Barbara deWilde
Art Director
Knopf Publishing Group
Barbara deWilde
Art Director
Knopf Publishing Group
Recommended for:
Designers, creative services, editorial director, marketing services director, production director
Space is Limited
Session 1:
Discussion with and Perspective from Knopf’s Reputable Book Designer and Art Director
Founded in 1915 by Alfred A. Knopf and his wife Blanche W. Knopf, the house of Knopf has long been one of America's foremost book publishers—known for both the quality of its authors and for the high level of its book design and production. Knopf paid special attention to the quality of printing, binding, and design in his books, and earned a reputation as a purist in both content and presentation. This is a rare opportunity to listen and interact with the reputable Knopf book designer, Barbara DeWilde. She will share her work, her insights on design and how Knopf was able to revolutionize book design in the 90’s. During her tenure, Knopf won the gold medal for corporate leadership in design from the AIGA.
Session Topics:
- View Barbara’s work and discuss the culture at Knopf
- What happened in the 90’s at Knopf that revolutionized book cover design
- Case studies of successful collaborations between design/editorial/marketing
- Tips for selling in design solutions and building rapport with non-designers
- Ideas on best structure for an in-house art department
- Tips on how to stay fresh, break through the noise and create excellent design
- Definition of a successful cover design. What makes a cover design great?
- What is the future of book design? What will change over the next 5 years?
- Q & A
Barbara deWilde began designing for the Knopf Publishing group, a division of Random House in 1989. Her work for Knopf, as well as for Farrar, Straus and Giroux, W.W. Norton and others was lauded for its innovative use of materials, photography, and typography and credited for revolutionizing American book jacket design in the 1990’s. Her work has received numerous awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Type Directors’ Club and has been collected in numerous books, exhibitions, and articles on graphic design. During her tenure, Knopf won the gold medal for corporate leadership in design from the AIGA.
In 1999, deWilde became the design director for Martha Stewart Living, which she redesigned in 2002. Her design for MSL has received awards from the Society of Publication Designers and will be included in Graphic Design Referenced, a guide to landmark projects in graphic design.
She has recently returned to Knopf to art direct and design book jackets.
