the mcfarlane prize 2009

The McFarlane Prize 2009I love books. I grew up surrounded by books and people who value books, in an ordinary middle class suburban home. Growing up a migrant kid, books helped me orient myself in an Anglo culture without forgetting I was born European. Books continue to enrich my life on a daily basis.

These days, an important component of my biblio-diet is the technical book, in which I include both manuals (for new hardware, etc) and books that teach me things about the web.

The latter is dominated by titles from Sitepoint, Rosenfeld Media and New Riders, all of which continue to contribute directly to how I extend my web skills.

Today, they are joined by a title that I’m sure will be as valued, well into the future. The McFarlane Prize 2009 has been compiled by the Web Directions people as a record of the 48 entires shortlisted in that year for what has become one of the more meaningful awards for web design and development.

It is effectively a snapshot of some of the best Australian web design and development in 2009.

The range of projects among the nominees is terrific and conveys a real sense of what’s happening ‘out there’. I was moved to explore some of the websites and take a closer look. That many of the sites have evolved somewhat in the last years or so only adds to the interest for me.

Importantly, the book itself is beautiful. My enjoyment of a book is always enhanced when the publishers make it an inviting tactile and visually pleasing experience. This one ticks all the boxes, as it should, being a record of excellence.

I’d recommend this as a gift for a starting web designer to inspire them, to challenge them and to keep them aware of the beauty, the functionality and the value of books.

 

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