Wednesday 21 March 2007

March of the Penguins ...


Penguin (UK) has launched a design award to encourage final year designers on a Degree or HND Art or Design course to engage in publishing during their studies and to respond to real jacket design briefs at first hand.

Penguin has evolved from being the first mass-market paperback publisher in Britain to one of the most recognisable brands ever. Its logo and the famous classic Penguin cover, with its basic horizontal grid, are recognized and imitated the world over.

Penguin covers developed together with graphic design as a profession. Under a long line of talented and creative designers, the design of Penguin books has matured and progressed. It is currently led by Jim Stoddart and John Hamilton, the two Penguin art directors who will be judging this award. Joining them on the judging panel are author Ali Smith, Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum and Jamie Hewlett, creator of Gorillaz.

The panel will be chaired by Penguin Managing Director, Helen Fraser, who commented, "We are very excited to see what Penguin’s design heritage will inspire from the freshest and brightest young design students. I’m looking forward to seeing the result.”

The closing date for the award is April 20th , so you'd better get your crayons out pronto, and the winner of the award will be announced at the end of May. For more details visit the website.

www.penguindesignaward.co.uk

THE JUDGES
Ali Smith, is the author of several collections of short stories and three novels, including The Accidental, which won the 2006 Whitbread Novel Award. Ali works with Penguin on her book covers, which use images by leading contemporary practitioners in art, photography and film.
Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum. He has been Dean of Art, Design and Architecture at Kingston University, architecture critic for the Observer, a visiting professor at the Royal College of Art and editor of Domus, the international magazine of art, architecture and design. In 2002, he was Director of the Venice Architecture Biennale. His books include the The Edifice Complex, 100-Miles City, The Architecture Pack and monographs on John Pawson, Ron Arad and Richard Rogers.

Jamie Hewlett, Creator of comic-book military chick Tank Girl and co-creator of turbo boosted cartoon band Gorillaz, which won him the 2006 Design Museum’s Designer of the Year Award. Work by Hewlett’s graphics company, Zombie Flesh Eaters, includes a commission from Yoko Ono to animate John Lennon's original illustrations for inclusion on the Lennon Legends DVD.

THE BRIEF

Entrants will choose one of four books to design.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell – popular science about the power of intuition
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy – powerful and tragic love story
Mr Clarinet by Nick Stone – haunting thriller set in Miami and Haiti
Vince and Joy by Lisa Jewell – a sophisticated comedy of relationships and family

See www.penguindesignaward.co.uk for full details.

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