With more than 450 crisp color images of international packaging designs, it's tempting to showcase the 9.5" x 12" volume on the coffee table. Especially since the book uses 30% more photos than its predecessor, Graphis Packaging 6. However, the 240-page book, edited by B. Martin Pederson, is functional, too. It's arranged into a dozen categories, including cosmetics, beverages, food, household and medical products. Highlighting packages from 170 design firms in 18 countries, it serves as a nice source book for product or packaging designers. Adding a contemporary perspective to the field of package design are essays by noted designers Paula Scher and Barrie Tucker. Alphabetical listings of clients, agencies and artists are indexed in back, as well as a short quote about each package from the designer. Text is printed in English, French and German. Published every three years by Graphis Inc. (New York, NY), the Graphis Packaging series is one of a 20-book program that evolved out of Graphis Design Annual, a yearly publication highlighting all aspects of design. All items were selected from an international call for entries. So, does Graphis Packaging 7 belong on the coffee table or on the bookshelf? Either way is fine, but at some point, if only briefly, the book belongs in the readers' hands. It's available from Graphis for $75.
