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An open book with bright blue pages. The left page features the title “Eero Aarnio – A Colourful Life in the Fast Lane”, while the right page shows a white Ball Chair.

Eero Aarnio's work pops into life in new book designed by Bond

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Date
6 June 2016

Finnish creative agency Bond has designed a vibrant and poppy book that showcases the work of legendary designer Eero Aarnio. The publication documents Aarnio’s works, including the Bubble Chair (1968) and Pony (1973), from the 60s to the present day. “As almost all Aarnio products are very playful, the main concept behind the design is playfulness,” says designer Jesper Bange. “Most of the images used in the book were really retro. However, as the purpose of the book is to showcase Aarnio’s work spanning several decades, we wanted to avoid retro clichés in the design, and highlight Aarnio’s versatility instead.”

Utilising fluorescent colours, die cuts on pages and bold typesetting against the images of Aarnio’s work, the publication is a vibrant and comprehensive retrospective. The confident layouts work like a series of posters and the careful curation of product shots, illustration and development work make for a fast-paced but clear narrative throughout. “Generally speaking, I think that we lack inspirational and bold books about Finland’s great designers and design heritage,” says Jesper. “There hasn’t been a book about Aarnio’s work as wide as this book is. Personally, I think this might be the first book of Aarnio that really lives up to Aarnio’s iconic name.”

An open book features a high-contrast green portrait of a person on the left page. The right page shows a black and white photograph with two bright green circular overlays.
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Bond: Eero Aarnio

An open book shows a layout with a bold green border on the left page. The headline reads “A Matter of Form”, followed by the name “Jukka Savolainen” and their role as director of the Design Museum Helsinki.
Above

Bond: Eero Aarnio

Six open spreads from a book featuring the work of designer Eero Aarnio. The pages use a bold palette of neon green, black, and white, combining black and white photography with 3D renders of furniture.
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Bond: Eero Aarnio

Six open spreads from a book are laid out in two columns of three. The pages feature a mix of photography, bold typography, and product design sketches against white and orange backgrounds.
Above

Bond: Eero Aarnio

An open book shows a bold, orange organic shape on the left page. The right page contains several columns of text and a large, yellow capital “E” as a drop cap.
Above

Bond: Eero Aarnio

An open magazine spread with bright green pages. The left page features bold white text that reads “Copying is the Unfortunate Reverse Face of Leading Design”. The right page shows a 3D render of a smooth, red abstract shape.
Above

Bond: Eero Aarnio

An open book with a bright green cover. The left page features a bold, abstract graphic in blue, black and white, while the right page contains a layout of text and two black and white photographs.
Above

Bond: Eero Aarnio

An open book shows a spread featuring a white pedestal chair with a blue seat. The left page includes a black and white photograph of a person sitting in the chair, alongside a block of text.
Above

Bond: Eero Aarnio

A grid of books with bright green and white covers. The covers feature bold, oversized typography that reads “Eero Aarnio”.
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Bond: Eero Aarnio

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About the Author

Owen Pritchard

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Owen joined It’s Nice That as Editor in November of 2015 leading and overseeing all editorial content across online, print and the events programme, before leaving in early 2018.

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