2013
author
Monika Walczak (PL)
title
The Essential Guide to Łódź
degree
M.A. project
e-mail
school
University of Arts in Poznań
supervisor
Krzysztof Molenda
In this compact (155 × 230 mm) and beautifully packaged guide to Łódź we find fifty of the most interesting places, events, and phenomena which the designer found in her hometown upon returning from her studies. She takes on the role of author, editor, and bookbinder. In this surprisingly minimalist, one‑color publication, which – horrors! – has no photographs, we discover Łódź’s constructivist DNA. This radical approach caught our attention. We liked the navigation details, the layout and work on the text, as well as the great swathes of white space. But insofar as the book itself raised no criticism, the accompanying map made a little red light come on. Going the esthetic route, the designer has removed the street names, leaving only the numbers corresponding to the places featured in the text (listed on the side). It is hard to say how far this is an innocent game with the reader in “tracking down” Łódź’s attractions. It ultimately gained our approval as a consciously designed element of a very refined, non-commercial editorial concept.