Special Feature: The books and magazines of Takashi Kono / Text by Naomichi Kawahata / Recollection of Takashi Kono [Japanese Only] Masayoshi Nakajo, Gan Hosoya, Hannmo Sugiura, Michiaki Matsuyama / Kazunari Hattori “Shikaku Dentatsu (Visual Communication)”/ Special Feature: The Work of Vier5 / Forms of Inquiry – The Architecture of Critical Graphic DesignCover Design: Kazunari Hattori

Kazunari Hattori “Shikaku Dentatsu (Visual Communication)”
Design by Kazunari HattoriKazunari Hattori’s new exhibition specially rebuilt on IDEA.

Special Feature: The books and magazines of Takashi Kono
“This special issue introduces the book and magazine design of Kono Takashi (1906-1999), a leading force in graphic design in Japan for more than half a century, beginning in the 1930s. But Kono hardly limited his talents to book design. Rather, he is known for the breadth of his career, which included the art direction for Ozu Yasujiro’s I Was Born, But…(1932), and the exhibition design for the Japanese pavilion at the Osaka Expo in 1970. In fact, compared to his work in other genres, Kono’s book and magazine designs have really been given short shrift. So why introduce them now? The short answer is that they express his interest in modernity and locality.” [from Introduction]

Special Feature: The Work of Vier5
Design by Vier5
“The work of Vier5 is based on a classical notion of design. Design as the possibility of drafting and creating new, forward-looking images in the field of visual communication. A further focus of our work lies on designing and applying new, up-to-date fonts.” (from Vier5’s statement)This special feature presents Vier5’s recent design works, including a series of posters for CAC, guiding system for documenta, movies, FT magazine, and others. An Interview with Vier5: “In Search of Something New”

Forms of Inquiry
The Architecture of Critical Graphic DesignIn October, 2007, the Architectural Association in London held an exhibition “Forms of Inquiry” that presents architecture as seen through the practice of graphic design. In this article, we introduce the series of A0 posters by 19 designers of this exhibition, and try to find the new modes of production of critical graphic design.-Forms of InquiryThe Architecture of Critical Graphic DesignCurated by Zak KyesPublication co-edited by Zak Kyes & Mark OwensExhibition Contributors:Åbäke, Julia Born, deValence, Dexter Sinister, Paul Elliman, Experimental Jetset, James Goggin, Will Holder, Jurg Lehni, Karel Martens & David Bennewith, Metahaven, Mevis en van Deursen, John Morgan, Radim Pesko, Manuel Raeder, Jon Sueda, Alex DeArmond, Emmet Byrne, Michael Worthington, Hudson-Powell, Project Projects.8 October to 31 October 2007Architectural Association, School of ArchitectureLondon, UK-17 January to 17 February 2008Casco: Office for Art, Design and Theory Utrecht, The Netherlandshttp://www.formsofinquiry.com/