STEVEN RYAN | JUDGE’S SELECTION

3 BRUKETA&ZINIC

To physically demonstrate this message, the designers embedded a precious little book in a cavity die-cut inside a much larger volume. The first page of this mini-book-within-a-book gives the reader cooking instructions … for the book itself: “Wrap the book in aluminum foil, bake for 25 minutes at 100° C, make sure it does not burn and cool thoroughly before reading.” A slip sheet promises that baking will unveil “an illustrated booklet with recipes, advice and myths about food.”

Burketa&Zinic’s unorthodox approach came out of a desire to tell both sides of the company story. “We wanted to separate the cold facts from what Podravka really is, which is good food, prepared precisely and with heart,” the designers say. “We used thermo-reactive ink that becomes permanently visible after being heated. We needed a lot of time to find a color that was stable until a certain temperature. We also had to get consistent results in a book that is rather thick and where not all parts are evenly exposed to heat. There were problems with binding and hundreds of other details we had to solve. After … a few burnt ovens, things worked out well.”

The annual report that contains the cookbook is an impressive piece in itself. This dual-language, oversized, bound book is more than an inch thick, with an embossed cover, red-edged pages and Wall Street Journal-esque illustrations. “The reason I chose it,” says STEP 100 judge Steven Ryan, “is that it was so ostentatious as an annual report, and I found that refreshing.” The designers agree, pointing out, “If you look at an annual report as a medium for presenting a certain amount of facts, then every investment bigger than a PDF is wasting money. However, since we have been creating annual reports for Podravka, they have become ambassadors of the brand, something to collect and a generator of positive PR among the public.”

Ryan finds a rare level of sophistication in the report’s overall design. “The book was almost technical in its refinement,” he says. “They played with various voices in the typography and illustration so it feels very rich in its layers of experience, and yet it still has a single point of view.” It should be noted that Ryan made this laudatory assessment without realizing there were thermal surprises contained in the interior (i.e., the mini cookbook). When this feature was pointed out, his appreciation warmed further. “Now that I know what the inside book is about, I think it’s that much more interesting. They’ve taken the design to a place beyond detail and design that’s about the form factor and how you engage with the piece.” by Laurel Saville