Fukasawa fan? Want to review it? In our office this week we're giving away this HUGE book on Naoto Fukasawa. Called the "The first monograph on the imaginative Japanese product designer," and edited by Naoto Fukasawa with essays by Antony Gormley, Jasper Morrison and others, this is a beautiful book which charts his success within the IDEO design firm in the USA, at MUJI and in his own company, Naoto Fukasawa Design.
However, at 240 pages it is too big for us to review, so we're looking for one eligible reader to do it for us. In exchange, you keep the book.
If you can and would like to test lab/review this book, please comment below telling us why you'd be the best one to do it...
We'll run this post for 24 hours and choose one person during lunchtime tomorrow. We're going to take the most convincing comment and then email you directly so we can send you the book asap (Sorry, we can only choose one of you, but feel free to put your review in the comments when we post it).
After we get you Naoto Fukasawa, we'll expect your short, pithy and eloquent review back in two weeks, and we'll post it with a big thank you.
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Comments (16)
But PLEASE, don't spoil the ending!!! ;)
I will admit to knowing next-to-nothing about Naoto Fukasawa. Hence the need to read up. I'm always drawn to Phaidon titles. Knowing that Naoto Fukasawa worked with IDEO makes my heart go pitter-pat; I've fantasized about working there since I learned about it years ago. If you want to contribute to my further design education and book collection, I'll happily provide a thoughtful review after soaking it all in - with no spoilers!
I have been fascinated by Fukasawa's work since reading about him in Dwell. Being a lover of simplicity and restraint, I would be the perfect candidate to review what looks to be an intriguing work.
And like, Fukasawa who does not impose his agenda on the beautiful objects he creates, I will review the book in kind. My review will be subtle and not overly self-conscious, as is his work.
as i'm not reading the new harry potter book, i have plenty of room in my bag to lug some weighty reading onto my daily commute.
i am also a japanophile, work in the design field and have a master's degree that says "modern art and criticism" so i'm ostensibly qualified for this sort of thing. i'd love to have at it.
I love and devour design books fervently. My preconceptions of Fukasawa are thus: he designs primarily for muji; he is all over metropolis, dwell and other shelter mags lately; I envy his designs.
Finding out more about his background, professional past and future thoughts interest me greatly.
As such, I would love to offer my time to reading and reviewing this exciting text for the at community.
Thank you.
How is a fixed state "simply inconceivable" when discussing design? The answer, and more of Fukasawa's thoughts, if this lover of things-Muji and published reviewer (of arts and small press) is selected. I will even work in a relevant Japanese proverb if I can do so in a pithy manner. Really, I'll do it for the free Phaidon!
Short writing sample (it's about the writing, right?):
Wandering the side streets in Chelsea, I stepped into the Max Protetch gallery and stopped to shrug off my jacket and spend some time looking at Oliver Herring’s multiple-channel stop motion videos. Each monitor displays beautifully choreographed pieces involving simple objects and performers dressed only in phosphorescent paint, backlit by a red flashing light. Shot frame-by-frame – emphasizing the pulses of light and darkness – the videos create sequences where performers may appear to defy gravity, swim underwater, or build intricate structures with their conjoined bodies. The channels are choreographed individually, but balance with each other to the accompanying score, which was sampled and (re)arranged by Herring. This work demonstrates a strong foundation in performance and reveals much of the process involved in its creation. ‘Little dances of Misfortunes’ had such a strong visual impact on me that I regretted leaving the gallery to continue on with my day.
^ Strange... the punctuation marks aren't displaying correctly when italicized (at least on this monitor). Didn't anticipate that. Ah well.
Everytime I was in Japan I would rush to the muji to see what other beautifily deisgned items they've come out with...I even bought the cd player shown on the cover of the book, even tho I can't even use it because of voltage differences. I listen to music on my ipod but still have that hanging just so I can look at it...years later I discovered the designer behind all these stuff I liked had the same name as me...Naoto. It's fate.
Oh, also, I love this site and have been checking it out for a while, but this made me post a comment online for the first time ANYWHERE, just for a chance to see this book. Thanks.
I, too, know nothing about Naoto Fukasawa, but after looking at some of his projects, such as that great donut humidifier, I'm intrigued by the book. I'm a graphic artist, but I love product design, packaging design, architecture, interiors, etc., etc.. I just learned to sew and I'm crazy about making stuff lately and thinking about forms, how something functions. Plus, I think I could learn something about design from him, and share that with the world here. Please at least consider me, I don't know if I'm "pithy" enough, but I am passionate about the subject of design and will give you an honest and interesting review.
Did anyone see that shoe bag he did? Love it!
I love, love, love the Muji CD player and ANYTHING from plus minus zero but I am in Chicago. Will that automatically disqualify me? I'll shell out for the shipping costs!
At the moment I have a quite a bit of time on my hands so I can give you a quick and thorough review/discussion.
If you need a writing sample, I'll be happy to send you a 100 pages on old painted wall signs. Or how about a paper on Japans influences on Modern western architecture and home design?
I want to know where you got the Tintin figurine in the photo! I must get one for my brother as a gift...
Katef - my thoughts exactly! I'll review Tintin if I can keep him instead of the book!
My review of Naoto Fukasawa will be a clearly-written, well-organized essay that will:
1. Analyze the textual content and style
2. Discuss the photography and overall visual quality
3. Present the reasons for reading or buying the book.
Rats. I discovered this too late to enter! I've been a big fan of Naoto's work for years. I'm an Industrial Designer (former member of Apple's internal group) and worked on projects with Naoto AGES ago here in SF, back when he was a designer at IDEO. Naoto is a design master and so sweet, I'm dying to see what design treasures of Naoto's are in this book. I might have to go pick up one for myself.
i'm a proud owner of that book.. great book... where did you get the tin tin figure in the photo??