100 Beste Plakate 24

In the yearbook, the winning posters of the competition 100 Beste Plakate 24 are presented in large-format images with detailed credits, including brief descriptions of content aspects and the context of their creation. This is supplemented with a contact register of all designers and listings of clients and printing companies. The introduction of the jury, featuring their own works and statements about the selection process, along with forewords from the association president and the jury chair, completes the publication.

Additionally, an essay or interview contribution addresses related topics in current poster design, development trends, and analyzes. The current book concept takes the actual highlight at the end for the designers involved in the winning posters as its basis: the certificates awarded by the organizer as an honorary tribute give rise to ironic questioning on the borderline between seriousness and benevolent mockery.

Tristesse from Basel, a trio of two graphic designers and a filmmaker / photographer, came up with the idea so that the ensemble of layout, typography and photography could be produced entirely in-house. The 100 Best Plakate as the leading actors on a stage—rich in elements that are true to the style of the Swiss studio: fresh and cheeky.

we work because we love this shit. Formdusche – A Berlin Design Studio from Scratch

With we work because we love this shit. Formdusche – A Berlin Design Studio from Scratch, formdusche presents a luxurious 416-page retrospective just in time for its anniversary: snazzy typography, spot color to the max, filled to the brim with gems from the archive.
A lively mixture of backstage information, heard blood, workflow and project show provides an insight into the last 15 years and the formdusche spirit—a declaration of love to graphic design.
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Extra: »Kind of Magic« A2 Poster!

Ephemeral Echoes

Between movement and standstill, the camera freezes a fraction of a second that would otherwise pass unnoticed. In a restless, digitally networked world, Simon Gerlinger’s photos in Ephemeral Echoes invite us to pause and turn our attention to the quiet moments. The images do not provide any big answers, but rather raise questions: What was yesterday? What is today? And what could be tomorrow?

Gerlinger’s photographs spark something in us: They make the viewer fall into a deep sense of nostalgia. The people and places in his photos become projection surfaces for our own memories, which we encounter again and again in everyday life. The photographs are not just projections, but also documentation of a search—for what, actually? A search between Denmark, Berlin, Dortmund, New York and the south of France that spans the photographer’s last eight years: it doesn’t matter where the images are located in the real world. They show the photographer’s innermost self—his everyday perception. Between studying, finding one’s way in the world, falling in love and forgetting time for a moment. Photography not only as an exercise in seeing, but also as an act of preservation—perhaps as a brief distraction from the realization that everything will one day come to an end.

 

Hallo Kopenhagen

Rediscover Copenhagen – through curated recommendations, literature, and local flair.

Hallo Kopenhagen (it’s written in German language) is not your typical travel guide, but rather a beautifully crafted city book – blending photo essay, art project, interview collection, and literary portrait.

With personal conversations, atmospheric photography, and excerpts from contemporary Danish literature translated into German for the first time, this book opens up fresh perspectives on Denmark’s capital.
It invites you to explore unique places, discover voices from the local literary scene, and dive into curated tips on culture and cuisine—perfect for anyone looking to experience Copenhagen in depth.

– sustainably and climate-neutrally printed in Hamburg
– independently published with love and care
– a visual gem: open thread binding
– ideal as a gift or for armchair travel

Brain on Fire matches game

This fresh take on the classic matchstick puzzles will set your brain on fire. Kids will love the set of 6 different matchboxes, each featuring a different neon orange and black illustration of renegade matchsticks, brains, flames, and explosions.
Follow the instructions in the tiny booklet to lay out the matches in progressively more complex puzzles and solve.

Graphic Languages—A Visual Guide to the World’s Writing Systems

Graphic Languages is a vibrant visual journey and guide through the world’s most influential writing systems—brought to life by Oliver Häusle in collaboration with leading international type designers and script experts. At its heart lies the unique visual DNA of each script: its striking forms, cultural significance, and enduring power as a cornerstone of human communication. With a bold focus on design, Graphic Languages is an inspiring introduction and celebration of of the incredible diversity of global writing systems.

But this is more than just a presentation —Graphic Languages is a dynamic resource for designers of all kinds, from students and educators to seasoned professionals. Packed with expert insights, curated reading, and cultural context, Graphic Languages invites you to dive deeper into the fascinating histories, meanings, and creative potential of writing systems worldwide. It’s a powerful reminder of how writing doesn’t just communicate—it connects.

