1st Prize

Title

Le Grand Rêve De Passepoil

Designer

Primeau & Barey

Author

Elaine Arsenault

Publisher

Dominique et Compagnie

Illustrator

Fanny

Printer

Imprimeries Transcontinental Inc.

Comments

The charming and delightful illustrations in Le Grand Rêve De Passepoil, combined with its spirited typography, delighted all the judges. What is so evident in a production such as this is how closely the designer and illustrator have worked together. Illustration and text are wonderfully well-integrated, and all the book's various parts work in harmony. The result is a warm and humorous book.

3rd Prize

Title

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Designer

Judith Steedman (Steedman Design)

Author

Lewis Carroll

Publisher

Simply Read Books

Illustrator

Iassen Ghiuselev

Printer

Graphiche AZ

Comments

The judges could not agree on where to place this book. Those who love its elegant traditional approach thought it deserved first place. Awarding it third place was a reluctant compromise. Nonetheless Alice's Adventures has many outstanding features to recommend it. The cover is outstanding, arguably the best in the show. The illustrations and calligraphy are as elegant as the typography, and the designer has made excellent use of the white space and the limited colour ranges. This book is a timeless design classic in the making.

Hon. Mention

Title

Emilie Pleine de Jouets

Designer

Primeau & Barey

Author

Gilles Tibo

Publisher

Dominique et compagnie

Illustrator

Marie Lafrance

Printer

Everbest Printing Co. Ltd

1st Prize

Title

The Gryphons of Paris : A Reliquary of Photographs and Vignettes

Designer

Michael Torosian

Author

Ronald Hurwitz

Publisher

Voirin Editions

Photographer

Ronald Hurwitz

Printer

Michael Torosian - Lumiere Press

Comments

The Gryphons of Paris is, in this category, by far the superior production. From its elegant case binding and spine treatment and its beautifully toned paper, right down to its flawless letterpress and its exquisitely printed duotone stochastic lithographs, there is hardly a note out of place. Our only quibble, is with the head and tail bands. They are so white. A more subtle colour would be so much more elegant.

3rd Prize

Title

The Dot and the Line

Designer

Mimi Lin

Author

Norton Juster

Publisher

Mimi Lin / Centennial Bookbinding

Illustrator

Mimi Lin

Printer

Mimi Lin

Comments

We were all delighted by the playful typographic images used to illustrate the hard-cover and the text. Enclosed in a box covered with eye-catching black and white polka-dot fabric (the same fabric was used on the endpapers [should it have been better quality cloth?]), this playful production features lots of nice design touches. There is much to amuse and entertain. Unfortunately the colour of the cloth used on the spine does not relate well to the decorative cloth case. Another choice might have been more effective.

1st Prize

Title

The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson

Designer

Linda Gustafson

Author

David P. Silcox

Publisher

Firefly Books Ltd

Printer

Friesens Book Division

Comments

This attractive book won for its elegant and restrained handling of every feature. The pacing of the images and text as well as the harmony of images on facing pages are both superb. The designer has been very sensitive to subtle details, such as the paper tone (champagne for text and white for images), the fine printing, and the lovely sense of balance on the pages. Even the case design is excellent with its foil stamping and paper covering. The case is, in our estimation, better than the dust jacket. Be sure to remove the dust jacket and appreciate what has been done here.

3rd Prize

Title

Alex Colville : Return

Designer

George Vaitkunas

Author

Tom Smart

Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre

Printer

Friesens Book Division

Comments

It was the perfectly-balanced spreads and sensitive image and text relationships that won this book an award. The design layout is intimately connected to the subject matter; the asymmetrical page composition show the same edge found in Colville's work. The typography is clean and perfectly suits the project. This book is a beautiful piece of design, but along its well-chosen path, no risks were taken.

Hon. Mention

Title

Sylvia Safdie : The Inventories of Invention = Les Inventaires de L'Imaginaire

Designer

Fugazi

Author

Sylvia Safdie; text, Irena Zantovskà-Murray, Stuart Reid

Publisher

Leonard & Bina Art Gallery

Printer

Integria

Comments

With its carefully-considered sequencing of differently-scaled images, its subtle typography and good use of white space, Sylvie Safdie is a design of understated elegance. It is a lovely book.

