CA Collection redesigns

Fans of the first series of Computer Arts Collection should already be familiar with the premium production values and in-depth content that our six-part annual series delivers.

Volume two kicks off again with Graphic Design this month, making it rather excellent timing for any hard-to-please design aficionados for Christmas, or to add to your own studio bookshelf to keep you inspired throughout 2013.

As promised, it's had a creative overhaul. So what have we changed?

• All-new cover design, with luxury soft-touch laminate finish from Celloglas
• Weightier, much better-quality paper - from 90gsm up to 130gsm
• Special A5 Industry Focus booklet (above), fully-illustrated with a Pantone spot-colour throughout (first up, a special report on branded app design, with metallic silver highlights)
• Most ambitious guest-edited Studio Project yet: DesignStudio puts on an ambitious showcase event, complete with sound-reactive generative graphics
• New feature: designer's eye view of the best creative haunts in their home city, kicking off with Shauna Haider on Portland, Oregon
• Plus a creative refresh across all sections, including a new-look Trend Report by creative consultancy FranklinTill, exploring how the latest styles and movements are evolving

Of course, photos of special inks, laminates and crisp, weighty paper don't really do it justice - so we suggest you hunt down a copy in the flesh.

You'll find it in Magma and WH Smith in the UK (alongside volume one, which is still on sale), and it'll reach Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in the States in January.

Or if you can't wait that long, you can order your copy online.