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Custom-Built vs. Template-Driven Book Design: 4 Considerations

  

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We once bid on a project for an independent school's anniversary book. Of the six packagers with hats thrown into the ring, we were among the five unsuccessful bidders. Despite our disappointment, we were fortunate that a couple of the decision makers shared their thoughts with us afterward. The most intriguing observations we gleaned concerned use of a template to make a new illustrated book.

The school issued a detailed RFP, so we knew about its previous publications (some still in print, most not), got to know what writing styles and approaches the committee members liked (and didn't), and even received bios of the decision makers. Most important, it turns out, was the anniversary book recently published by a nearby independent school in the same league (athletic, at least) as our potential client, which was held up as exemplary of what the committee sought.

But we were still confused: The RFP stipulated a vertical trim and about half the pictures were to be printed in color, but the exemplar volume was oblong, and all its pictures were duotones. We interpreted such discrepancies to mean that the specs were flexible and quoted costs for a book that corresponded more closely to the RFP specs.

As it turned out, we should have paid closer attention to what was said about the existing book. The successful bidder, who also was packager of the admired example, followed its previous text approach and specifications to the letter, as if not RFP existed.

The takeaway is that we cannot assume that a client wants its wheel reinvented. Template-based publications have always been anathema to the way we work, but clearly they have their place. When a potential client shows a prototype they like, it may not be their idea of fun or wisdom or expedience to stray from that approach. When they have in hand proof of what is possible, it may be nearly impossible for them to visualize books with varying specs or editorial and design approaches. At the same time, something new and different should not be ruled out simply due to a lack of information.

The four considerations that follow may help publication committees and decision makers determine whether to adopt a template-driven or custom-built approach to their new publication. (Of course, my observations and comments apply just as much to corporate histories or books published by nonprofit organizations, but since these musings arose as a result of a bid for an independent school's anniversary history, I focused on that segment of our client base.)

1. Aren't template-driven books more affordable?
Not necessarily. Although counterintuitive, neither approach can be relied upon to be more cost effective. Some large, well-known book producers work only with template-driven books, turning their resultant savings in editorial/design/production costs to underwrite hefty operating costs, with a net result of a big price tag. And shoehorning new material and intentions into an established grid can occasion more work and expense than developing a new approach based on the content at hand.

2. Will your readers care?
While we pride ourselves on shaping each project to the individual needs and desires of our client, that may not be important in every instance. Consider who will read your anniversary book and how likely they are to be familiar with similar publications from other independent schools. Even if they are acquainted with other examples, will they be bothered by similarities? In our experience, ca. 65 to 85 percent of anniversary-book recipients are alumni or parents—that is, people who aren't apt to see numerous other examples. On the other hand, a template-driven piece is likely to be disadvantageous if you plan to use it as a development and publicity tool.

3. Perhaps your school's visual content is all you need to set the book apart...
One independent school history we produced benefited greatly from an extensive, meticulously organized archive of visual material that had been collected assiduously throughout the school's long tenure. With that breadth, depth, and variety of imagery at hand, even a template-driven design would stand apart. On the other hand, another history we produced relied on an endless array of head shots of past executives, and it took extensive photo research and design originality to enliven it into a volume that appealed to its intended audience.

4. What image do you wish to convey to the book's readers?
Not every independent school will welcome outsiders' notions that it takes risks, pushes envelopes, or relies on nontraditional teaching methods. If its long-lived reputation rests on teaching a particular canon in a time-honored way, the educational institution may wish to adhere closely to a norm, making a template-driven book appropriate. Conversely, a school's reputation as progressive could suffer just as much from a type-bending layout that makes its reading a challenge.