Marian Bantjes to create four designs used as templates for the desired look & feel of the borders styles of each of the different genres offered by the imprint (Fiction, Non-fiction, Arts and Children’s). Each of her design routes then needed to be abstracted, decomposed into smaller elements & shapes, parametrized and generally reverse engineered conceptually.
Only once we understood all the rules and nature of the design elements used on all levels, we could start building a generative solution which would introduce variations at certain points of its design process, manage and judge them automatically. This initial part of the process included things like identifying the 5 levels of symmetry used in Marian’s sketches, experimenting with minimum and maximum border widths & densities, exploring individual symmetry limits per shape element, finding the right amounts of shape elements used per border quadrant, ensuring author names and titles (set in Michael C. Place’s beautiful B-HMMND font) are correctly word wrapped whilst not being obscured by the borders etc. In total we isolated over 35 of such rules and parameters…
Generative design systems often work on the premise of extrapolating a given design idea/art direction. Because our aim was to create such a system (rather than a single one-off design), it was important to find the extreme cases and boundaries of expressions possible and then shaping them. Finding appropriate values to these design parameters required a phase of constant experimentation and conversations with Faber’s design team - these collaboratively agreed boundary values then became the encoded art direction within the software.
Generating the borders was just one, if major, task of the final solution, though. Our custom software was developed in Processing (http://processing.org), Java and PHP and works as an internal webservice at Faber which receives new batch orders and then generates complete, print ready PDF files with all copy, branding, spine, ISBN, barcode and optional high-res JPG preview using the book details supplied. Generating a single cover only takes about 1 second, but due to its iterative and semi-random nature can sometime require hundreds of attempts until a “valid” design is created which is judged to be “on brand” by software itself.
The project was art directed by Darren Wall at Faber and Faber.
To see Karsten Schmidt’s own blogpost about this project, visit postspectacular.com/process/20080711_faberfindslaunch
