One and Three Books: Exploring the Boundaries of Book Design

An Innovative Workshop and Exhibition

The project, led by Danne Ojeda and the ADM participants, aims to foster competence, character, and creative independence in its participants. It combines historical-intellectual consciousness, through literature reviews, with experimental independence, allowing participants to develop their own cognitive and expressive positioning within the design field. The result is a sense of self-confidence, self-recognition, and authorship.

One and Three Books also encourages participants to question the role of design as a form of communication and to explore how designers can become active voices in producing meaning. By challenging the anatomy of the book, participants are given the opportunity to experiment with different forms, layouts, and materials, ultimately redefining what a book can be.

The workshop begins with collaborative research on diverse definitions of a book. Participants are then invited to propose their own individual definitions and visualize them through book prototypes. These prototypes serve as platforms for experimentation, allowing participants to challenge traditional book structures and explore new possibilities. Finally, participants produce a final book that communicates their initial definition of the term.

One and Three Books is an ongoing pedagogical project that has been integrated into the curriculum of the Editorial Design tutorial course at the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore since 2009. The project culminates in an exhibition that showcases the outcomes of the workshop, highlighting the innovative and thought-provoking designs created by the participants.

By breaking conventions and pushing the boundaries of book design, One and Three Books offers a fresh perspective on the concept of a book and its potential as a form of communication. Through this project, participants not only gain a deeper understanding of the design field but also develop a sense of belonging and authorship within it.

One and Three Books was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Education, Teaching Aid, and Training Content Design category in 2019. This prestigious award recognizes the project's outstanding creativity, technical skill, and contribution to improving the quality of life through innovative design.