Written by Deyan Sudjic, Vitra: The Anatomy of a Design Company tells the story of three generations behind Vitra. Driven by a strong cultural and social mission, Vitra has shaped every aspect of contemporary design, from product design to architecture.
The graphic design is shaped by the idea that the book is not a monograph, but a handbook intended to inspire today’s designers – as well as future generations – in how a design company might operate. The smaller, tactile format reinforces this quality, creating a book that is both functional and beautiful: an ethos central to Vitra.
The cover features details of key products from Vitra’s history, highlighting the inventive production techniques pioneered by the company. The red of the Evo-C chair (by Jasper Morrison, 2020) is matched precisely to the chair itself, while the embossed Vitra logo echoes the mark found on their products. Chapter openers also feature silhouettes of products and architectural elements, further emphasising the breadth of Vitra’s work.
The layout design is guided by Deyan’s narrative-led chapters, interwoven with image sequences arranged in a layered, collage-like structure. This approach reflects the multifaceted nature of the company and its broad contribution to design. Reflecting Vitra’s collaborative spirit, the full APFEL team contributed to the layouts, developing distinct treatments for the chapters as well as inserts by Iwan Baan and Karen Stein. This process reflects APFEL’s own practice, which evolves through shared authorship and collaboration. The design variations are unified by the use of the Diatype typeface family, set in a range of cuts including a monospace style referencing instruction manuals.
Photography: Ed Park
