Book Design Awards Best Educational Book: Year 9 Graphics
Designer Book Design Limited
Pearson Award for Best Educational Book: PANZ Book Design Awards 2010
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
The educational book category attracted more entries than in 2009, and the quality of entries was fairly even. Educational books often have to get a lot of information into a constrained space, and this can lead to clutter when not handled well. The finalists all managed to combine well-sequenced information, solid typography and visual appeal.
Geography on the Edge has a stunning cover that opens into a busy, colourful and well-organized book. The complex graphics, tables and text are held together by coloured backgrounds and graphic elements that subtly carry through the cover’s lava-flow concept. It is consistently stimulating and never tedious.
The same applies to Get Growing, which effectively uses the device of a notebook within a book. It conveys the ideas of fun and creativity through a design that has all the elements to entice children to pick it up, read it and get enthused about gardening. The combinations of type and illustration, evoking handwriting and crayons, make a potentially dry subject feel friendly and accessible.
The school graphics curriculum risks coming across as bone-chillingly boring – but not in Year 9 Graphics. Logical, unfussy and economical, its layout and illustrations maintain an accessible feeling that is at once serious and stimulating. A student would not be put off the course when looking through this. It exemplifies the design qualities an educational book should have, being clear, informative and consistent, and is thus a worthy winner.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Cheryl Rowe, Mcarn Design, for Geography on the Edge by Justin Peat and John Lockyer
Anna Seabrook for Get Growing by Helen Cook
DESIGNER’S COMMENT
Year 9 Graphics posed an interesting design challenge. The material included a large amount of technical information, and needed to be condensed into a small package, while still remaining simple and orderly. The design had to work across a range of products, including a student book, workbook pad and teachers’ resource DVD. It also needed to be compact enough for students to use on the limited space of a drawing table. Our design is uncluttered and uncomplicated, with a simple palette, key icons and a helpful character who guides students through each unit.
TITLE Year 9 Graphics by Paul BourdÕt
PUBLISHER Cengage Learning
FORMAT 210mm x 148mm, 64pp, spiral bound paperback with separate pad of 420mm x 210mm worksheets