1st Prize

Title

Ursa Major : A Polyphonic Masque for Speakers & Dancers

Designer

Andrew Steeves with Robert Bringhurst

Author

Robert Bringhurst

Illustrator

Wesley Bates (wood engraving)

Printer

Gaspereau Press

Comments

This is an elegant production from top to bottom. All of its elements are well-considered, from the exquisite typography by Canada's master typographer right down to the lovely tone of paper. We were fascinated by the wonderful integration of the three languages on the page using type and different coloured inks. Truly an amazing book.

3rd Prize

Title

An Ark of Koans

Designer

Alan Brownoff

Author

E.D. Blodgett

Publisher

The University of Alberta Press

Illustrator

Jacques Brault

Printer

Kromar Printing

Comments

Blodgett's book is another small, intimate production, enhanced with delicate and sensitive illustrations that are beautifully integrated with the typography both on the cover and in the interior.

1st Prize

Title

Lightning

Designer

Peter Cocking

Author

Fred Stenson

Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre

Illustrator

Bettman/Corbis/Magma (jacket)

Printer

Friesens Book Division

Comments

Everything comes together in Lightning, from its cover right down to the smallest interior detail. The strong dust jacket is evocative and attractive, the case cover and endpapers harmonize beautifully, and we all admired the well-handled introductory and title pages. The interior proportions are good, and the text block is nicely balanced on the page. The paper has a lovely warm tone, and contrasts nicely with the well-chosen type. The dropped capitals are very well done.

3rd Prize

Title

Vaudeville!

Designer

Bill Douglas at The Bang (cover)

Author

Gaétan Soucy

Publisher

House of Anansi Press

Photographer

The Bang Archives, Photonica

Printer

Friesens Book Division

Comments

Again, another strong and attractive cover caught our attention; the tight integration of type and illustration is handled very well by the designer. Unfortunately, the typeface on the cover is not used in any of the interior pages, and the judges feel a wonderful opportunity has been lost. The typography, nevertheless, is attractive and clearly set; it's subtle and doesn't try too hard, a feature that, in the end, impressed all of us. The introductory pages, especially the half-title and title pages, are also nicely done. Some details don't work well. The section heads don't relate well to the rest of the text, and the chapter numbers are centred while the page numbers aren't. We feel this is a bit awkward.

Hon. Mention

Title

Stevenson Under the Palm Trees

Designer

Gordon Robertson (text design)

Author

Alberto Manguel

Publisher

Thomas Allen Publishers

Photographer

Minori Kawana/Photonica

Illustrator

Robert Louis Stevenson

Printer

Friesens Book Division

Comments

The text interior of this book is excellent, its strong well-balanced design and the journal-like format are comfortable, easy to hold, and give an intimate feel to the book. There is also a very nice use of illustration. The dust jacket, on the other hand, is too stiff and doesn't feel like it belongs on such a small book. None of the various cover elements (the illustration, the typography and the colouring) work harmoniously together.

1st Prize

Title

Wisdom & Metaphor

Designer

Andrew Steeves at Gaspereau Press

Author

Jan Zwicky

Publisher

Gaspereau Press

Printer

Gaspereau Press

Comments

This book is an aesthetic delight, and proves to be a wonderfully designed package. In every decision made, the designer was sensitive to the subject of the book. We love the large format, the elegant white-on-white dust jacket, and the tone-on-tone off-white paper case. The choice of paper for the text was remarkable; the bright white paper gives the type a lovely crisp appearance. Great use is made of the white space on the page. The diagrams are well-integrated, and the half-title and title pages are balanced and beautiful. The type is spare, but more open leading would make it absolutely perfect in the eyes of some judges. The vertical linear elements, too, are a bit heavy-handed, especially when the rest of the design work is so delicate. This is a small quibble about an otherwise impressive production.

3rd Prize

Title

Open House : Canada and the Magic of Curling

Designer

CS Richardson

Author

Scott Russell

Publisher

Doubleday Canada

Photographer

National Archives of Canada (jacket); Corbis/Magma

Comments

We all feel Open House is engaging, accessible, and very well-designed. The cover is appropriate to the subject. We love the playful introductory pages with the curling rock shown moving across the pages. This could easily have descended into kitsch, but it adds warmth and humour to the page. The running chapter and title headings are beautifully done, in reduced tones, and the typography is sound. We feel the integration of the photographs is occasionally awkward and the reproduction quality of the photographs is not what it should be.