A visual guide to the following Writing Systems:

Adlam, Arabic, Armenian, Bangla, Chinese (Hanzi), Cyrilic, Devanagari, Ge’ez, Georgian, Greek, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Hangul, Hebrew, Japanese (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji), Kannada, Khmer, Latin, Malayalam, N’Ko, Odia, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tifinagh

 

Graphic Languages isn’t just another typography book; it’s a visual celebration of human ingenuity.
weandthecolor.com

By presenting the deviations, convergences and aesthetics of how and what we write, Graphic Languages invites engagement that goes beyond the act of reading.
stirworld.com

 

Slanted Magazine #45—Sex

Slanted Magazine #45—Sex embarks on a thought-provoking journey through themes of gender, body image, and sexuality, created in partnership with Munich’s Archive Artist Publications (AAP), directed by artist and archivist Hubert Kretschmer. This edition draws from one of the world’s most extensive private collections of artist publications, home to over 89,988 rare zines, booklets, posters, and other printed matter collected since the 1980s.

From contemporary and historical perspectives, this issue showcases zines, booklets, posters, and publications that engage with body politics, self-image, and identity. As visual narratives shape norms, marginalized bodies—non-binary, queer, disabled, racialized—are often underrepresented or portrayed in tokenized ways. Slanted Magazine #45—Sex invites readers to question these conventions and encourages a critical look at the media‘s role in representing bodies.

Through provocative visuals and diverse stories, Slanted Magazine #45—Sex opens the door to a deeper, multifaceted dialogue on bodies and belonging.

The cover artwork was designed by Guillaume Kashima.

Explore the special edition and get 4 beautiful art prints by Guillaume Kashima, created exclusively for #45—Sex!

Special Edition Sex: Art Prints + Slanted Magazine #45—Sex

In collaboration with Berlin-based artist Guillaume Kashima, we are thrilled to present a special edition on the occasion of Slanted Magazine #45—Sex. In addition to the magazine, this edition includes four beautifully designed art prints by Guillaume Kashima, capturing the theme of the new Slanted issue in a wonderfully playful way.

The art prints are real eye-catchers: vibrant blue spot color printed on luxurious Chromolux cardboard, refined with partial matte varnish—creating a stunning contrast that adds depth and a unique tactile experience. Carefully cut to size and perfectly suited for framing, these prints are the ideal way to adorn your space with bold, captivating art and make a stylish statement.

About Guillaume Kashima

For over 20 years, Guillaume Kashima has explored illustration, printmaking and ceramics with a unified vision: embracing each medium’s unique traits ans limitations. From bold DIY-inspired zines to the refined gradients of risoprints, his prints celebrate simplicity and resourcefulness. In ceramics, Guillaume channels clay’ natural character, creating raw, expressive forms like planters and masks. Across all his work, he transforms constraints into creativity., finding beauty in the unexpected. guillaumekashima.com – @ffwg

About Slanted Magazine #45–Sex
Spring/Summer 2025

Slanted Magazine #45—Sex embarks on a thought-provoking journey through themes of gender, body image, and sexuality, created in partnership with Munich’s Archive Artist Publications (AAP), directed by artist and archivist Hubert Kretschmer. This edition draws from one of the world’s most extensive private collections of artist publications, home to over 89,988 rare zines, booklets, posters, and other printed matter collected since the 1980s. Through provocative visuals and diverse stories, Slanted Magazine #45—Sex opens the door to a deeper, multifaceted dialogue on bodies and belonging. Find out more about the issue here.

Mothering Myths – An ABC of Art, Birth and Care

Motherhood is a theme that stands at the core of life, but has nevertheless been kept in the private sphere for a long time, haunted by clichés, stigmas and myths. Motherhood has always been seen as trivial, not as a subject for real art. At the same time, artists with a womb have faced the cliché that they had to decide between making art or having a child, as both would take up all the mother’s time and energy.

Mothering Myths unravels these clichés, stigmas and myths, through the lens of art, and a transhistorical and intersectional perspective, while being very playful and open to many interpretations. It breaks through the perspective of the individual mother figure and makes space for collectivity, different forms of ‘mothering’ and political questions surrounding self-determination. Mothering Myths presents the emancipatory nature of the artist-mother, the voluntarily childless woman, the non-female mother and the ‘raven mother’, through concepts such as kinship, revolutionary parenting, womb consciousness and reproductive justice.

