Book for The Vilcek Foundation by yesyesyes design

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CLIENT

The Vilcek Foundation aims to raise public awareness of the contributions of immigrants to the sciences, arts, and culture in the United States.

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BRIEF

Design a book to showcase the literature finalists.

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APPROACH

American Odysseys is an anthology of 22 novelists, poets, and short story writers. The title for this book is printed on a pencil which is then inserted into a die-cut in the cover. The pencil was chosen as a symbol of the writer and of the writing process. For many of us, the pencil is the first introduction to creating letters, words, and—later on—sentences. The stories contained within are of a personal nature, and the intimate quality of the pencil seemed to be the perfect complement.

PRODUCTION LESSONSFractions of millimeters count when you’re trying to get a pencil to squeeze perfectly into a custom die-cut.

Judge's Comments
This is more than just a book, it's a keepsake. It's an object. One that you'll want to hold on to forever. From the silver edges to the texture of the stock, it's clear that a lot of care went into making sure that the stories told within were complimented by the beauty of the physical book itself. — Mig Reyes

I love the Made-You-Look quality of this book. It doesn't just look like a threedimensional pencil—it is one! — Louise Fili

Fun factor “10". — Robynne Raye

Combining two nearly extinct things in one design piece is brilliant. — Ben Levitz