UON students Finn Redmond and Charlie Rose illustrate UON excellence, Lucy Egan reports.

The Australian Book Design Awards finalists were announced recently with strong representation from University of Newcastle students, Finn Redmond and Charlie Rose. This year saw the most student entries since the awards began. From the entries, judges enjoyed a ‘refreshing set of covers that effortlessly challenged and pushed the boundaries of commercial book design’.

But, what is ABDA?

Image: Finn Redmond’s design of If We Were Villains. Source: Australian Book Design Awards

The Australian Book Design Awards was founded in 2014 and is run by the Australian Book Designer’s Association. According to the website, it was established to create a space for the Australian publishing industry and community after the Australian Publishing Agency stopped hosting the Annual Book Design Awards in 2013, after 61 years of the event. Spokesperson Trisha Garner says the awards, “celebrate the best of Australian book design each year.”

What does this mean for students who have been shortlisted and won the category of Best Designed Student Cover?

Image: Charlie Rose’s cover of Annihilation.
Source: Australian Book Design Awards

Other than the prestige of placing in the ABDAs, one of the main pay-offs of the competition is exposure to the industry and future employers. It can also be a valuable addition to a graphic design or visual illustration portfolio and CV. These impressions can be vital in creating a name in the industry.

Finn Redmond, Bachelor of Visual Communication Design student, won the category with his design of the cover of If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. Charlie Rose’s illustration decorated the cover of Jeff Vandemere’s Annihilation and was shortlisted, amongst three RMIT finalists.

In both entries, simplicity was a key element in winning over the judges. In Finn’s design, the judges were impressed by the ‘disarmingly simple yet strikingly effective treatment’ evident in the design. In Charlie’s cover, they noted the ‘simple and bold approach’ which was ‘effective in creating a sense of mystery.’

Congratulations to Finn Redmond and Charlie Rose for doing UON proud.

For more information and to check out the winners, follow this link:

abda.com.au/2021-australian-book-design-awards/

Feature Image: ABDA Awards 2021 via ABDA