Hon. Mention

Title

Scurvy : How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medical Mystery of the Age of Sail

Designer

Gordon Robertson

Author

Stephen R. Bown

Publisher

Thomas Allen Publishers

Illustrator

Alfredo Carmelo

Printer

Friesens Book Division

Comments

Overall Scurvy shows great sensitivity to its contents and ideas. The cover is excellent, but some of us feel the typography is heavy-handed on the text pages and chapter headings. Overall, the book demonstrates remarkable design consistency.

1st Prize (tie)

Title

Temptress : From the Original Bad Girls to Women on Top

Designer

Peter Cocking & Val Speidel

Author

Jane Billinghurst

Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre

Illustrator

John Collier

Printer

C.S. Graphics Pte. Led

Comments

This richly-illustrated and lavish production could easily have gone over the top, but the designer has embraced the inherent risks and has managed to hold everything together in a remarkable design. The pacing and balance in this book are superb; the relationship between image and text excellent, and the text type is nicely set and has an appropriate tone. The chapter headings are excellent. The designer must receive full credit here.

2nd Prize

Title

Godless at the Workbench = Sans-Dieu à L'Atelier : Soviet Illustrated Humoristic Antireligious Propaganda

Designer

Zab Design & Typography

Author

Annie Gérin

Publisher

Dunlop Art Gallery

Photographer

Don Hall & David King

Printer

Kromar

Comments

The cover to Godless at the Workbench is indeed intriguing. Its appeal is immediate, but there are other parts of this book worth noting. The endpapers are beautiful. Using the subject to determine the design style of the book was a logical choice for this project. The typography, in a Russian constructivist/early 20th century style, is very well-done, as are the captions for the illustrations, and more remarkably, the footnotes.

Hon. Mention

Title

The Lands Within Me : Expressions by Canadian Artists of Arab Origin

Designer

Bleu Outremer Communication/Design

Author

Aïda Kaouk & Dominique Bourque, editors

Publisher

Canadian Museum of Civilization

Printer

K2 Impressions

Comments

This exhibition catalogue is presented in a manner that is playful yet still maintains a contemporary feel in its design. The handling of the photographic illustrations and pictorial matter is lively and varied, and there is good use of colour. The introductory sections on each artist are also very well done. Some of the judges feel the columns are a bit tight, and that "Democratica" typeface is an odd choice for this project.

1st Prize

Title

Le Nouveau Dictionnaire Multilingue : Français, Anglais, Espagnol, Allemand, Italien

Designer

Anne Tremblay

Author

Jean-Claude Corbeil & Ariane Archambault

Publisher

Les éditions Québec Amérique, Inc.

Illustrator

QA Digital

Printer

Neografia

Comments

This impressively comprehensive, multilingual dictionary of visual images is not only a pleasure to look at, but is clearly layed-out and easy to navigate. Such a clean and simple design could not have been an easy task considering the dictionary's size and weight. Nonetheless, the sections are not only colour-coded, but there is also a multilingual index in French, English, Spanish, German, and Italian. Here we have a complex project that has been transformed into an impressive, useable and pleasant reference book by a talented designer.

3rd Prize

Title

What Directors Need to Know : Corporate Governance 2003

Designer

Bruce Mau Design Inc: Bruce Mau with Barr Gilmore, Judith McKay and Cathy Johasson

Author

Carol Hansell

Publisher

Carswell

Photographer

Lorne Bridgman

Printer

Transcontinental

Comments

If a reference book is not designed well, it does not work well. Corporate Governance structures its complex subject matter in an accessible and attractive package. Attention has been paid to all the details that count. The hierarchy of information, as defined by the typography, is cleanly and clearly layed-out on the page. The detailed diagrams and charts are well-integrated with the text. The design makes clear the function.

Hon. Mention

Title

The Wood Design Awards 2003 : A North American Program of Architectural Excellence

Designer

Marie-Noëlle Massé

Author

Don Griffith, editor

Publisher

Tuns Press and Janam Publications

Printer

Friesens Book Division

Comments

Along with its clean layout and its clear black and white photographs, the sequencing and pacing of this catalogue are among its finest features. In addition, the integration of illustrated matter (architectural plans) with photographs is very well done. Unfortunately, the wonderfully rich colour cover promises more than it can deliver. It is perhaps, misleading as far as the representation of the content of the book is concerned, in that there are no colour illustrations within the text. We said the same thing about the 2002 edition.