The catalog for Best Book Design from All over the World 2026 was designed by Florian Lamm of Lamm & Kirch, using OT Scholar and photographs by Attila Hartwig.

Martin Stoecklin and Melina Wilson of A Language used OT Scholar for a book with works by artist Monia Ben Hamouda. They describe the project as follows:

Path of Totality is the first monograph dedicated to the work of Monia Ben Hamouda (Milan, 1991) and is published on the occasion of her exhibition at Museo Casa Rusca in Locarno, curated by Gioia Dal Molin. Drawing on the metaphor of the total solar eclipse – the “path of totality” is the area on Earth in which this phenomenon can be seen – the book reflects on night, suspension, and the conditions of making art in a time of political and existential uncertainty. Conceived as the “crystallization of a moment,” the publication brings together images and texts in a porous, polyphonic structure. Contributions by Övül Ö. Durmuşoğlu, Beya Othmani, and Sira Pizà expand the project through multiple perspectives, situating Ben Hamouda’s work within Mediterranean, spiritual, and political contexts.

Down Under: The Curious Fall of a Child Who Knew Nothing and Became Everything is a picture book by Formafantasma designed in response to a commission and residency program by C-Mine and published by Nero Editions. Blending fiction with scientific research, the publication explores the identity and ecological significance of Belgium’s post-industrial landscape, aiming to foster a new form of ecological literacy for both young readers and adults.

The book opens with a fable written by Formafantasma that challenges conventional narratives of human superiority, offering new perspectives on coexistence with other species. This first section is accompanied by illustrations by Clement Vuillier, which reinterpret and draw upon imagery used in scientific analysis, such as petrographic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images.

It concludes with a more analytical section featuring critical text by Teresa Castro and a series of interviews with experts from the scientific field. Complementing this are two visual essays composed of microscopic images created using petrography and SEM techniques. This second part of the book delves into the scientific and conceptual foundations of the fable. Through this dual register, Down Under encourages reflection at different stages of life, aspiring to function both as a children’s book and a transgenerational educational tool.

Jonathan Schmidt-Ott: St. Gil was edited by Lukas Feireiss and Florian Lamm of Lamm & Kirch, and contains essays by Patrick J. Reed and Feireiss. It was designed by Lamm together with Caspar Reuss, using OT Scholar.

From the website of Lukas Feireiss:

In St. Gil, Berlin-based photographer Jonathan Schmidt-Ott turns his lens towards his immediate surroundings, capturing reflective glimpses of life in contemplative compositions of people and places. The collection encompasses portraits, still lifes, nature studies, landscapes, and architecture, combined in photographic diptychs suspended in silent dialogue, akin to verses in a poem. These visual narratives stand as self-contained units, offering a profoundly personal point of view by interweaving autobiographical and associative moments. They are poetic and unaffected inventories, revealing the artist's devoted engagement with the world. Each visual dialogue within this publication serves as a repository of mysteries, secrets and serendipities.

Chromogenic prints by c-print, b/w prints by Ina Schröder, and lithography by Max Color.
The book was printed by DZA Druckerei zu Altenburg and published by Spector Books.