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Tag: design books

Richard Sapper’s Vision of the Future

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At Curbed, Alexandra Lange discusses the work of German-born industrial designer Richard Sapper, and a new book about his work published by Phaidon:

When Los Angeles-based designer Jonathan Olivares first met Richard Sapper in 2008 in Milan, Sapper’s adopted home, he put it more bluntly: Why black?

“I expected him to come back with a hardcore minimalist modernist objective,” says Olivares who, like Sapper, has designed for Knoll. But Sapper said something different. “Black looks good in all kinds of interiors: old interiors, messy interiors, a clean modern interior. It ages really well. It doesn’t look dirty. You don’t see the seams. He told me, Next time, look at a white car and look at a black car. On a white car you see all the joints.” Sapper told two different stories about the shape of the ThinkPad. One is that he was inspired by the cigar box, the other by the bento box. In either case, a deceptively dark, plain exterior opens to a world of flavor. The red nub is either a beautiful cigar wrapper or a nice piece of tuna. It’s such a practical explanation it takes a moment to sink in. It’s as if this product designer knew your life…

…Sapper lived with multitudes and made multitudes, and his idea of the future didn’t involve getting rid of everything past, whether personal or visual. Technology, in his world, could co-exist with sentiment and age. To the end, he was still trying to invent a lamp for people who couldn’t hardwire to the ceiling above their tables. It was based on a fishing rod. That was the kind of “perching” that was of interest to him.

 

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Criterion Designs

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Another book for the wishlist (because in a shocking development no one gave it to me for Christmas), Criterion Designs features covers, art, and sketches art commissioned for the Criterion Collection. It looks beautiful…

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A Taxonomy of Office Chairs

A Taxonomy of Office Chairs by Jonathan Olivares and published by Phaidon is a visual overview of the evolution of the modern office chair and detailing the most innovative chairs designed and built from the 1840s to the present.

In this video, Olivares talks about the book and the importance of the office chair in design history:

(via Daily Icon)

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Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey

Phaidon Books has posted a short profile of the original “Gridnik”, graphic designer Wim Crouwel:

Crouwel, who appeared in Gary Hustwit’s documentary Helvetica, is famous for his innovative approach to typography and his 1967 ‘New Alphabet’. The New Alphabet font was adapted by designer Peter Saville for the cover of Joy Division’s album Substance, released by Factory Records in 1988.

An exhibition of celebrating Crouwel’s work, Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey, is at The Design Museum in London from March 30th – July 3rd.

UPDATE: Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey – Catalogue is published by Unit Editions with three different cover photographs to choose from.

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