Freeman Lau
Freeman Lau’s Book List
When I was growing up in Hong Kong, books played a vital role in providing a glimpse of what life was like in mainland China. Back then, China was still a closed country and we had no photographs or visual reference points as to what life was like there. History books, for example, were composed of monotonous prose, which made history classes extremely boring. It was through publications like the Wuxia novels (traditional Chinese fiction centered on the martial arts) that we imagined the mountains of China, the scenery, and how people dwelled there. It was immensely fascinating for us.
Later on, I started to understand and appreciate design as a tool for learning. This is how and why I became a designer: the Wuxia novels raised an initial curiosity about Chinese culture, and design is a bridge between culture and creativity—an idea that has influenced me ever since.
I have recently developed an interest in Chinese tea and bamboo culture, which I am learning more about through locally sourced (Chinese and Taiwanese) books. The knowledge gathered from these books will be used to inform my upcoming design projects. Design and books for me, therefore, are intertwined entities.
劉小康的書單
我從小在香港長大，書是我了解中國內地生活的重要途徑。那時中國還未開放，沒有任何圖片或影像可供參考。比如歷史書，充斥着單調的文字敘述，歷史課因此十分枯燥無味。是各種出版物，比如武俠小說，打開了我們的想象，讓我們看到了中國的山水風景，以及人們的生活日常。大家都深深沈迷其中。
後來，我逐漸開始了解設計，欣賞設計，並將其作為學習工具。這就是我成為設計師的原因：武俠小說喚醒了我對中國文化的好奇，而設計是連接文化與創意的橋梁－它自此以後一直深深影響着我。
我最近對中國的茶和竹文化很有興趣，看了很多相關書籍，學到不少。這些領悟都將反映在我未來的設計項目中。設計和書對我來說，相輔相成，密不可分。
Chinese translation by Lynn Zhang.
Nonfiction, Graphic Design
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Chinese calligraphy is a national treasure but, for Chinese designers, it is also a basic graphic design element. The Beauty of Chinese Calligraphy: Dancing Cursive (not available in English; the title is translated from Chinese) provides a detailed explanation of the evolution of Chinese characters, which hold a history of more than 5,000 years; relating progress and development to China’s turbulent history and, consequently, introducing the reader to different calligraphic styles. The book ultimately equips local designers with the knowledge required to interpret and reinterpret calligraphy-based typography.
漢字書法之美—舞動行草
蔣勳
中國歷史源遠流長，漢字的歷史也可追塑至五千多年前。書中細訴漢字在這幾千年多的轉變，並配以晝法字作說明，內容豐富但淺白，適合作為入門閱讀小品。書法是中國國粹，對中國設計師而言，是最基本設計元素之一，這書本除了可以認識各種字體、還可了解當中歷史及演變因由，有助設計師正確演譯書法文字。
This book (not available in English; the title is translated from Chinese) decodes ancient Chinese poems via engaging language and intriguing back stories, inviting readers to open up to and appreciate the essence of Chinese culture. The quotations highlighted in this publication, which include seven-character poems and Chinese couplets, introduce to the reader both an elegant and refined Chinese literary scene and examples of witty language use. Essential reading for future generations of Chinese youth wishing to learn more about their roots.
漢字的魅力
滄浪
書中引用中國詩詞歌賦作例，並以生動有趣方法予以講解，讓讀者了解詩詞背後有趣的故事，多加對中國文化認識，甚有裨益。文中引用眾多詩句、七言詩、對聯，有展示漢字優雅意境，也有展示漢字機智精妙的用法。
Ikko Tanaka is a Japanese design legend who built a complete design culture and kingdom. His simple yet beautiful designs became a great (aesthetic) influence to future generations of Japanese and international designers alike, while his ultimate masterpiece, the Muji brand, plays a significant role in both local and global markets. This book (not available in English; the title is translated from Chinese and the original was published in Japanese) is a collection of Tanaka’s thoughts and stories on design from which readers will find the most original and masterful insights.
與設計向前行
田中一光是日本設計界的神話，他的設計建立了一個完整的王國。田中一光的設計有著簡潔的美感，受他的影響，其後的日本設計、以至世界其他地方也有這種特色。「無印良品」是田中一光的神來之筆，至今仍在日本穩佔一席位，並向世界各地繼續推廣。這書正是田中一光詳述自己設計歷程及看法，讀者可從中窺見大師的獨突見解。
Announcements
Now is Better by Stefan Sagmeister
Now is Better
By Stefan Sagmeister
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: October 2023
Combining art, design, history, and quantitative analysis, transforms data sets into stunning artworks that underscore his positive view of human progress, inspiring us to think about the future with much-needed hope.
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future by Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future
By Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: May 2022
Rawsthorn and Antonelli tell the stories of the remarkable designers, architects, engineers, artists, scientists, and activists who are at the forefront of positive change worldwide. Focusing on four themes—Technology, Society, Communication, and Ecology—the authors present a unique portrait of how our great creative minds are developing new design solutions to the major challenges of our time, while helping us to benefit from advances in science and technology.
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Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World’s Most Creative People by Debbie Millman
Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World's Most Creative People
By Debbie Millman
Publisher: Harper Design
Published: February 22, 2022
Debbie Millman—author, educator, brand consultant, and host of the widely successful and award-winning podcast “Design Matters”—showcases dozens of her most exciting interviews, bringing together insights and reflections from today’s leading creative minds from across diverse fields.
Milton Glaser: POP by Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Milton Glaser: POP
By Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: March 2023
This collection of work from graphci design legend Milton Glaser’s Pop period features hundreds of examples of the designer’s work that have not been seen since their original publication, demonstrating the graphic revolution that transformed design and popular culture.
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Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange
Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall
By Alexandra Lange
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: June 2022
Chronicles postwar architects’ and merchants’ invention of the shopping mall, revealing how the design of these marketplaces played an integral role in their cultural ascent. Publishers Weekly writes, “Contending that malls answer ‘the basic human need’ of bringing people together, influential design critic Lange advocates for retrofitting abandoned shopping centers into college campuses, senior housing, and ‘ethnocentric marketplaces’ catering to immigrant communities. Lucid and well researched, this is an insightful study of an overlooked and undervalued architectural form.”
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition) by Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition)
By Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Publisher: Letterform Archives Books
Published: October 2023
This facsimile edition of Die Fläche, recreates every page of the formative design periodical in full color and at original size, accompanied by essays that contextualize the work, highlighting contributions by pathbreaking women, innovative lettering artists, and key practitioners of the new “surface art,” including Rudolf von Larisch, Alfred Roller, and Wiener Werkstätte founders Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann.
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