Studio Brief 2 - Study Task 1

Studio Brief 2 - Individual Practise - The Leeds Library Book Cover
Study Task 1 

Task; 

Begin by researching your given book and read the preface.

Analyse your book, consider the following questions:

Who is the Theorist/Author/Editor/Publisher?

What is the purpose/concept?

What is the context (established school of thought/paradigm)?

What is the classification?

We were each given a random book relating to graphic design, we then had to analyse a range of components to gain a holistic knowledge of the book. My given book was 'Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change' by Victor Papenek. I began by finding my book in the College Library it was surrounded by other design theory books hinting at its content before I had even lifted it from the shelf. 

Who is the Theorist/Author/Editor/Publisher? 

The theorist and author of my book was Victor, Papenek an Austrian Designer, Teacher and Author who lived between 1923-1998. Papenek emigrated to the United States in 1939 following the Anschluss of Austria to Nazi Germany. Educated in America, at MIT he quickly began to make a name for himself within the design world due to being a strong advocate of the socially and ecologically responsible design. 

The publisher of this book is Thames and Hudson, who specialise in publishing books on art, design, architecture and visual culture. They are based in London with global offices around the world including New-York, Hong-Kong and Melbourne. The company has been independent and run by the same founding family since its establishment in 1949.

What is the purpose/concept?

The purpose of this book I feel is to raise awareness of the social implications of design. amazon describe the purpose as a classic study that offers a blueprint for survival in the energy and resource deficient world of today. Since its first publication in 1985 the book has been translated into 23 languages and has become the worlds most widely read book on design. Papenek shows how design can reduce pollution, overcrowding, starvation, obsolescence and other modern ills. He leads us away from 'fetish objects for a wasteful society' towards a new age of morally and environmentally responsible design. His enthusiasm for socially responsive design makes this book a key text for understanding his philosophical approaches to social and ecological considerations with design. 

What is the context (established school of thought/paradigm)?

I feel the context of this book is to engage people by educating and informing them of the social and ecological effects of design and how we can reduce this. I think Papenek conforms to modernist design principles as he feels design should be beautiful, relevant and have a specific purpose in which it performs efficiently without the use of gimmicks and unnecessary components. I feel the target audience for this book is predominantly students due to the tone of voice and educational undertone. He dedicates it to his students 'for what they have fought me' from this I would assume the text is directed more towards post-graduate students as they could be more critically aware of the design world. 

What is the classification?

The book was found in classification 745.4 which is the reference for Design Theory, this allowed me to better understand the context of the book. It was places alongside titles such as Emotionally durable design by Jonathan Chapman and The language of things by Deyan Sudjic which are other celebrated theorists, this hints at an academic context before I have even picked up the book.

Aesthetic

The design of the cover is fairly traditional, the typeface is predominantly sans-serif with the title appearing in a slab serif typeface juxtaposed with a serif 'for the' I feel as if this contrast isn't that successful as it is a book for designers who would notice these design decisions. I feel the colour scheme is fairly bland however this could conform to the style of the book which highlights natural and fairly minimal design. The imagery used is appropriate as the recycle symbol connotes a environmentally conscious author and the use of corrected card works well as this is notably widely recyclable.