Designing Design

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Kenya Hara

Lars Müller Publishers, Baden, Switzerland, 2011 (3rd edition), 2008, 2007, English and German

Nonfiction, Product/Industrial Design

6 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, hardcover, 472 pages, 389 illustrations

ISBN: 9783037781050

Suggested Retail Price: $70.00

From the Publisher. Representing a new generation of designers in Japan, Kenya Hara (b. 1958) pays tribute to his mentors, using long overlooked Japanese icons and images in much of his work. In Designing Design, he impresses upon the reader the importance of emptiness in both the visual and philosophical traditions of Japan, and its application to design, made visible by means of numerous examples from his own work: Hara for instance designed the opening and closing ceremony programs for the Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998. In 2001, he enrolled as a board member for the Japanese label MUJI and has considerably molded the identity of this successful corporation as communication and design advisor ever since. Kenya Hara, alongside Naoto Fukasawa as one of the leading design personalities in Japan, has also called attention to himself with exhibitions such as “Re-Design: The Daily Products of the 21st Century of 2000.”

On 3 book lists

Akiko Fukai

On Akiko Fukai’s Book List

Theory of design that, although by a graphic designer, speaks to the the essentials of all design.

Massimo Pitis

On Massimo Pitis’s Book List

If I had to write a shortlist of five of the best graphic designers ever I would probably put Kenya Hara among them. This book is an extensive presentation of his best work over the years. It witnesses the ability to play with tradition and creativity with eyes open to the requirements of the market and the light touch of a deep cultural and ethical sensibility.

Adam Tihany

On Adam Tihany’s Book List

What goes on inside the head of a minimalist.

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