Chen Design Associates has selected the Material Design Company identity for their soon to be released HOW books publication "Fingerprint No. 2: The Evolution of Handmade Elements in Graphic Design"!

Chen Design Associates (CDA) is an award winning and influential design firm located in San Francisco, California. Their work and expertise in the field of graphic design is well recognized both inside and outside of the profession so it goes without saying that it is an honor to be selected and featured in this book. The call for entries to Fingerprint No. 2 follows below giving some insight on what to expect in the book:

"We've reached a unique point in design history where we've moved beyond both the infatuation with and the backlash against technology. Today, the best designers combine the power of the computer with the tactile qualities of handmade elements. Fingerprint 2 (working title) will explore the power of the handmade to help designers reconnect with their audiences and provide surprising new ways of seeing and resolving problems. Even the hint of a handmade element can activate a surface, instill passion and energy into a medium, and reassure the recipient that human understanding and insight are the foundations for the message. Once again authored and designed by Chen Design Associates, this follow-up book will be a celebration of the presence of the human hand in visual communication and the breath of fresh air such a presence delivers into a field often challenged by predictable, passionless solutions."

Pretty Cool heh? Yeah, we're thrilled.

So what's Material Design Company?

Well, before there was Transform, there was Material Design Company (MDC). MDC was my previous company which joined forces with amarantcreative (AK's company) to form Transform. MDC was comprised of myself and graphic designer Hans Bennewitz (a good friend and a talented man). We had a lot of fun designing the MDC identity together and spared no expense in its production.

The MDC letterpress identity system includes a business card, envelope and note card and was letterpress printed at Full Circle Press. To give it an added handmade touch, we took the rather expensive and well produced print job and combined it with an $8 rubber stamp which we used to imprint individual contact information on each item. The idea was daring and the results were bold, but it appears to have paid off.

Can I see some pictures?

Sorry but no. In the effort to build some anticipation we are going to make everyone wait for the book's release. It's expected to be out in the summer of 2011. Don't worry, we'll be reminding everyone when it arrives and will be posting lots of pictures then. ;-)

If you'd like to pre-order, you can do so from amazon.com by clicking here.