An open book shows a branding project for “A Practice for Everyday Life”. On the left, a colourful illustration of tropical plants and a bird inside a glass jar. On the right, a layout of stationery including a business card, a brown gift tag and a letterhead.

The Annual 2013: This way for the first look inside our book of the year!

Words: Rob Alderson
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Date: 30 October 2013; Work

Last week we were thrilled to unveil the cover for The Annual 2013 and this week we are dialling that excitement up to 11 by giving you the first look inside its hallowed pages! The super-talented Commission Studio wanted to make sure this year’s book gave the brilliant work featured inside the flexibility to dazzle and delight readers and they’ve pulled it off in some style. Big, bold, colourful dividers introduce each month and the Commission guys have let the work lead their layouts, giving the whole thing a great visual rhythm. The Graduates 2013 is printed against a stark black background – a serious treatment for some serious young talents – and the exhibitions of the year are presented as big images of the shows themselves.

And don’t forget that Jiro Bevis’ cheeky characters pop up throughout, making sure that at end of the day everyone remembers this is supposed to be fun!

So don’t miss out – order your Annual 2013 right here and RIGHT NOW! There’s still free P&P on all UK orders and the Annual will ship in mid November.

A purple hardcover book with black text reads “It’s Nice That” followed by an arrow. Below this, the word “Annual” is written in a handwritten style above the year “2013” and a small cartoon character. — Above
The Annual 2013: The cover

A two-page magazine spread. The left page features a painting of a red house and a road, with a bright blue cloud of smoke rising from the trees. The right page is a black and white photograph of a person lying in bed, holding a remote control next to a bowl of cereal. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

Above

The Annual 2013: Inside spread

A diptych showing two different art installations. On the left, a silhouette of a person stands with arms outstretched inside a curtain of falling water. On the right, a gallery wall features colourful abstract prints and a large yellow shape with a red sign that reads “DO NOT BEND”. — Above
The Annual 2013: The year’s best exhibtions

Bold black text on a bright blue background reads “giant orbs of multi-coloured PVC...”. Small, simple line drawings of figures are tucked into the corners of the page. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

An open magazine spread. The left page features a bold illustration of a person in a black dress holding a phone to their ear, with a speech bubble that reads “allo?”. The right page shows a photograph of a person standing before a red wall with the text “i feel so online”, accompanied by a short biography of Jean Jullien. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

A dense, colourful illustration of a chaotic jungle scene. A large red gorilla dominates the centre, surrounded by various people, animals and fragmented objects. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

A two-page magazine spread featuring two photographs. On the left, a close-up shows a person in white papal vestments wearing a gold cross. On the right, a person in a blue tank top smiles while sitting on a blue scooter in a field. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

A two-page spread from a portfolio book. The left page shows a card reading “NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE” surrounded by scattered grey fragments. The right page features a colourful illustration of a large, red sun-like face centered within a series of concentric arches. — Above
The Annual 2013: The Graduates 2013

Three people run through a dense cloud of golden sparks and smoke. To the right, a large, horned figure with long tentacles is engulfed in the light. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

A lime green spread reads “Armenian Cattle Quarterly” in a bold, black serif typeface. A small, cartoonish figure clings to a vertical green banner that splits the text. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

A two-page magazine spread featuring two photographs. On the left, a person with blonde hair is submerged in blue water, wearing a translucent, sculptural mask. On the right, a close-up shows a person's open mouth, revealing teeth adorned with gold and diamond grills. — Above
The Annual 2013: Inside spread

Further Info

www.companyofparrots.com
www.commissionstudio.com

About the Author

Rob Alderson

—

Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

The Annual 2013: This way for the first look inside our book of the year!

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