Written in a friendly, conversational style, and with contributions from eight other book designers, Richard Hendel’s On Book Design deserves a place among the best works on the subject and is a valuable addition to any designer’s library.
On Book Design is not another “how-to” book. Instead, Hendel seeks to reveal how he and other designers work and why they make the choices they do. “It is a book about how books are designed,” he writes. “It is not a book on how to design books.” Hendel himself might be described as a Zen pragmatist. “I only know how to design the book I am working on at the moment,” he asserts.
Hendel begins by presenting his own ideas, ponderings, and questions. As background for the subsequent discussion, he reviews the elements that need to be addressed in designing a book: size, margins, type, paragraph style, front and back matter, and so on. There are sample specification sheets and page layout sketches. With graphic designers and others not formally trained in book design increasingly taking on book projects, this is essential information, succinctly presented. It is not, however, a substitute for formal training or the study of texts on book design (the major ones are listed at the end of the book).
Hendel proceeds to describe an actual book project, noting what worked and what didn’t, and detailing the stops and starts and revisits that happen during the design process. Interestingly, he then tackles On Book Design itself, allowing the reader to critically examine the book in hand as the author explains why it looks the way it does.
Finally, eight other book designers contribute their thoughts, share their design processes and analyze at least one of their own book designs. These are unusual glimpses into how creative people work in a constricted form, revealing the passions of artists engaged in a little-known craft.
The designers’ comments are thoughtful and persuasive, with the most common theme expressed being that book design is “done in the service of words.” As Hendel writes, “Good design is just as much the careful arrangement of the most ordinary typefaces in the most conventional formats as it is the use of unusual typefaces in brilliant juxtapositions.”
Hendel acknowledges the recent trend of layered/obscured text and “aggressive” design: the designer as auteur. However, it’s a minor disappointment that no designers in that style are represented in the book to fully make their case. As it is, though, On Book Design is an excellent defense of the traditional “good design is invisible” view, against which to test newer ideas. Refreshingly, the author has the confidence to welcome views in opposition to his own, and often-contrary thoughts from other sources are presented in extracts.
On Book Design proves so rewarding that one wishes it could be even more inclusive. For example, books with large amounts of graphics and illustrations are not specifically addressed. With the increasing number of books that offer heavy visual content, it would be fascinating to hear the thoughts of these accomplished designers on how best to integrate text and graphics. On Book Design’s focus on text is also a strength, however, and the book succeeds wonderfully on its own terms. Hendel has given his readers a rich source of information and insight that leaves us hungry for more.