How is a book designed? What do book designers think about as they turn manuscripts into printed books?

Award-winning book designer Richard Hendel says:

As omnipresent as books are, few readers are aware of the “invisible” craft of book designing. The task a book designer faces is different from that faced by other designers. The challenge, says Hendel, isn’t to create something different or pretty or clever but to discover how to best serve the author’s words.

I will be responding to concepts discussed in Hendel’s book, On Book Design, in future posts. I’ll also be introducing other resources that have influenced my approach to book design. I hope to make the craft of book design less invisible, so that authors, readers, and publishers will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the books they come in contact with every day.

In the meantime, I invite you to read this review of Hendel’s book:

Richard Hendel Book Review