Contributors: Rosemarie Buikema, Laurie Cluitmans & Heske ten Cate, Trudy Dehue, Babs Gons, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Camille Henrot, bell hooks, Bart Rutten, Lisa Smit, Lily van der Stokker, Taka Taka, and many others.

Partners: Centraal Museum Utrecht (Exhibition: “Good Mom/Bad Mom: Unraveling the Mother Myth,” 29 March–14 Sept. 2025) Nest, The Hague (Exhibition: “Thanks, But No Thanks,” Spring 2026)

Support: Mondriaan Fund, Cultuurfonds, HORIZON EU/RE-WIRING, MOED

Design Basics. From Ideas to Products

Design Basics offers a professional yet compact introduction to industrial design, written by specialists in the field with years of experience as product designers and design educators at various universities. The book is aimed at enquiring users as well as committed entrepreneurs, interested technicians and aspiring designers from a great variety of fields.

The central theme is product design, taking the conflicting interests of consumers, manufacturers and designers into consideration. All factors of planning and design of industrial products are considered and presented clearly. The authors cover the entire field – from the historical roots to the outlook in the near future, from a comprehensive look at product functions to analysis of the complex design process, from theoretical foundations to descriptive case studies.

Grafikmagazin 02.25

As the name indicates, Grafikmagazin is a print magazine focusing on all things graphic design. Primarily it’s aimed at professional creatives and design students from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond.

Grafikmagazin presents outstanding work from graphic design, typography, illustration, photography, design theory, research, paper, and printing every two months. The editorial team of Grafikmagazin created a variety of sections and categories but selected focus themes for each issue, like “Design for SMEs.” The topics portray how imaginative, eclectic, and playful graphic design can be while featuring successful branding concepts and niche ideas.

The extensive “Showroom” section lets readers know other creatives and the stories behind design studios worldwide. The “Design and Research” category presents interdisciplinary projects that show how science and research can benefit from creative solutions and play an active role in graphic design. In the “Production and Publishing” section, everything revolves around print. You will find exquisite books, sophisticated annual reports, and high-quality embossed greeting cards. Also, the cover artists of each issue are interviewed or get to highlight their ideas.

Each cover is printed on a different paper, and the design interprets the particular Grafik+ theme more broadly or shares a fresh perspective on a unique design technique. The Grafikmagazin team, its correspondents, and freelancers are bound and driven by the firm belief that print is not dead. With the will to prove just how alive it is, and the motivation to start something fresh yet deeply traditional, they strive for nothing less than to create another print magazine that makes history.

Rhetoric of Logos. A Primer for Visual Language

The creation of a logo, one of the most important elements of corporate branding, is a demanding design task. The idea that a good logo is by definition a persuasive logo suggests a direct link to the principles of rhetoric, which, according to Aristotle, has the power of observing the means of persuasion on almost any subject. It follows that rhetorical concepts and methods are ideally suited for understanding the effectiveness of logos and expanding the horizons of applied design work.

After an overview of the history of logos and how corporate design has evolved since its inception, Eduard Helmann illustrates in Rhetoric of Logos. A Primer for Visual Language how designers can utilize the tools of rhetoric. Stylistic devices play a central role in this as logos are analyzed and classified to determine which communicative strategies and intended effects they fulfill. The theoretical insights gained from this process provide designers with a wealth of knowledge that facilitates analysis, ideas generation, and argumentation along with a deeper understanding of the design process.

Italic. What gives Typography its emphasis

The use of italic letters for accentuation has become a common practice in the digital age. Italics convey movement and dynamics, address the emotional experience of reading and remind readers of handwriting. Their lively nature – once the result of handwritten movements – becomes noticeably lost once words are tilted at the click of a mouse.

To spread more knowledge about this typographic feature and arrive at a general definition of the script style, Hendrik Weber has compiled stylistic examples presenting the tangible forms, characteristics and functions of the ‘italic nature’. Furthermore, he deals intensively with the historical development of italics from handwriting to digital typesetting.

The monograph Italic. What gives Typography its emphasis is the first detailed treatise on the topic. It is for everyone passionate about letters.

