Goodwill, Never Judge a Book by it's Cover

1200 unique titles for 1200 books, (2003)

Inspired by the concept of the exhibition BLACK MY STORY, goodwill gave each copy of the publication a different title, following the motto Never judge a book by its cover.

Since 2002, the young English / Dutch designer goodwill (Will Holder) has been designing Museum De Paviljoens' printed matter. Various examples of his creations are on view in the grey display cases. The stationary in broken white is at the basis of the house style, and it features punched-in motifs and the 14-point ICT Century Schoolbook font – for easy reading and to-the-pointedness – and the graphic signs /\/\/. In 2003, goodwill designed the publication BLACK MY STORY to accompany the exhibition of the same name at Museum De Paviljoens.

Complexity of the individual
The central theme of the exhibition BLACK MY STORY was perception with regard to nationality, religion, race and ethnicity. Through visual art by Jimmie Durham, Remy Jungerman, Samson Kambalu, Shirana Shahbazi and Chikako Watanabe, the visitor was challenged to explore the complexity of each individual – irrespective of his or her background.

Inspired by the concept of the exhibition BLACK MY STORY, goodwill gave each copy of the publication a different title, following the motto Never judge a book by its cover. Some titles, for instance, refer to the music he plays as a DJ. At first instance, the book is conceived more as a "story book" than as a regular exhibition catalogue. The publication's central essay was written by the historian, author and anthropologist Christopher Joon-Hai Lee. In his essay, Lee investigates the way in which people form an image of someone else. Five other authors present their personal views on the life and work of the artists who participated in BLACK MY STORY.

Will Holder studied and taught at the Rietveld Academy. He created designs for, amongst others, Catalogue, De Appel and Metropolis M. Art historian Domeniek Ruyters called him a "rebel with a cause". His work is full of humour, but definitely contains a message as well.

Best Dutch Book Design 2003
The publication BLACK MY STORY was selected as one of the Best Dutch Book Designs of 2003. The jury report says: "Each book binding has its own title stamped in gold. What do we see in this booklet? Definitely a ridiculously large font in relation to its size. We see messy black-and-white photos printed on novel paper with a coarse screen, alternating with quires of shiny machine-coated paper on which the work of the ‘contributing artists’ is reproduced in colour. The typography and appearance of this booklet are purposely clumsy, tongue in cheek. Following in the footsteps of many artists, Holder reacts ironically and disdainfully against everything that has to do with craftsmanship and applied arts. His design has the embarrassing nature of jokes that are made at the expense of others. Why award this book then? Because it is contemporary in an exemplary way and because it is strategically adequate. It has to do with the work of Jop van Bennekom and Mevis & Van Deursen […] and the output of the Rietveld Academy (traditionally a breeding ground for conceptual graphic design). In short: Black My Story is hip as hell and radiates ambition. That shouldn't go unnoticed."

Goodwill, Never Judge a Book by its Cover
Goodwill (1969, Hatfield, GB)
Untitled (Never judge a book by its cover) 1200 unique titles for 1200 books, 2003