Idea 2.
design based publication
a book that explored the physical shape and form of the Japanese alphabet. As apposed to giving each character it's translation, the book would instead combine the form and shape with other aspects of their culture. With such a strong, rich and interesting culture, there is plenty of opportunity to cleverly combine this with the design of the alphabet. It wouldn't have any practical use, purely aesthetics.
The character on the right pictured below translates into the latter i in the english alphabet. However, if you look at it as a shape as apposed to a letter you start to see similarities between it and Japanese culture (in this case is architecture and structures)
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
Above are examples of how I could link the form and shape of each character to other aspects of Japanese culture.
each character has a unique form that, paired with the right image, can look like something else entirely.
Below is a design idea of how I could combine characters with culture... the character for the letter 'i' resembles traditional Japanese architecture.
Research
Japanese Design
I found a book on Japanese design published in 2004 that highlights typical Japanese at that time.
The main body of the book, pictured below, is made up of high resolution photos that demonstrate Japan's design culture. The only text is featured at the beginning as well as small amounts of info scattered throughout.
The photos range from architecture to fashion through to interiors and lighting. Each double page uses photos that have been paired together through aesthetics such as lighting, form and perspective. This gives each spread its own unique feel and mood.
The book itself is a thick, hard back publication made up of around 400 pages. As it is was published a few years back, the glue on the seem as come loose and the overall look of it seems a bit tired.
My publication for this idea would be a lot like the one pictured below as it would be less functional and more of a coffee table book full of high quality imagery and little text.
As well as my photos of letterforms, I've also got a large collection of photos of the rest of Japan that I can intertwine with my
characters.
Japan Style
Japan Style is another book on Japanese design and culture. This one differs from the previous as it includes more body text about the imagery and the country in general (picture below). The main body if content is the same as the last as it is full of strong imagery. Some spreads include a number of images whereas others are made up of only one spread across both pages.
As well as photos, this book also includes examples of traditional Japanese woodblock printing, a technique that is strongly linked to the country and one that still remains todays. also included inside are photos of ancient Japanese objects such as pottery. In my opinion, the pages that include single objects are much less effective than those with strong, high res photography of Japan.
The content of this book is a lot more informative about the culture than the previous and is therefore more practical and would be suitable as a learning book. It focuses more on traditional Japan and so is aimed at people interested aboiut learning more about Japan's history. Whereas the other book is more modern and focuses on design and would be more suitable for designers and creatives.
My own book would be more similar to the first book as I would aim it at creatives through the use of considerate and strong design in the layout and imagery.
Idea 2.
a book that explored the physical shape and form of the Japanese alphabet. As apposed to giving each character it's translation, the book would instead combine the form and shape with other aspects of their culture. With such a strong, rich and interesting culture, there is plenty of opportunity to cleverly combine this with the design of the alphabet. It wouldn't have any practical use, purely aesthetics.
The character on the right pictured below translates into the latter i in the english alphabet. However, if you look at it as a shape as apposed to a letter you start to see similarities between it and Japanese culture (in this case is architecture and structures)
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
Above are examples of how I could link the form and shape of each character to other aspects of Japanese culture.
each character has a unique form that, paired with the right image, can look like something else entirely.
Below is a design idea of how I could combine characters with culture... the character for the letter 'i' resembles traditional Japanese architecture.
Research
Japanese Design
I found a book on Japanese design published in 2004 that highlights typical Japanese at that time.
The main body of the book, pictured below, is made up of high resolution photos that demonstrate Japan's design culture. The only text is featured at the beginning as well as small amounts of info scattered throughout.
The photos range from architecture to fashion through to interiors and lighting. Each double page uses photos that have been paired together through aesthetics such as lighting, form and perspective. This gives each spread its own unique feel and mood.
The book itself is a thick, hard back publication made up of around 400 pages. As it is was published a few years back, the glue on the seem as come loose and the overall look of it seems a bit tired.
My publication for this idea would be a lot like the one pictured below as it would be less functional and more of a coffee table book full of high quality imagery and little text.
As well as my photos of letterforms, I've also got a large collection of photos of the rest of Japan that I can intertwine with my
characters.
characters.
Japan Style is another book on Japanese design and culture. This one differs from the previous as it includes more body text about the imagery and the country in general (picture below). The main body if content is the same as the last as it is full of strong imagery. Some spreads include a number of images whereas others are made up of only one spread across both pages. As well as photos, this book also includes examples of traditional Japanese woodblock printing, a technique that is strongly linked to the country and one that still remains todays. also included inside are photos of ancient Japanese objects such as pottery. In my opinion, the pages that include single objects are much less effective than those with strong, high res photography of Japan.
The content of this book is a lot more informative about the culture than the previous and is therefore more practical and would be suitable as a learning book. It focuses more on traditional Japan and so is aimed at people interested aboiut learning more about Japan's history. Whereas the other book is more modern and focuses on design and would be more suitable for designers and creatives.
My own book would be more similar to the first book as I would aim it at creatives through the use of considerate and strong design in the layout and imagery.
No comments:
Post a Comment