Coming soon.
From the award-winning team behind The Flexible Mirror and Contemporary Book Design Workshop comes the definitive online course teaching the history, theory, and practice of book design in the twenty-first century.
We are actively working on content and hope to launch in late 2025. Sign up below to be the first to access the course when it becomes available.
Curious about book design?
Contemporary Book Design (CBD) is the only online book design course designed to provide the tools and skills to excel as a book designer in the contemporary publishing landscape. Crafted for anyone from in-house designers looking for an InDesign upgrade to publishing industry professionals seeking to transition into design, CBD builds on over two decades of cumulative experience in book design and education to offer the first comprehensive masterclass of its kind. The self-guided curriculum takes students through the book design process from manuscript to print with content covering introductory tasks and advanced skills alike.
Taught by award-winning book designers Kevin Barrett Kane and Emma Christine Hall.
Topics Covered
I
Introduction to Book Design
Book design methodology and course pedagogy
II
History of Book Design
Bookmaking from antiquity to present
III
InDesign for Book Designers
Publishing-specific InDesign setup and tools
IV
Interior Page Layout & Margins
Identifying layout models and building new ones
V
Typesetting & Composition
Professional approach to long-form text
VI
History of Cover Design
An investigation of great book jackets and covers
VII
Designing the Book Cover
Photoshop, Illustrator, and analog methods
VIII
Designing the Book Jacket
Publishing-specific InDesign setup and tools
Book Manufacturing & Production
IX
Preparing files for the printer and bookmaking materials
X
The Future of Book Design
The job market, print-on-demand, AI, and more