designboom book report: who died and made you boss?

victore has printed thousands of stickers, this one with the intention for people to consciously create a culture of excellence instead of lies

writer: james victore publisher: abrams language: english year: 2010 size: 10"x13" isbn: 978-0-8109-9591-8

http://www.abramsbooks.com/

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so let’s make this simple. here’s how you can tell this designer is good. james victore does away with the goblets altogether. he simply wrenches the cork off the bottle and pours the stuff right down your throat. – michael beirut

content ‘who died and made you boss?’ is a book of greatest hits from the perspective of new york-based designer james victore. containing the anecdotes behind forty-eight of his projects, victore doesn’t walk through his compositional choices of typeface and image selection but instead tells the stories and significance behind the work. calling his clients ‘comrades’, victore is able to achieve a balance between his clients’ needs and the opinion of the designer in a voice that provides his unmistakable fingerprint.

the hardbound black cover and almost entirely flooded black pages are wrapped in a two sided poster with quotes and thoughts from the great minds that have informed this designer’s work. the book itself is designed by new york based design studio and comrade OOPS (office of paul share) on a grid system that defies the banal in just about every direction possible resulting in the viewer constantly rotating and actively engaging in the process of reading the book.

is it for me? if you enjoy reading about the thoughts and underlying process of the visually loud design work of someone who has something to say (and isn’t afraid to do so), this book is for you. victore’s opinion about work and life is a strong voice throughout the book’s narrative. it is applicable to someone who really cares about what it is they wish to accomplish with their actions.

detail, "the blackest book ever" -sahre

detail, inside wrap

separated into 48 sections on a massive two way grid

the text of the book reads on the opposite axis while most of the images are at a normal orientation

stills from an animation

victore eventually became the ‘plate guy’ after taking his marker with him everywhere he went, often drawing on plates to trade for meals or cute waitresses’ numbers.

poster for an AIGA lecture once asked why he was ‘mad as hell’ victore responded with ‘because no one else is’

yohji yamamoto

sahre victore wilker (graphic) design conference victore is a teacher at new york’s school of visual arts where he tries to make sure his students have a voice of their own