Span studio designed and produced Kohler’s 150th anniversary creativity-focused book Be Bold. Kohler, a storied American company known for kitchen and bath products, commissioned Bud Rodecker of Span to design a commemorative book for the anniversary. The book celebrates all of the creators who have propelled the company forward with their bold vision, be they artists, designers, inventors, explorers, entrepreneurs, leaders of business, scientists, engineers, athletes, craftspeople, or those whose expertise and impact defies label. Working collaboratively with the Kohler team, the Span team wrote, edited, curated, and designed Be Bold.
Featured interviews include contemporary artist Daniel Arsham on the artistry of children; former NFL football player Donald Driver on helping to create opportunities for others; Ann Sacks on not over-thinking; and Jonathan Adler on choosing to become a potter instead of getting a job.
For the cover, Span created the effect of a pristine white porcelain sink with a chrome faucet. The cover title and contributor names on the back cover are impressed with holographic foil. Profiles are interspersed with photo wells, including historical shots of Kohler’s Antarctic expeditions, archival Bold Look of Kohler advertisements from the 60s and 70s, or images from the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits®.
Be Bold is typeset in Helvetica Now Bold. To add visual weight to the page, Span replaced paragraph breaks with a colored circle to create a visual pause.
Creative and content credits at Span go to Design Director Bud Rodecker, Designer Alyssa Arnesen, and Copy Direction Donna Speigel. The Kohler team includes Creative Director Michael G. Mueller, Editorial Project Manager Krystina Russell, and Production Manager Christopher Donlon. The printer is Classic Color while K150 Branding Assets are by Daniel Arsham Studio.
