Athenaeum Bookstore, WDCD’s partner in books and magazines, has opened a dedicated page in its webstore with a selection of titles relevant for all the followers of WDCD. Every now and then Athenaeum’s Reny van der Kamp highlights a few new and noteworthy titles here.
The Politics of Design (by Victor Papanek, T&H Distr., 2018, €77,95).
A new book about the work of the founding father of responsible and sustainable design, author of ‘Design For The Real World’ (1971). The book presents an encompassing overview of Papanek’s oeuvre, at the heart of which stood his preoccupation with the socially marginalized and his commitment to the interests of the Third World, as well as his involvement in the fields of ecology, bionics, sustainability and anti-consumerism.
Reny: ‘This book accompanies an exhibition in the Vitra Museum and documents countless photographs, artistic works and designs, objects, drawings, letters, and other materials, some of which are published here for the first time.’
Sagmeister & Walsh: Beauty (Phaidon Press Ltd, 2018, €35,00).
In this book acclaimed designers Sagmeister & Walsh explore the essence of beauty and the transformative power of beautiful design.
Reny: ‘Books by Sagmeister make you feel extra curious not only about the content of the book but also, maybe even more, about the design of the book. And again, it hits you. With high gloss paper, drawings, photographs and graphics, the book not only explores the importance of beauty, it radiates beauty from the moment you remove it from the slip cover. In this ground-breaking highly visual book, Sagmeister & Walsh show us how beauty can improve the world.’
Music Thinking Jam Cards – an innovative approach to create meaningful collaborations (by Christof Zürn, Bis Publishers, 2018, €29,90).
The Jam Cards consist of 38 inspiration cards and six cue cards. All inspiration cards have a keyword, a visual and a sonic trigger, a trigger question, an inspirational quote, and six cues that connect with the Music Thinking Framework.
Reny: ‘A box full of cards for change makers, innovators, pattern recognisers, transformers and natural collaborators. Music as a universal principle has the power to connect everyone. The variety of cultures, systems, styles, instruments, emotions, and their underlying patterns and structures can be applied and used for business, society, and individuals. Music Thinking is the quest for the ultimate remix of empathy & strategy, plan & performance, thoughtfulness & playfulness, inspiration & transpiration, business & the arts.’
Designing With – in Public Organizations (by André Schaminee, BIS Publishers, 2018, €34,00).
Design practices increasingly appeal to public organizations as a new and promising approach, but how can we make collaboration between designers and public sector innovators successful?Why Materials Matter- responsible design for a better world
Reny: ‘Schaminee knows everything about the wicked problems the public sector often faces. This book is an asset to build bridges between public sector innovators and designers. With the help of a methodological approach and a number of insightful examples, quotes and graphic explanations this book illustrates how the practice of designers and public organizations, both on the work floor and in the boardroom, can be connected.’
Why Materials Matter- responsible design for a better world (by Seetal Solanki, Prestel, 2018, €55,95).
A visually stunning investigation of natural and man-made materials that will change the way you look at the world around you, while offering hope for the future of our planet.
Reny: ‘Through the lens of intriguing projects by designers, artists, makers, and scientists, this book presents a colourful panoply of ideas, technologies, and creative efforts that focus on the earth’s most basic elements, while also showing how these elements can be transformed into entirely new materials. It explores, for example, how ancient practices such as dyeing fabric and making glue may hold the secret to renewable and earth-friendly consumer products, as well as how recycling plastics can tackle food waste.’
Kinfolk – The Eye (by Nathan Williams, Artisan, 2018, €48,99).
Nathan Williams, founder of Kinfolk magazine, brings over 90 of the world’s leading creative directors into the spotlight.
Reny: ‘We meet fashion designers like Thom Browne and Yohji Yamamoto, editorial directors including Fabien Baron and Marie-Amélie Sauvé, and tastemakers like Grace Coddington and Linda Rodin. We learn about the books they read, the mentors who guided them, and their individual techniques for achieving success. And we discover how they developed their “eye”—and how they use it to communicate visual ideas that have captured generations, and continue to shape the future.’
All books and many more are available through the webshop of Athenaeum Bookshop