The Visual Identity of the Book

This comprehensive guide to book design and publishing offers an essential framework for understanding how books transform from concept to cultural object, tracing the visual evolution of the printed word from Renaissance craftsmanship to today's digital interfaces. Christina Banou examines the complete publishing ecosystem—material production, stakeholder roles, promotion strategies, and reader engagement—to interpret current industry challenges while providing historical context for why books look and function as they do. The analysis bridges traditional print considerations with emerging digital realities, making it particularly relevant for navigating today's hybrid publishing landscape where physical and electronic formats coexist.

What distinguishes this work is its holistic approach to "bookness," treating each volume as a complex artifact shaped by technological possibilities, market forces, and cultural expectations. Publishing students will appreciate the systematic analysis of industry workflows, while designers and editors will gain deeper insight into how visual choices impact reader experience across platforms. By connecting five centuries of book design evolution to contemporary publishing practices, this study provides both the historical foundation and conceptual tools needed to understand—and shape—the future of the book as both object and idea.