Notes On Book Design by Formal Settings

Notes on Book Design is a collection of 50 texts written by designers Siri Lee Lindskrog and Amanda-Li Kollberg of graphic and type design studio Formal Settings, based on books from the collection of Hopscotch Reading Room in Berlin.

“Choosing a different book as the subject for each text, our main focus is the visual and tactile aspects of books—materials, format, typography, binding, etc. Our aim is to understand the role and potential of books, seen through a design lens—mapping what they communicate through their physical form.” The texts draw parallels between the book as a design object and the cultural movements, political landscapes and economic conditions under which it was created.

The 50 texts are paired with an introduction by Formal Settings, a foreword by Hopscotch Reading Room and an afterword in which designer, author and educator Prem Krishnamurthy offers additional framing and perspective to the project.