August 28, 2019
Design Community Recognizes ArtCenter's Innovative Viewbook
Each book’s one-of-a-kind cover represents the unique educational experience of every student
ArtCenter College of Design ’s recently published Viewbook, a biennial publication marketing the College to prospective students, is winning multiple high-profile design awards. The publication is being widely recognized among design industry leaders for its innovative design combining time-honored craft with cutting-edge technology.
Each printed cover features a one-of-a-kind configuration of modular geometric elements and is numbered sequentially—there are more than 40,000 total variations in circulation. The concept reflects the ArtCenter experience where each student is empowered to create their own unique pathway through the framework of the curriculum. The Viewbook serves as a bridge from the past to the future because the modules were inspired by Alvin Lustig, a West Coast design pioneer who studied and later taught at ArtCenter in the ‘30s and ‘40s.
The cover was created using an algorithm that draws from a set of 18 modules. By changing color, position and rotation, the algorithm generated more than 34,500 unique permutations that form the letter A. Each of the digitally printed covers is identified with a serial number on the front cover and spine.
ArtCenter’s 2019-2020 Viewbook was designed by Brad Bartlett, director and professor of Transmedia in the Graphic Design Department, in collaboration with Alex Seth (MFA 18), a recent alumnus of the Graduate Graphic Design program, who provided the creative coding and additional design for the algorithm used to generate the cover iterations. A complete list of book credits is included below.
“It’s really gratifying to experience the finished product and see how our team’s creative ideas are being received by prospective students and the design community,” said Bartlett, who in addition to teaching at the College, runs his own award-winning studio practice in Los Angeles.
“In recent years, graphic design has shifted away from the crafting of singular artifacts to the creation of dynamic systems,” continued Bartlett. “In that spirit, we wanted to use new tools and methods to create a system that would generate an infinite number of custom design solutions. Digital technology can be used to enhance the production of print-based media, as opposed to simply usurping it.”
For this Viewbook, the College commissioned a new, fixed-width monospace font created especially for the Viewbook by ArtCenter alumnus Josh Finklea. A range of alumni across majors and in different stages of their careers are represented throughout the publication with quotes and examples of their work.
Awards won so far include
- Selected as one of 50 covers in the 50 Books 50 Covers competition which recognizes the best work in book and cover design as determined by AIGA and Design Observer. This competition aims to identify the 50 best-designed books and book covers of the year.
- Winner in the 60th Communication Arts Design Annual competition organized by Communication Arts magazine. The Viewbook will be featured in the September/October 2019 issue of the magazine. A jury of creative professionals selected 132 projects from 3,663 entries submitted to the competition.
- Silver Award Winner in the Graphis Design Annual 2020. Graphis is committed to presenting and promoting the work of exceptional talent with winners appearing in digital and print.
- Excellence Award Winner in the UCDA Design competition which recognizes the best of the exceptional design work done by communication professionals to promote educational institutions and supports the exchange of ideas and information relating to the unique role of these designers. Winning entries will be part of the UCDA Design Show on display during the 49th annual UCDA Design Conference October 12 through 15, 2019 in Portland, Oregon.
- Winner of a CASE Circle of Excellence award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Selected as a winning entry by CASE, the global association for professionals in advancement—alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services—who share the goal of championing education to transform lives and society.
Praise from judges
“The ArtCenter College of Design embraced its history and reputation by putting work inspired by renowned Modernist--and one-time faculty member--Alvin Lustig on the cover of its viewbook,” read a statement from the judges of the CASE competition. “Better still, each cover was a unique piece, created from an algorithm that made 40,500 unique covers. ArtCenter promised that this idea was borne of its desire to convey the ‘unique education’ each student receives. Throughout this bright, weighty, and thoroughly modern perfect-bound book, ArtCenter puts its students’ work front and center. ‘We learn by making,’ the book promises. ArtCenter is ‘like a conservatory for inspiring performing artists.’ The school’s mission, along with a strong sense of possibility and excitement, are evident from the beginning, and the many examples of beautifully printed student artwork convey this sense, page after page.”
ArtCenter’s Viewbook 2019-2020 Credits:
Creative direction and design: Brad Bartlett
Creative coding and design: Alex Seth
Project supervision: Scott Taylor
Editorial direction: Mike Winder
Production supervision: Ellie Eisner
Production: Audrey Krauss
Photography: Juan Posada
Copy Editor: Mary Nadler
Writing: Lynne Heffley, Brenda Rees, Solvej Schou, Jamie Wetherbe, Mike Winder
Font: Centra #2 Mono designed exclusively for the publication by alumnus Josh Finklea
Printer: Clear Image Printing Co., Los Angeles, California
Prospective students can obtain a copy of the Viewbook by contacting the Admissions Office and filling out this form or at admissions@artcenter.edu and 626 396-2373.
Limited copies of ArtCenter’s 2019-2020 Viewbook are available to journalists who plan to cover the design story of this publication.
About ArtCenter: Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. ArtCenter offers 11 undergraduate and seven graduate degrees in a wide variety of industrial design disciplines as well as visual and applied arts. In addition to its top-ranked academic programs, the College also serves members of the Greater Los Angeles region through a highly regarded series of year-round continuing education programs for all ages and levels of experience. Renowned for both its ties to industry and its social impact initiatives, ArtCenter is the first design school to receive the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status. Throughout the College’s long and storied history, ArtCenter alumni have had a profound impact on popular culture, the way we live and important issues in our society.
Contact:
Teri Bond
Media Relations Director
ArtCenter College of Design
teri.bond@artcenter.edu
