Looking at the status quo of book design from "the most beautiful" book

Expert introduction: Zhou Chen: Book dress designer (now working at Jiangsu Education Press); Liao Jielian: Hong Kong book designer ("2007 the world's most beautiful book" judge, associate professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design)

Zhou Chen: So far, there have been six "China's most beautiful books" selection activities. Since 2004, there have been five batches of 107 "China's most beautiful books" in Leipzig, Germany, of which six books have won the "World The most beautiful book" title. "China's most beautiful book" has become a platform and bridge for Chinese books to go abroad and go to the world. For example, the “Mei Lanfang Tibetan Opera Historical Pictures Collection” won the first “Best Book of the World” gold medal, which was persuasive in terms of subject matter, design, and printing process, and represented a high level of Chinese book design and production. The book conveys Chinese culture to the international community both in content and in form. "The most beautiful book in the world" has attracted attention because of its "beautiful" word. Did you come to Germany to serve as an international judge for this selection and talk about the selection activities? Is the judging standard of this event representative of the latest concepts and trends recognized by the international book design community today?

Liao Jielian: I have been invited to participate in the selection of book binding designs in different countries and regions, such as Germany, Japan, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The feeling of being a judge in Germany is particularly profound. The judging panel is composed of judges from different countries. Although there are differences in culture, the aesthetic standards for book design are very close. Of course, the appreciation will be different. In the German selection process, after the first round of voting, each judge of the judging panel has the opportunity to express their professional opinions and communicate with each other. This allows everyone to fully understand each piece selected from different countries and then conduct the second round. vote. So far, I have not had such experience elsewhere. Personally, I think this can be an exchange activity between different cultures. It cannot produce any new ideas or trends because many books that lead the fashion design and create design concepts do not participate in the competition. Therefore, this kind of activity can not be completely understood. Representing international standards, but it can reflect some of the phenomenon of book design, to draw closer to each other's understanding and understanding of book design in different cultural contexts, and to a certain extent promote the development of book design in a certain direction.

Zhou Chen: China once had a stage in which award-winning books were mostly large albums with large volumes and exquisite packaging. However, such books were rarely favored by judges in the selection of “the most beautiful books in the world”, such as “Splendid Articles. Such a large album will still accept such beautifully framed and well-made books in the traditional Chinese aesthetic. In general, some award-winning books are still controversial among readers. I think this controversy stems from the lack of readers’ understanding of the aesthetic standards and standards of the awards, or the existence of a relationship between these standards and the traditional aesthetic perception of Chinese readers. Difference, what do you think?

Liao Jielian: Whatever the reason, I think the controversy among Chinese readers is obviously related to the traditional aesthetic perception of Chinese readers. The pursuit of Chinese book beauty is based on the characteristics of materials. This can be understood when looking back at the history of China. The combination of "concept" and book design theory has only just begun and it is still in a period of time when designers and readers run through.

Zhou Chen: The selection of so many "China's most beautiful books" has objectively promoted the improvement of the level of Chinese book design and made progress in both design concepts and printing processes. China is a country with a long book history and rich book culture. However, in the context of such an international review, how does the national book form and cultural rhyme be displayed and expressed? How should the aesthetic pursuit of the nation be promoted and exchanged?

Liao Jielian: "How to show and express" and "How to get promoted and communicated" There is no need to worry about this. The wholeness (cosmopolitanism) is moving in this direction. Every nation is reflecting on its own position and establishing another new phenomenon. Therefore, it is more important to adopt an "open attitude" that will guide these two "hows."

Zhou Chen: Font design is an important part of book design. In the graphic design of Hong Kong, the technique of Chinese font redesign is used prominently. You have been focusing on the design of Chinese fonts for many years and have accumulated a lot of experience. Can you talk about your feelings?

Liao Jielian: I don't know how to share this with you. The technique of Chinese font design reflects to some extent the situation in Hong Kong's design community. In a nutshell, the aesthetic taste of Hong Kong characters may be influenced by the English fonts; the second is the use of image methods to deal with them, which can be particularly effective. The common phenomenon is that many people understand Chinese characters and calligraphy. They do not understand Chinese font design, let alone Chinese font design theory. In this regard, designers and teachers need to work harder.

Zhou Chen: Hong Kong has always been a very active area for Chinese graphic design. Chinese and Western cultures have blended and entered the international environment at a relatively early date. What is the current state of book design in Hong Kong? Is there any experience for the Mainland?

Liao Jielian: I have a different view, that is, Hong Kong book design should learn from mainland book design. For example, in Hong Kong, apart from Hong Kong, many designers can focus on book design. In Hong Kong, no designer can rely on book design to survive. I always think that the culture of every place has its ever-changing forms of expression. It is inevitable that there is no need to force. In the end, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to talk a little about the idea.

Zhou Chen: Wherever you are, your experience has given me a lot of inspiration. At the same time, it has provided us with a new perspective on the status quo of contemporary book design.