Book design, printing in 2020
Printing method: inkjet printing, special thread binding
Material: Japanese Newsprint
In China, knives have always been a sensitive topic for the public. It is regarded as an unstable factor of social violence. Therefore, it is being restricted by various laws and regulations, as well as censorship and supervision of public opinion. However, the knife lovers who appreciate the craftsmanship of cutting tools are forced to communicate underground all the time. Can we just attribute the endless violence simply to this reason? The neglect of the root causes of violence makes the public only rely on high-pressure control to achieve social stability. This is obviously another kind of rough oppression, and it also directly promotes people’s opposition to control. Based on this, I try to separate knives from violence in the project, trying to appeal to the public to have a more in-depth and direct reflection on the root causes of violence.
Based on the framework of brand design, this project aims to create a commemorative tool experience through images and sounds. This is not only to find a new communication channel for Chinese knife collectors, but also my personal thinking on violence based on the current high incidence of youth violence.
Logo
“Witness, the crime scene which aims to objectively restore the process of knife lovers playing with their knives.”
Products
My work features books, wearable devices, and cassette tape that records the scene after users playing with knives. My work tries to create a personalized, individual, open and mobile experience through five levels of images, structure, ways to wear, touch, and sound.
Tape
The tape records the sound of user touching the knife and the knife hitting other things. When the recording is being played, sound is defined in terms of space.
Zine
The book, as the carrier of images, replaced the knife and serve as the object that the users can play with. The images in the book come from the scenes resulted by the knives controlled by the users. The cameras and microscopes document the wounds caused by the knives. I remove the colors of the images and make them camouflage which is unique to my brand.
In this book, there are 30 different targets that have been destroyed by different knives. These knives and targets come from 30 different knife lovers.
On the cover of the book, the text expands on the basis of maintaining the original recognition and is squeezed by the boundary. The two forces maintain temporary calm under the control of rationality.
Scabbard
The book scabbard is made of long-lasting nylon material, with strong buckles made of plastic steel. Its structure features easy opening that the book can easily be pulled out and pushed In. Unnecessary actions are removed from users’ experience, which is In this way enhanced.
Paper
I selected unsymmetrical material for the book paper, to restore the two stages of for the knife being forged and polished.
In the book, contents are modularized by grouping. Even if users closer their eyes, they can still easily find what they want to see.
This is a tribute to the precise, all-weather, high-performance design concept of the knives.
Some zine pages available for display
Under the Microscope
Under the microscope, the "wounds" destroyed by the knife are clearly visible on the different materials. These are not the only things that cannot be eliminated, but also those that have been hurt.
