The Online Design Book Fair Launches Today
A new way to discover and buy books about design
By Steve Kroeter October 7, 2013We are excited to be introducing the Designers & Books Online Book Fair. This new approach to discovering books combines the serendipity and spontaneity of browsing at an “offline“ fair or in a bookstore with the refined search, sort, and filter capabilities of the Internet. The combination is intended to provide a helpful, enjoyable, and well-designed way to discover books about design—some at a significant discount.
Last October in New York, we launched the Designers & Books Fair—a weekend-long celebration of design, books, authors, and design book publishing. While our choice of weekends turned out to be less than ideal—it was the weekend of Hurricane Sandy—we offered a well-received mix of author presentations in three auditoriums, books signings, an exhibition hall full of publishers selling both brand-new and backlist titles, and attendees from three continents.
Afterward, as we were reflecting on the Fair, we realized that it was probably the first time that publishers, book designers, authors, editors, rare and out of print dealers, and book buyers interested in the full spectrum of design disciplines had ever assembled at one event.
We thought that if the event had been a good idea for two days, it might be worth exploring the possibility of extending it. Eventually this evolved into the idea of an online fair—which we are launching today with nearly 400 books from 13 internationally distinguished publishers.
The focus of the online book fair is on architecture, fashion, graphic design, interior design, landscape design, product and industrial design, urban design—and all the related design fields: 14 in total.
With 62 filter options that can be sorted 8 different ways, the site has been designed to make the discovery of books both pleasurable and pinpoint effective. With ease you’ll be able to find broad categories of books, like architecture titles (148 books on the site)—and with equal ease you’ll also be able to “drill down” and find specific architecture books; for example books that have been tagged “North American” and “20th-century,” “priced between $50 and $75” (8 books on the site).
And if you want to take the opposite approach of pinpoint precision because you are in the mood for surprises—you can choose the “random browse” sort for any filtered set of books.
The publishers currently participating are:
- AMMO Books
- Applied Research + Design Books
- DAAB
- Gestalten
- GOFF Books
- Lars Müller Publishers
- Laurence King Publishing
- The MIT Press
- ORO Editions
- Paintbox Press
- Pointed Leaf Press
- Prestel Publishing
- Yale University Press
Purchases are made directly from each publisher, with different publishers offering different discounts—in some cases up to 50% off:
- AMMO BOOKS: 50% off
- Applied Research + Design: 50% off
- DAAB: 30% off
- Goff Books: 50% off
- The MIT Press: 30% off
- ORO Editions: 50% off
We hope you’ll take a moment to look over what we’ve put together—and we hope that you’ll enjoy what you find there. Whether you’re looking for a classic backlist book or a new title being released next month, we’re pretty sure you’ll find what you are looking for—or perhaps something that you didn’t know you were looking for. Our goal is to continually expand the offerings and features of the Fair, so if you have comments or questions to pass along, we will be eager to hear from you.
Follow the online design book fair by using the hashtag #DBFair and @designersbooks on Twitter, find us on Facebook, and subscribe to our updates.
Announcements
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy by John Lobell
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy
By John Lobell
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: June 2020
Noted Louis I.Kahn expert John Lobell explores how Kahn’s focus on structure, respect for materials, clarity of program, and reverence for details come together to manifest an overall philosophy.
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn by Harriet Pattison
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn
By Harriet Pattison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Forthcoming: October 2020
An intimate glimpse into the professional and romantic relationship between Harriet Pattison and the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Harriet Pattison, FASLA, is a distinguished landscape architect. She was Louis Kahn’s romantic partner from 1959 to 1974, and his collaborator on the landscapes of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the F.D.R. Memorial/Four Freedoms Park, New York. She is the mother of their son, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn.
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
By Per Olaf Fjeld and Emily Randall Fjeld
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: October 4, 2019
A new and personal reading of the architecture, teachings, and legacy of Louis I. Kahn from Per Olaf Fjeld’s perspective as a former student. The book explores Kahn’s life and work, offering a unique take on one of the twentieth century’s most important architects. Kahn’s Nordic and European ties are emphasized in this study that also covers his early childhood in Estonia, his travels, and his relationships with other architects, including the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo.
Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context by David Raizman
Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context
By David Raizman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Published: December 2020
An innovative approach to graphic design that uses a series of key artifacts from the history of print culture in light of their specific historical contexts. It encourages the reader to look carefully and critically at print advertising, illustration, posters, magazine art direction, and typography, often addressing issues of class, race, and gender.
David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian by Rick Poynor
David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian
By Rick Poynor
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: September 2020
A comprehensive overview of the work and legacy of David King (1943–2016), whose fascinating career bridged journalism, graphic design, photography, and collecting. King launched his career at Britain’s Sunday Times Magazine in the 1960s, starting as a designer and later branching out into image-led journalism, blending political activism with his design work.
Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller
Teaching Graphic Design History
By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019
An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.
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