94. KBDA
For the past 15 years, KBDA has annually self-published a piece to send to clients and friends. When KBDA’s client ColorNet Press mentioned it needed a brochure, principal Kim Baer saw an opportunity for a collaboration: What better way to showcase ColorNet’s color capabilities than with a book that focused on the vibrant eccentricities of Los Angeles?

KBDA mined their own L.A. experiences, then reached out to 150 savvy locals who had off-beat knowledge of the city. The result is four books in one: a running essay about Los Angeles life, quintessential L.A. moments (a man holds a sign that says “Will work for food, will even work for Disney”), a source guide of favorite L.A. spots, and the quirky images of local photographer Dave Lauridsen. The nonlinear narrative is especially appropriate for the sprawling city. “I think L.A. is best expressed as a collage,” says writer Jill Vacarra. “It’s so big and there are so many parts. The only way to see the whole is to examine a random set of different places and experiences of the city.”

With insight that moves beyond traffic and plastic-surgery stereotypes, Every Day is a Saturday has been especially resonant with KBDA’s many local clients. “One of the most satisfying reactions was from the city officials and tourism department for L.A.,” says designer Keith Knueven.

“They seemed so excited about it and they’re talking about what else can be done,” he adds. KBDA took the project a bit further themselves: Barraged with a plethora of sources, they published a 1½-inch-thick companion piece that includes additional finds, indexed by neighborhood and small enough to fit in a glove compartment, of course.
Alissa Walker