50 Books | 50 Covers of 2016: Call for Entries

AIGA + Design Observer are pleased to announce the 50 Books | 50 Covers competition for books published in 2016.

Beginning in 1923, the Fifty Books of the Year competition was a yearly mainstay of AIGA. As dust jackets became more common, covers were added to the competition. This survey of the best in book design represents perhaps the longest-standing legacy in American graphic design. In 2012, Design Observer, in partnership with AIGA, began hosting the competition and through a new joint venture, we are delighted to usher in another year of amazing book and cover design.

The early entry deadline is February 10. The competition will close February 24, 2017.

Historical collections of books and book covers dating back to 1924 can be viewed in the AIGA Design Archives. View the winners of 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2011–2015 here.

Enter today!

Posted in: Media

Design Observer was founded by Michael Bierut, and Jessica Helfand.

More from The Editors

GOOOOOOAL
Athletics Partner & Executive Creative Director, Malcolm Buick, describes their work creating and launching MLS GO.

Journalism
Over the course of the last twenty years, we’ve looked at the truncated narrative rhythms of Twitter, unpacked nineteenth century satire in France, climbed Ramparts, skewered Malcolm Gladwell, heralded critical writing, interviewed journalists (and investigative journalists), interviewed editors (and designers-turned-editors), analyzed subversive comics, critiqued newspaper redesigns, shared reflections on Gonzo Journalism and wondered if seeing really was believing.

Entertainment
Design is a natural topic for television. And for movies. And for everything in between, especially now that nearly all of these things are delivered across portable screens.

Humanism
What does design have to do with sadness, or fury? With kindness—or loss? With empathy, and asking better questions? (With honesty, and seeking better answers?) A fundamental tenet of design practice, humanism reminds us that we make things as people, for people: not for audiences, or for metrics, or for users—but for real people.

Science
Like designers in their attention to sentient observation, scientists are trained to ask penetrating questions.

Jobs | November 05