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** Verlag Hermann Schmidt, based in Mainz, has been producing books since 1992 that can withstand the digital information deluge—thanks to one ingredient that’s often missing these days: time.**
If you lay out all the books from “ Verlag Hermann Schmidt ” side by side, the only clue that they come from the same publisher is the subtle typographic design. No two covers follow the same design, no two flaps feel the same, and the formats seem to have been put together at random. Were it not for the unifying creative theme, one might mistake the books for an archive of a printing house’s most successful finishing techniques. Why is that? Karin and Bertram Schmidt-Friderichs don’t just print text. Rather, these two typography enthusiasts design books that, through their form, materiality, and graphic sophistication, convey their own content to the outside world and visibly celebrate it.
This fits well: All of the publisher’s books revolve around how to lead a successful creative life, offering tips, inspiration, and stimulating ideas. The couple from Mainz devotes intense attention to every single book, searching for the right graphic and tactile concept. Over the course of many months, they create works of art that are meticulously designed down to the last detail and have one advantage over the image-text combinations found on digital devices: they are a tactile and visual experience.
Books from the Verlag Hermann Schmidt
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From a craft workshop to an industrial enterprise: Julius vom Hofe, based in Lüdenscheid, manufactures sheet-steel storage systems that reflect the high standards of the company’s origins as an artistic blacksmith’s shop.
Buildings as raw material warehouses and furniture for rent: Thinking about architecture and design within the context of the circular economy leads to new, unconventional solutions. The question remains whether circular design is also economically viable in the long term—and aesthetically compelling.
After more than thirty years as an independent designer, Konstantin Grcic has moved into manufacturing with the brand 25kg. We spoke with Grcic about his fascination with industrial processes, the eye of MAGAZIN, and why he doesn’t have scratches and discoloration removed from 25kg products.
