Challenge

We were asked by Armstrong Ceilings to lead the design and production of the A BOOK 2020. Its annual showcase directory, the A Book is a detailed compendium of the most ambitious architectural projects Armstrong Ceilings has been directly involved with around the world, with a particular focus on EMEA. We took on what was already a beautifully designed and highly coveted piece of collateral for architects and purchasing departments, with the aim to present something that they would find really useful and want to cherish throughout the year ahead. Moving it on was always going to be a challenge, so we had to think laterally to raise the bar even higher.

Strategy

Understanding Armstrong Ceilings’ principle of ‘form following function’, we set about creating a document with more industry depth and breadth. Something that offers greater insights and thought leadership, with rich editorial content of real value to clients, while retaining a high quality, premium look and feel. We had to create a book that not only passes the coffee table challenge, but also has enough desire and intrigue to be lifted off the table and its contents devoured.

Creative

To achieve the desired editorial feel, we researched future trends within the marketplace. From these, we created thought leadership articles, which introduced each chapter by presenting the best of architectural accomplishments in clean, modern magazine layouts. The cover design consistently features the ‘A’ from ‘A Book’ as a prominent graphic signature, which was a tradition we wanted to respect but also evolve. Creating a detailed, layered 3D A-shape, this acted as a portal to the materials and textures available, leaving the inner pages to reveal how they complemented the architects’ visions. We also created a logotype for this year’s edition, cleverly combining the title and year of the publication. Not resigned to print alone, these elements were also used to create moving and static content for a social media launch.