What was the most rewarding thing about doing this updated version of your now-classic book?
The opportunity not only to stay current, but to make improvements to the object itself. The first is a no-brainer, but the second is personal. Staying up-to-date meant adding devices that are now so familiar we take them for granted and in fact have become completely dependent on them. It’s actually fun to have at least a basic sense of how a touchscreen works, not to mention e-paper. One clue—it’s not paper.
The more personal reward came with the opportunity to create what I hope is a more visually attractive book. Replacing the two color images (required of the first edition to keep costs down) with full-color art meant that not only is the book brighter and I think more inviting but also it offers greater clarity. In many of the earlier spreads, pieces of text floated in a sea of white space, often seeming disconnected from the related art. It doesn’t help a reader trying to absorb new information if they aren’t quite sure about the order or combination in which it should be viewed.
It takes a team to create a work like this! Can you briefly describe how you all worked together?
This book was a group effort from the beginning. As with the original editions, the new one was produced simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic. Research, writing, editing, and overall design happened in London. The pictures were developed and finally produced in my Vermont studio. I’m not a big fan of the distance, since it makes quick and more casual conversation possible between team members, even with Skype and FaceTime, etc., impossible. But since we weren’t developing a whole new project, these communication shortcuts probably made sense. It’s just not as much fun to work in isolation.