Rick Steves is a household name in America as an authority on travel. Well-known for his guidebooks, he is a also a familiar face on television as writer, producer and host of his own travel show. Encouraging people to become “temporary locals” and not just tourists, he gives pointers on how to explore a country in an affordable yet authentic way.
Rick Steves’ travel guidebooks have looked more or less consistent since it was published in the eighties and looked dated. This project sought to bring new life into a trusted reference that would be at home on a coffee table as much as in a backpack or suitcase.
To distinguish the books from the usual travel guides, we selected photographs of objects and scenes associated with a particular country and cropped them close, focusing on the patterns made by these images. We followed this approach to draw readers in and hold their attention further as they decipher the beautifully ordered details on the cover.
We also designed a new logo to help the series stand out in bookstores. The simple shapes are based on Steves’ eyeglasses and represent his mission to broaden perspectives by advocating a more conscious way of traveling. The non-typographic mark makes the book easy to spot when displayed on a shelf and only the spine is visible.