Aldus Manutius (c.1450–1515) was the father of modern publishing. Born near Rome, he moved to Venice in the 1490s, where he formed the Aldine Press. The Aldine Press premiered an immensely popular new format well-designed editions of the secular classics Manutius called libelli portatiles, or portable little books because they easily fit in the hand of the reader, the first paperbacks.

“Working from Home,” only a few months ago, that phrase inspired envy, debate, and confusion. Then in March of this year, offices around the world were forced to embrace Working From Home (WFH) immediately and without any preparation! For some companies, the transition was more graceful than for others. As businesses consider the future, what can we learn from the recent past to inform our new ways of working?

I love solving problems. To me, that’s what Design is, problem-solving. Need a way to communicate your business’ value to its clients and potential clients? A good brand package can help you solve that problem! Want to get your book into the hands of readers? A great book cover can help accomplish that goal! Need to make complex information understandable? A gifted text designer can solve for you!

I love to cook.

I savor the smell of sautéing onions in olive oil. The fragrance of a chicken roasting in the oven stuffed with lemons and rosemary. I also love managing the process: culinary project management.

The following are but a few of the design solutions that have graced the cover of the book over the past seventy plus years. Viewed from this perspective the “Animal Farm” cover design illustrates these changing approaches.