A twelve month editorial project celebrating 130 years of Claus Porto, the famous Portuguese soap brand. The enticing and challenging aspect of this invitation was that it did not simply concern the graphic design of the book, but also the editorial control – deciding what sort of book it should be, selecting its contents and how they should be organised. It also involved writing the texts, commissioning and art directing the photography, and immersing myself in archival research. A complete editorial project in every way from concept to design to the very challenging print production.

To help me in this task I invited talented long-time design collaborator Rita Carvalho to join me. Principle photography was by Nuno Moreira. Printing was done by Gráfica Maiadouro who deserve a special thanks for their commitment and the multiple machine tests that we did in order to get the best results from the use of the non-coated paper stocks we chose and the special binding techniques. 

After having consulted the company’s visual archive – a real graphic treasure house – I proposed that the book should be constructed as a visual narrative, constructed in a way – through the use of various paper stocks and page formats – to reflect and celebrate the rich visual history of the company. Ten chapters, each beginning with a small text, take the reader through a visual journey that recounts the company’s history, development and productive methods. The book is available in a choice of two covers, is 24cm by 32cm with 242 pages. The book was launched in Paris at the end of October 2017.

The book was selected as one of the 50 best book designs for 2017 as part of the annual AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers competition. It was nominated in the European Design Awards, and won an award in the 2018 Meios & Publicidade Portuguese annual creative awards.