What is the most important thing when you read a book? Is it the content? Or is it the message that is left behind? A unique answer could be found in this exhibition.
The design workshop ‘Make Your Own Zine’ was held last Saturday (2nd Nov) at Open Page: The Art of The Creative Process, an exhibition launched in Wan Chai. Participants were encouraged to make their own zines to express their creativity and thoughts. They could select the content, the layout design, and even the binding, freely in the creation of their own zines.
“Design is beyond just for commercial purpose. It’s more about art.”
– Benny Au, a graphic designer in Hong Kong
Benny Au, a renowned Hong Kong graphic designer, is the instructor of the workshop. “Zine is a personal and small booklet to express one’s idea. It can be with words or graphic,” said Au. He also brought along his own publications, and shared his ideas and stories behind the designs with the participants.
“Why does a cover have to be hard and thick? Why does the content have to be thinner than the cover? The most important message I would like to deliver today is to break your limitations,” Au explained, “Especially in the design industry, it is not interesting to just repeat what have been done.” The boundaries that we set for ourselves are often breakable and we should not just blindly obey.
Participants were required to produce their own zines on the topic of “life”. There was an additional rule in the making: words were not recommended to be used. Au wanted the participants to abandon the idea of words being an essential element in a book. He hoped that people would focus more on the design and develop a deeper curiosity for ‘life’, and try to uncover what that word means to them.
“There must be a rationale or idea for all designs, more than just being good-looking”
– Benny Au, a graphic designer in Hong Kong
Large variety of materials, from colorful paper to tapes of different textures, were prepared to help create the zines. Participants designed the layout, gathered materials, and bound the pages together, to complete their very own zines. A sharing was done to let the participants share the idea behind their designs before rounding up the event.
“I’m glad to see the brilliant designs of yours. It’d be great if you make your zine again 5 or 10 years later. You’ll find it like a record of your life,” Au concluded at the end of the workshop.
The workshop is just part of the exhibition, Open Page: The Art of The Creative Process held by Design Spectrum. There are hundreds of books and magazines, and dozens of projects related to reading space, products and typography on display. Other activities, such as guided tours and workshops, would be held from time to time. Further details can be found on Design Spectrum.
OPEN PAGE: THE ART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS
11.10.2019 – 17.11.2019
Wan Chai, 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai, HK
MON – THU 10am – 7pm
FRI – SUN 10am – 8pm
FREE ADMISSION