Non-Fiction and Textbooks

A cover and a spread of the book Jörn Donner – Matkalla, På resa, Travelling 1951–1968 .

Tuula Kousa, Anders Carpelan, Hannamari Shakya (eds.)
Jörn Donner – Matkalla, På resa, Travelling 1951–1968

  • Published by Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava
  • Graphic design Anders Carpelan
  • Photography Jörn Donner, Patrik Rastenberger
  • Photo editing  Hannamari Shakya, Ander Carpelan, Tuula Kousa, John Webster
  • Reproduced by Petri Kuokka, John Webster, Colour & Books
  • Printed and bound by Musumeci Printing Atelier
  • Paper GardaPat Kiara 135 g/m2, Arena Natural Rough 120 g/m2
  • Typeface ITC New Baskerville, Futura, Futura SC 

The format of this fun, pocket-sized book offers an immediate delight. When browsing it, however, the paper is too thick considering the size of the book and its binding – it’s difficult to open the book wide enough. The choice of bright red bookcloth feels fitting of Jörn Donner’s contradictory personality, and the small size is a fun counterpoint to the great-man narrative. The quality of the black-and-white photos is excellent, and the trilingual layout succeeds effortlessly. 
 

A cover and a spread of the book Neuloosisko – neuleita metsästä ja mereltä .

Laura Pajula – Liisa Saarenmaa
Neuloosisko – neuleita metsästä ja mereltä

  • Published by WSOY
  • Graphic design Laura Ylikahri
  • Photography Taina Renkola
  • Layout Maria Mitrunen
  • Reproduced by Keski-Suomen Sivu
  • Printed and bound by Livonia Print
  • Paper Livonia Zero Offset  
  • Typeface ACaslonPro, Trebuchet, Wingdings, Adobe Arabic 

This sturdy work is brought together by its soft, natural colour palette and imagery. The knitting trend of recent years has produced a lot of similar books, but there is something appealing here: the skilful control and small details of the layout show that the graphic designer enjoyed the work. The book is sure to serve knitters well with its inspiration and easy-to-follow instructions. 

A cover and a spread of the book Olof Ottelin. Sisustusarkkitehdin muoto. En inredningsarkitekt tar form .

Laura Berger – Päivi Helander (eds.)
Olof Ottelin. Sisustusarkkitehdin muoto. En inredningsarkitekt tar form

  • Published by Museum of Finnish Architecture
  • Graphic design Päivi Helander, Amelie Scharffetter 
  • Cover graphic design and reproduced by  Päivi Helander
  • Photography Christian Jakowleff
  • Printed and bound by Jelgavas Tipogrāfija 
  • Paper Munken Lynx Rough, Napura Khepera 
  • Typeface Objektiv Mk1 & Mk2, Tiempos Text 

At first touch, the reader is immediately plunged into a world of materials and harmony. The soft, off-white cover, with its embossing and stylish typography, represents the height of elegance. The title on the spine and the museum’s logo are harmoniously restrained, and the naked sewing with its coloured thread and surprisingly placed markings works. All the stylistic devices serve the reading experience and help parse the book’s information. 

A cover and a spread of the book Reinberg – enemmän kuin valokuvaaja .

Minna Ijäs – Sanna Kupila (eds.)
Reinberg – enemmän kuin valokuvaaja

  • Published by Turku Museum Centre
  • Graphic design Ulla Kujansuu
  • Photography J. Reinberg
  • Reproduced by Ville Mäkilä, Eija Karnisto
  • Printed and bound by PunaMusta
  • Paper Geltex 111 FA, Munken Polar 150 g/m2 
  • Typeface Schadow BlkCn BT, Adobe Caslon Pro 

This dignified work respects the past and unlike many history titles, does not go down the path of excessive decoration. The minimalistic cover and strong choice of cover image lead the reader into the subject matter in a deftly mysterious way. The clear, rhythmic layout runs reliably through the fabulous and technically flawless pictures. 

A cover and a spread of the book Sininen ovi. Yrjö Kukkapuro, elämä ja teot .

Isa Kukkapuro-Enbom
Sininen ovi. Yrjö Kukkapuro, elämä ja teot

  • Published by Dodo
  • Graphic design Ilona Ilottu
  • Photography Studio Kukkapuron arkisto, Annabel Antas, Henrik Enbom, Christian Jakowleff, Hanna-Kaisa Pekkala, Nikari ja Paula Virta  
  • Reproduced by Asko Rokala
  • Printed and bound by Jelgavas Tipogrāfija 
  • Paper Munken Polar Rough 120 g/m2, Peydur neuleinen 270 g/m2 
  • Typeface Suisse Int’l / Swiss Typefaces 

Sininen ovi is a survey of a designer’s playful production, but also of his life. The layout strikes a balance between levity and dignity, and the delightful Swiss binding allows the book’s structure to be admired and keeps the book beautifully open on the table. The use of the sidebar on the text pages is exemplary, and the rhythm of the picture pages has been skilfully constructed. 

A cover and a spread of the book Uteliaat oppijat tutkivat syöpää .

Henna Auno – Piia Keto
Uteliaat oppijat tutkivat syöpää

  • Published by Etana Editions
  • Graphic design and reproduced by Jenni Erkintalo
  • Illustration Piia Keto
  • Printed and bound byJelgavas Tipogrāfija 
  • Paper Multioffset UPM 150 g, Kansi: Galerie Art silk 130 g 
  • Typeface Marigny, Poster Cut Neue 

This book belongs to the growing number of interestingly produced children’s non-fiction books. Despite its difficult subject, the book is full of cheerful colours and amusing illustrations. The abundant use of spot colours is energetic, and the style of the illustrations and the unusual cropping bring information to the fore in positive ways. The full-page images and small amounts of text are particularly effective and fresh. The endpapers are informative but visually rich. 

Back to top