Snow

Snow offers an intimate photographic exploration of Kars, a Turkish city steeped in centuries of complex history. Once the capital of Armenian kingdoms and later a strategic frontier for Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans, Kars embodies the cultural and political entanglements of empires. A pivotal moment came with the Russian takeover during the 1877–78 Russo-Turkish War. Following repeated sieges, Russia annexed Kars and established the Kars Oblast under a military-native government, reshaping its demographics and governance.

This project reflects on the layered past of Kars—from colonial transformations and ethnic migrations to shared human experiences—challenging Orientalist narratives by revealing universal connections. The book features several texts that intertwine images with the intricate social context. Dr. Kübra Zeynep Sarıaslan also examined Snow by Orhan Pamuk from an anthropological perspective and contributed an essay to the book.

Swiss Design. Icons Made in Switzerland

The ingenious fusion of minimalism, precision and functionality: Design products from Switzerland are renowned, desired and admired worldwide.

Swiss Design. Icons Made in Switzerland presents timeless classics as well as contemporary design creations that continue the success story of Swiss design. The author highlights the special features of the selected products from over 120 years, tells the story of their development and portrays the respective designers and brands. In chronological order, pictures and texts reveal the sources of this special, fascinating global success.

Olympic Games. The Design

Can there be a more monumental and exciting challenge in the design sector than the creation of an identity for the Olympic Games? Each host city requires its very own and unique image in which national identity and international trends are merged with the Olympic spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play.

Olympic Games – The Design presents for the first time a chronological overview of the visual identity of all Olympic Games. In addition to information about the respective Olympic Games and their designers, the author Markus Osterwalder has compiled around 6,000 images that give a comprehensive overview of the design identities of all Olympic Games such as emblems, mascots, sports and signage pictograms, typefaces, medals, uniforms, admission tickets, posters and, of course, the Look of the Games.

Support Independent Type ll

Support Independent Type II is s the highly anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed 2020 book Support Independent Type. The second edition continues to celebrate the vibrant culture of independent type specimens and their influence on design and typography. It serves as both a manifesto and a visual showcase, featuring over 300 cutting edge type foundries—all offering a promising alternative to corporate font distributors. With this large number of type foundries, the book showcases a diverse range of fonts—from experimental designs to bold, groundbreaking fonts that push the boundaries of the traditional.

The book goes further into the world of type specimens—revealing new trends, showcasing innovative designs, and presenting the book itself as a visual art object. Through this carefully curated collection, the authors emphasize how independent type design reflects cultural shifts and sparks creative innovation.

– A curated collection of type specimens, spanning digital formats, printed works, and tactile type objects

– Insight into new trends and groundbreaking innovations in typography

– A bold exploration of how independent type foundries challenge corporate font distributors and reflect broader cultural shifts

Support Independent Type II is a deep dive into the passion and craft of independent type design and an essential resource for graphic designers, creative directors, or anyone obsessed with type!

“The Must-Have Book Celebrating Today’s Freshest Fonts.”
We And The Color
“A very beautifully designed brochure.”
Rudolf Paulus Gorbach
tgm blog

The Age of Data. Embracing Algorithms in Art & Design

Art is constantly evolving, encouraging experimentation, and using artificial intelligence to create entirely new realities in this evolving digital age. Artists now use data as a medium of expression to break new ground while simultaneously redefine the concept of art to revolutionize the world of design.

The Age of Data focuses on the approach, creativity, and aesthetics of a new generation of designers who are using data and algorithms to support their making. From graphic design to 3D animation, kinetic objects, real-time visuals, robotics, spatial installations, and a hybrid approach between the digital and analog.

This volume introduces you to the biggest names in the world of data-driven design and presents their most important work to date. Recorded conversations, interviews, and storytelling provide critical and theoretical insight into their vision, the challenges, concepts, and creative processes at large.

The Age of Data is a profound record and presents a new future in art and design practice. It is an invitation to explore this extraordinary movement where the practitioner, audience, and user experience the mixed reality of a digital, virtual, and physical world.

Manhole Covers of the World

You’ll find them all across the world, from Albania, Argentina and Australia, to the United States, the Vatican, and Vietnam. And yet maybe you’ve never even noticed them beneath your feet, hiding in plain sight. Manhole covers have been part of our world for thousands of years – intensely practical, functional objects, but at the same time featuring an infinite variety of designs, from austere and minimalist to playful and illustrative.

