Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book by Paul Robb is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Bronze A' Design Award in Print and Published Media Design Competition Category.
BronzePrint· 2020
Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book
by Paul Robb
Client: Salt & Pepper
Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Print Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #88176The Design
About Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book
After the devastating earthquake of 2016, the Umbria Region of Italy required a reposition of its communications. This catalog is that journey displaying the cultural riches of unknown areas of the territory. Each of the section index pages was designed focusing on communicating that storytelling. Although mainly a photography journey of light and unseen culture, the textual part of the catalog has been treated to balance the visual story.
The Recognition
About the Bronze A' Design Award
Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.
Interviews
Grand Interview
Your innovative approach to bespoke typography in Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book, particularly the three-combination font system, represents a unique response to the earthquake's impact - could you elaborate on how this design choice reflects the region's resilience and cultural heritage?
The original designs in the book were studied within the environment, and the idea of having a typeface that moves, almost shifting, was designed to reflect the resilience of the earth's shifting but not falling, remaining intact, ready to flex back.
The Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book masterfully balances photography with typography - what inspired your decision to create two distinct custom typefaces, and how do they enhance the narrative of Umbria's unseen cultural treasures?
Custom fonts are part of our DNA, especially with this project, as we needed to communicate a reactional feeling of the moment. They give a more personal approach to creating a sensation for communication.
How did your extensive research across Umbria's territory, including conversations with local populations, influence the visual storytelling approach in Light - Discovering Umbria Typographic Book, particularly in terms of layout decisions and photographic composition?
Absolutely. The feelings were so strong, and the people of each of the towns were affected differently. We needed to have that personal approach within the layouts. It was almost an interpretation of the territory and how it was now moving forward, holding on to its cultural heritage.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Dynamically anchoring the catalogs are two bespoke typefaces. The first font is three different combinations. Inspired from concealing and reflect the words with controlled randomness emulating the lighting situations in continual flux. The same word yields different combinations each time creating a rhythmic pattern.
The second font was inspired by shadows within the photographs and the idea of expanding light. Each letter is extended characterizing the long-drawn shadows. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Cover: Fedrigoni sirio black black gr. 290
Internal pages: Fedrigoni arco design da gr. 140 - Tags
- Type/Font Design, Identity design, Catalog, Photography, Typography
- Production Technology
- Volume: 256 pages
Cover: Silkscreen printing
Internal pages: 4 color offset - Design Challenge
- Having been affected by the earthquake of 2016, these catalogs explore and celebrate the cultural unseen beauty of the region of Umbria. The catalog accompanies the traveling exhibition, used to demonstrate how little of the cultural heritage was affected by the earthquake and to dispel misrepresented ideas in the press.
- Research
- All areas of the Umbrian territory were visited and researched by the journalist, Cristiana Mapelli. Developing the story from the local population we were able to discover places only they knew, exposing cultural elements not on the normal visitors itineraries.
- Inspiration
- The catalogs explore the links between photography light and shadow within the confines for the rich local cultural heritage, a photographic journey of the territory and juxtaposes custom typefaces and contemporary layout.
- Project Duration
- Design and Art direction from November 2018 to January 2019, Umbria, Perugia
- Operation Flow
- The book was developed as a marketing and branding territorial advertising piece. We were approached to identify and refocus and create a marketing tool to requalify and reinforced an optimistic public perception of the region. Only 7% of the territory was damaged by the earthquake but reported in the press as being 100% damaged, the concept was to reinforce the brand reputation and demonstrate to the territory.
The project has been shortlisted to the Italian ADI Design Index - Compasso d’oro 2020 and won Gold at the Novum Awards 2019 and Sustainable design of the year at the Novum Awards 2019. - Team Members
- Designer & Art Direction: Paul Henry Robb
Type design: Paul Henry Robb
Designer: Moira Bartoloni
Animator: Tommaso Calderini
Audio: Paul Henry Robb
Photography: Marco Giugliarelli
Copy: Cristiana Mapelli - Image Credits
- Photography copyright, Paul Robb & Marco Giugliarelli
Sponsored
Explore Beyond Designers.org
Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.
More to Explore
Related Designs
Explore more award-winning designs from the same category, selected by merit.
