CapsuleBlog

Book review: Box Bottle Bag

From the fabulously unexpected die-cut typography on the cover to the lush glossy paper, it's clear that the Dieline's Andrew Gibbs considered every aspect of the reading experience when he designed this beautiful book.

 

(Yes, they are post-its.)

Box Bottle Bag is a must-have for the both the seasoned packaging designer and the student just starting out. In fact, its appeal really goes beyond packaging to anyone interested in any facet of design.

Thankfully, Gibbs goes way beyond the stuff you've seen a million times before (Coke, anyone?). Instead, we're granted a peek at many pieces we may not ever have the privilege of seeing on the shelf. Plus, access to the thinking behind the design = valuable insight into your own processes.

One of my favorites is the simple gorgeousness of Minneapolis' own Tank Goodness Cookie Company by Spunk Creative. The Tank family bakes fresh chocolate chip cookies. For delivery. Isn't that cool? They needed something that would seal in the delicious, gooey warmth and aroma of those cookies while looking great at the same time, and Spunk did a good job. 

Chocolate, coffee, soap, toilet cleaner... Scandinavian, eclectic, illustrated, retro... virtually every product category and every style is represented in Box Bottle Bag. 

Box Bottle Bag is available from Amazon and like the Dieline blog itself, it's an incredible achievement for Mr Gibbs. Our sincere congratulations.

(Disclosure - we do have a few projects featured in this book. Yay.)

Malcolm Gladwell is either a) brilliant or b) full of it. You decide.

Everyone these days has an opinion on Malcolm Gladwell, author of the wildly successful books The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. If I had this bibliography to my name, I don't think I'd care about the general opinions of me and my writing.

So if you bring him up in conversation at a fancy dinner party you'll cause a wicked divide. On the one side,  you'll hear from an enamored crew who admire Gladwell's ability to bring cultural theory to the masses. You could argue the same thing about Oprah Winfrey. Or worse: Dan Brown. Hmmm. That may or may not be significant. I don't want to insult my readers, so I'll leave that up to you*. I am channeling a choose-your-own-adventure book here.

At the other end of the platter of vol au vents sit the naysayers. "The Flipping Obvious Point!", they'll cackle. Are they genuinely not impressed with Gladwell's insight or merely jealous of his presumably fat wallet? Read his books, if you're of three people in the continental USA that hasn't, and get back to me.

Brandweek.com brings us a tantalizing headline this week proclaiming SCIENTIST: INFLUENCER THEORY IS BOGUS. Ouch. Take that, Mal. Duncan Watts (yes, the scientist in question) proceeds to rip poor Gladwell to shreds apparently because the influencer theory is too vague, too subjective, and not actually capable of predicting anything useful.

Read more here.

 

* By reading this footnote,  you've risked offence. However, I can't not say it. The Da Vinci Code was beyond terrible. There, I said it.

Capsule reading list

I'm a voracious reader - most of us here at Capsule are. Who doesn't love hearing about a good book?

Jill Konrath's Selling to Big Companies happens to be one of those. Fortune selected it as a must-read, and I have to agree. Jill founded the SheBang conference for saleswomen, and blogs to a devoted audience here. She also has 46 connections on LinkedIn at the moment. Impressed yet?

Her book receives glowing reviews on Amazon, and truly is a stand-out in the very overcrowded category of sales advice literature. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Don't Take Our Word For It

We could go on and on about how great Design Matters//Logos 01 is, but what really matters is what others are saying about it. We appreciate all of the great reviews from leading business and design blogs.

Kate, from GraphicDesignBar Forum said, "almost every chapter brings a fresh perspective . . . "Link.

Jill Konrath, bestselling author of Selling to Big Companies and thought leader in B2B sales, said, "It's a well-designed piece of art with extraordinary visual impact - and it even feels good to the touch. If you're thinking about updating your firm's "look", you need to get Design Matters//Logos 01." Link.

The Industrial Design Supersite Core 77 gave the book an extensive review. Robert Blinn wrote, "Since we're inundated with logos and branding on a daily basis, a book filled with more of them may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I felt that upon reading Capsule's book I had been provided with an insider's view of the thinking that goes into the iconography we see on a day to day basis." Link.

Alex Walker of Sitepoint expressed his enthusiasm by writing, "it's not too often I get excited enough by a new book to want to talk about it. But this month is an exception . . ." Link.

Chris Garrett, the expert on blogging and new media from the UK, wrote "This book has taught me more about logos than 10 years working for marketing agencies." Link.

The Brand Builder's Olivier Blanchard titled his review, "Buy This Book." Link.

Several others have commented on Amazon and so far, all 5 star reviews. Link.

Everyone at Capsule is thankful for the book's success. We are in the process of finishing our second book on packaging and are hoping for an equally amazing launch.