Annual International Publishing Design Forum
Free activity for professionals and exhibitorsThe Collections: Identity, Strategy, and Marketing
The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), in collaboration with Universidad Anáhuac México, will host the eleventh edition of the International Forum on Editorial Design. This year, the gathering will focus on the creation of collections and the development of a strong editorial identity.
Thinking about the creation of collections is, above all, thinking about the reader. What kind of readers do we want to attract? What experience do we want to offer them from the first glance to the last page? These questions serve as the starting point for reflecting on the heart of any publishing project: its identity.
Design not only communicates, it also positions. The cover, the first visual contact with a work becomes a field of direct competition, where it is decided in seconds whether a potential reader feels invited to enter. From there, every graphic and conceptual choice builds a narrative that goes beyond the content itself: it is the editorial identity that is being expressed.
The creation of collections also becomes an exercise in coherence and strategy. What kind of catalog are we going to build? How do the titles relate to one another and to the publisher’s overall vision? These decisions are not only aesthetic, but deeply editorial. This forum invites participants to share experiences, concepts, and decisions behind the development of a strong and authentic editorial identity. We want to learn how each project has envisioned its reader, its catalog, and its image. What paths have they chosen? What challenges have they faced? Let’s open the dialogue.
2025 Program
Sunday November 30
16:00 to 16:10
Inauguration
Salón de Profesionales, Área Internacional, Expo Guadalajara
Participants: Adriana Sánchez Escalante, Armando Montes de Santiago, Sayri Karp Mitastein
16:10 to 17:10
How to define an identity for a publishing collection
Salón de Profesionales, Área Internacional, Expo Guadalajara
Each collection within a publishing imprint has its own personality. It’s not just about grouping books by theme, is about building a visual and conceptual identity that gives it coherence and distinction. In this panel, we’ll discuss how that identity is defined: from cover design to the graphic, typographic, and stylistic decisions that shape how readers perceive a collection.
This conversation aims to raise questions, share experiences, and reflect together on what gives a publishing collection its own voice and helps it connect with its readers.
Participants: Enric Jardí, Daniela Escobar, Felipe González
17:10 to 18:10
Editorial art direction and production processes
Salón de Profesionales, Área Internacional, Expo Guadalajara
Once a collection’s visual identity has been defined, it’s time to bring it to life. In this panel, we’ll discuss how that identity is translated into concrete decisions around design, production, and printing.
From the materials selection, papers, bindings, inks, and finishes such as varnishes, die cuts, or stamping, to the choice of format and size, every detail helps reinforce the character of a publishing collection. We’ll explore how these elements are not only aesthetic, but also communicative.
Participants: Emiliano Becerril, Raúl Zea, Wanda España
18:20 to 19:20
Conceptual intention and design: a collaborative challenge between editors and designers
Salón de Profesionales, Área Internacional, Expo Guadalajara
Using the design of popular and academic magazines as a starting point, this discussion will focus on the collaboration between designer and editor, considering how design influences the understanding of content (cultural, academic, or even scientific) which stems from a clear conceptual intent.
Participants: Lorena Noyola Piña, David Kimura
19:20 to 20:20
Marketing in publishing collections
Salón de Profesionales, Área Internacional, Expo Guadalajara
Editorial design work doesn’t end with the production of the book. Once a collection’s visual identity has been established, a new challenge begins: making it visible, recognizable, and desirable to readers.
This panel will address the integration of design, marketing, and strategy, how these areas collaborate to place a collection in bookstores, digital platforms, and other sales channels.
Participants: Quetzal León, Carolina Herranz, Isabel Obiols
2025 Workshops:
Organized by:
In collaboration with:
Para más información contacte a:
Armando M. de Santiago, Coordinación general de Expositores y Profesionales, al teléfono (+52) 33 3810 0331, ext. 919
Registration