The Words at Play Flipbook is a whimsical preview of Words at Play, a book and animated website that showcases a collection of typographic portraits of well-known authors. Each portrait was crafted from a single OpenType® font using only the letters of the author’s name (and the occasional parenthesis), and is paired with a quotation from the author about the craft of writing or the power of words. Each quotation contains the word word or words and alludes to a specific feature of Adobe® InDesign® software at play in the design.
The flipbook was conceived by Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich and Matteo Bologna as a direct mail piece to entice designers to request a complimentary copy of the full Words at Play book, as well as to visit the website (www.wordsatplay.com). The animations of Edgar Allan Poe and Lord Byron in the flipbook are based on those designed by Steve Holmes for the website.
The Words at Play campaign was an homage to the power of words, the beauty of typography and the creativity of designers. Through it, Adobe connected more deeply to what most inspires and motivates designers—the creative process—while also illuminating the creative and typographical capabilities of Adobe InDesign® software. The Words at Play campaign was sponsored by Adobe Systems Inc., Yupo Corporation and Andrews Connecticut (an RR Donnelley Company).