4:3 – 50 Jahre italienisches und deutsches Design
“4:3” was the final score of the spectacular 1970 World Cup final, a popular topic of discussion in Italy and Germany at the time. This score went on to serve as the title for a design exhibition and catalog 30 years later. The publication we created connects the design culture of the two countries and playfully nods to common Italian and German stereotypes. We recognized the diversity of German and Italian design by incorporating a wealth of opulent images. These provide insight into the nations’ design icons as well as everyday life between 1950 and 2000 in two countries that both inspire and compete with each other. We simulated a second format within the bulky catalog. This second, smaller format, drawn as a frame throughout the book, functions as a “display case” for the ideas and sketches of the exhibition concepts, as well as a “book-within-the-book” for the essays. The margins around the frame create room for technical information, biographies, footnotes, and quotes. We used the typefaces Avenir Next to evoke a modernist design style and Adobe Garamond Semibold to lend a humanist, classical feel to the essays.