Publication: GraphicDesign&'s brilliant new book explores the golden ratio

GraphicDesign& founders Lucienne Roberts and Rebecca Wright are on a mission – to take the discipline out of its (sometimes self-imposed) cultural ghetto and prove how it relates to almost everything around us. Nearly two years ago they tackled literature, challenging 70 designers to reinvent the first page of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Now for their second book they have maths in their sights, working alongside Alex Bellos to set 55 leading creatives a mathematical design challenge; to respond to the famous golden ratio articulated by Euclid.

From HORT and Vaughan Oliver to Rose Blake and Malika Favre, via Ian Wright, George Hardie and Moniker, the responses are by turns intelligent, witty and great-looking. the key to the success of this ind of project lies in getting as eclectic a set of contributions as possible, and this tome takes us on a journey that includes hipsters, flapjacks and schooldays.

It’s all very well being on a mission, but that overarching aim can’t be pursued at the expense of an exciting and engaging end product. Once again, Lucienne and Rebecca have shown us how those two objectives can live in (perfect, mathematical) harmony.