The best visual design work is about emotion as much as appearance. Powerful, brilliant pictures—presented in just the right layout—can make us experience a whole range of emotions, from fear to attraction, anger to happiness. The Society of Publication Designers’ (SPD) annual competition seeks the very best in editorial design work. Judged by a worldwide panel of top designers, the 44th edition of Rockport’s best-selling SPD series celebrates the journalists, editorial directors, photographers, and other talented individuals who brought events of the year 2008—with all its triumphs and disasters—to our doorsteps and computer screens. Stunning full-page layouts present everything from products to people, and objects to events, in ways that make each palpable and unforgettable.