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There’s nothing more difficult than simplicity.

By October 19, 20202 Comments

Every year,  Penguin hold the Student Design Award: there were over 2,000 entries in 2020. This was the winner of the Adult Fiction category.

I’ve talked before about how simplicity leads to effectiveness  –  something isn’t finished until there’s nothing left you can take out. Personally, I would have taken out the ‘shout out’ in the top left hand corner: Le Carre is well enough known to not need it, I think.

Talking about the concept behind her design, winner Annie Kobyluch from Glasgow School of Art said: “When starting my design I knew that I wanted the weapon to be the main focus… to incorporate this into objects which are naturally and almost exclusively associated with a hotel environment. The do not disturb signs found on door handles are synonymous with hotels and this then became the perfect object to have hanging off the barrel of a gun.

I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of her designs in the future.