Manhole Covers of the World provides an insight into the fascinating graphic design language of these unique objects, and what they reveal about the societies that produce them. To maximize contrast and impact and to allow a focus on the essential the selected manhole covers from 79 countries are uniformly presented as black and white graphics.

Fundamentals of Design. Understanding, Creating & Evaluating Forms and Objects

What shapes exist?
What form-giving operations are possible?
What are the evaluation standards for existing objects and those to be developed?

These three fundamental questions, which every architect, designer and artist asks again and again, are addressed, systematically explained, and answered in three sections in this volume. Fundamentals of Design. Understanding, Creating & Evaluating Forms and Objects also provides readers with a set of basic tools that enables them to communicate better when discussing and explaining their own work with other creative people and other professionals.

The first part is a comprehensive compilation that identifies and describes all forms within objects. The middle section offers a qualitative overview of the possibilities with which form elements, forms, or objects can be developed and optimized. In the third section the methodology for the development of an own evaluation system is presented.

The objective of this work is to offer an orientation on the basics of design, combining the aspects of form, craft, content, and method into a holistic understanding of design.

Arabic Typography. History and Practice

Arabic has one of the world’s greatest scriptural traditions and is the third–most widely used script in the world. An innovate multi–disciplinary reference work, the first of its kind, this book is closely focused, deeply detailed, and richly illustrated. Arabic Typography. History and Practice offers the latest academic research and applied typography, combining history and theory with practical application.

The first part provides an in–depth synthesis on the typographic history and development of the Arabic script. The discussion is based on the contributions of a cohort of outstanding scholars who are breaking new grounds in pursuing research excellence, providing an unprecedented synthesis of recent scholarship. In the extensive second part, these foundations are complemented by a concise guide to Arabic typography addressing all relevant typographic parameters through the lens of a design practitioner.

Typography. A Manual of Design

Typography. A Manual of Design is the legacy of Emil Ruder, one of the originator of Swiss Style, famous throughout the world for the use of asymmetric layouts, use of a grid, sans-serif typefaces and flush left, ragged right text. His holistic approach is still recognized as fundamental for graphic designers and typographers all over the world. This volume represents a critical reflection on his teaching and practice and a life- time of accumulated knowledge.
Beyond that, it is a comprehensive masterpiece seen in its overall structure: in the themes presented, in the comparison of similarities and contrasts, in the richness of the illustrations and the harmoniously inserted types. Behind the purely pedagogic examples of exact proportions, a rich, philosophical thinking shines through. Today, more than forty years after this book was first published, it is still widely used and referenced.

Grid systems in graphic design / Rastersysteme für die visuelle Gestaltung

Josef Müller-Brockmann (1914−1996) studied architecture, design and history of art in Zurich and worked as a graphic designer and teacher. His work is recognized for its simple designs and his clean use of fonts, shapes and colors, which still inspires many graphic designers throughout the world today. Since the 1950s grid systems help the designer to organize the graphic elements and have become a world wide standard.

Grid systems in graphic design / Rastersysteme für die visuelle Gestaltung provides guidelines and rules for the function and use for grid systems from 8 to 32 grid fields which can be used for the most varied of projects, the three-dimensional grid being treated as well. Exact directions for using all of the grid systems possibe presented are given to the user, showing examples of working correctly on a conceptual level. Or simply put: a guidebook from the profession for the profession, one of the most important books in the field since decades.

Graphic Design Manual. Principles and Practice / Methodik der Bild- und Formgestaltung

Armin Hofmann’s richly varied work is recognized for its reliance on the fundamental elements of graphic form – point, line, and shape – and the economic use of color and fonts.

The thoroughly revised edition of the 1965 design manual classic Graphic Design Manual. Principles and Practice is still setting standards. Especially in times of the return to clear and minimalistic geometric forms and patterns, his rich body of work serves as a perfect starting point for contemporary design practices.

Elements of image and form are analyzed and examined with regard to their inherent laws. To correspond to the contemporary design techniques, this new edition is divided into computer-system-friendly sections. Thus adapting Hofmann’s methods to the requirement of modern design practices and serving as a valuable handbook for a new generation of designers.