Design Talks

Observations on design

Exploring the dark, cute and magical world of Yuko Higuchi

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Nargess

‘Magical Colouring Museum’ is a beautifully-illustrated picture book of sorts – cute, dark, surreal, funny, frightening at times. ‘Cats and Other Creatures’ features 24 stand-alone illustrations. Published by Laurence King, together they explore the imaginative world of the celebrated, cult Tokyo artist Yuko Higuchi.

Higuchi is the voice behind the kawaii trend, sketching whimsical illustrations of anthropomorphised characters that fuse cute picture-book style illustrations with dark and surreal elements. In her imaginative universe, cats look like ogres and foxes transform into astronauts. So, I caught up with the artist to see what inspires her wonderfully magical and at times dark world.

Your characters are at once cute and dark. What inspires you?

I can’t pin-point what would be considered cute and what would be dark in my artwork. But, I can tell you that I draw what I love (creatures, etc.) spontaneously.

What attracts you to kawaii?

I am not conscious of creating things that are kawaii. I think that the more intentionally you seek out kawaii, the more intentional your artwork becomes. And in the end, it will just look deliberate or calculated. I don’t have a high opinion on these kinds of kawaii.

Do you base your characters on reality?

Not all of them. I usually just draw as ideas pop into my head, much like how children scribble. Some of my drawings are imaginary characters, and in some cases I base those characters on reality. But, I also add a touch of my imagination to them when I draw.

And the surreal storylines, are these based on real or imaginary events?

I draw from things that pop up in my head. Sometimes an actual event can ignite my storyline, but often my imagination takes over and the story develops as I draw.

What medium do you work in?

I use pens, pencils, hemp paper and watercolours.

Your books can be appreciated by both children and adults. Who do you have in mind when creating?

When I create a book, I don’t have any target age range. Although, honestly, I feel that more adults like my books than children.

Nargess Banks

Min, The New Simplicity in Graphic Design

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Nargess

Graphic design is having a minimalist moment. The new wave can be explained in a number of ways – minimalism offers a moment of respite in this age of volume visual consumption; perhaps it is an expression of our modest social and economic times, the post-bling society. Whatever the reason, it is a welcome trend.

Min sets out to explore the renaissance. Written and art directed by Stuart Tolley of Transmission and published by Thames & Hudson, this insightful book showcases work from around 150 contemporary designers. It also reveals the sheer complexity of this genre of graphic design.

Minimalism requires incredible restraint. Far from being simplistic, it takes a highly skilled creative to produce noteworthy minimalist graphics, and there certainly have been some striking recent examples as displayed on the pages of this book. The selection here are hugely diverse, ranging from independent magazines and album covers to corporate identity, branding and packaging.

Min analyses today’s movement in its wider historical context, tracing the evolution from the 1960s. The book also offers insightful interviews with some of the leading practitioners and proponents of minimalist design, including Jessica Svendsen, Made Thought and Eric Hu.

Min, The New Simplicity in Graphic Design is written by Stuart Tolley, and published by Thames & Hudson.

The Zen Calligraphy of Thich Nhat Hanh

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Nargess

‘In my calligraphy there is ink, tea, breathing, mindfulness, and concentration,’ observes Thich Nhat Hanh. ‘Writing calligraphy is a practice of meditation. I write the words or sentences that can remind people about the practice,’ notes the prolific author, poet, teacher, scholar, peace activist, Buddhist monk and calligrapher. Martin Luther King Jr. called him ‘an apostle of peace and non-violence’ when nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.

Nhat Hanh teaches ‘mindfulness’ – the practice of staying in the present for a healthier mind, body and spirit, a philosophy that is finding much following in the West. In The Way Out is In, he uses the art of calligraphy, of drawing and illustration to distil ancient Buddhist teachings into simple phrases written in a way that will resonate with modern life. This is art, design and philosophy under one cover.

It is also a wonderfully tactile compact book. It presents a collection of some of Nhat Hanh’s most poignant calligraphies printed on Asian rice paper with black ink-brushed lettering and stamped red seals. Thames & Hudson has gathered 60 unique works that together offer an uplifting read; beneath the simplicity of language is a valuable life lesson.

For more than 50 years Nhat Hanh has been a pioneer of what is often referred to as engaged and applied Buddhism – relating the ancient wisdom to more contemporary concerns, including relationships, consumption, politics, peace, communities, and ethics.

Mindfulness teaches us the skills to live happily in the present moment instead of getting lost in the past or obsessing about the future. The theory is that by maintaining our thoughts in the now, by quieting down our minds and focusing our energy in the present, we can be more productive, more creative and ultimately lead happier lives.

This is no easy task given the fast pace of modern life. These short, sweet sentences are therefore meant as a set of tools and the calligraphy is a visual aid to achieving peace of mind.

One calligraphy reads: ‘Breathe and enjoy this wonderful moment’. Nhat Hanh says the word ‘wonderful’ means full of wonders. ‘If you are truly there in the moment, you can recognise so many wonders in that moment.’

Nargess Banks

The Way Out is In, the Zen Calligraphy of Thich Nhat Hanh is published by Thames & Hudson and is available in September 2015.

All rights and labelled images are covered by ©

Book review: People of Print

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Nargess

As our world becomes more and more congested, our eyes busy digesting images, information, products… design increasingly takes centre stage directing our vision and assisting us in our consumption. This includes graphics, type and illustration.

People of Print celebrates innovative, independent design and illustration. The latest book by Thames & Hudson features over 400 artwork by 50 leading practitioners and gallerists selected from around the world who operate in the world of print.

The book pays tribute to the on-line library of the same name, People of Print, founded by Marcroy Smith, one of the authors, in 2008. Here he is presenting some of the work produced and championed by his community – work for corporations, charity, education and cultural institutions. Interviews with academics working in this area, and industry professionals add to an interesting global view on the subject.

Recently I was fortunate enough to work on The Life Negroni. Published by Spinach, it is an intriguing book that straddles the world of cocktails and mixology, of art and design, of liquid history.

It was fascinating to witness how the art team took my words, waved their magic wand to transform a few humble letters that coalesce in words into a sumptuous 300-plus printed book. Through thought-provoking type, juxtaposition of images and an eye for detail they transformed words into a visual narrative, a delicious journey.

People of Print is written by Marcroy Smith and Andy Cook and published by Thames & Hudson.

Nargess Banks

Archibet, from Aalto to Zaha Hadid

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Nargess

A charming little book arrived here this week. Archibet is the work of the Italian architect and graphic designer Federico Babina who has set about creating an alphabet book inspired by some of the world’s most talented architects.

Designed as postcards, each of the 26 pages is dedicated to an alphabet and a corresponding creative from Alvar Aalto to Zaha Hadid. Admittedly, even though the British architect is often referred to by her first name, we did feel putting Hadid in Z is a little bit of a cheat.

Nonetheless, Babina has created a wonderful illustrative book that pays tribute to the distinct architectural style of each of the featured practitioner – all in his unique fashion.

Babina sees a close relationship between architecture, graphic design and illustration. The architect needs to express his or her vision through drawings, and the more provocative they are, the more expressive, it helps give shape and life to a project.

He explains, ‘sometimes I am an architect with a passion for illustration and others I’m an illustrator in love with architecture.’

Archibet is published by Laurence King.

For more reviews on books on design and art visit the Design Talks Book Club.