Silver Print and Published Media Design · 2021
Craft as Time Capsule Book
by Hsiao-Wen Hu
- A' Design Award 2021 Silver Winner in Print and Published Media Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Pratt Institute
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 35,324
- Verification code D1A26F6E62 · Verify this award
About Craft as Time Capsule Book
This project is the final documentation of Hsiao-Wen's thesis research on craft making as a preservation methodology in the current digital age. The book consists of three parts, examining the transition between the physical and virtual, material and data, user engagement and experience from the perspective of craft making and preservation. As the world transitioned from physical activities to virtual interactions, new needs and forms of engagement with our surroundings were prompted. Such change not only exhibits via the object and the technology, but also the whole culture at large.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This project is a documentation of Hsiao-Wen's thesis research on craft making as a preservation methodology in the current digital age. The book consists of three parts, examining the intertranslation between the physical and the digital from the perspectives of crafts. The typographic choices in this book are a combination of Serif, Sans Serif, and Script typefaces, symbolic of the longevity of crafts and human’s use of technology.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The dimension of the book is in US letter size: 216 mm x 279 mm.
- Tags
- design research, book design, editorial design, graphic design, typography, print, craft, technology, archive, postdigital, preservation
- Production Technology
- The book was intended to be printed on newsprint papers and have debossing on the cover. Unfortunately, the plan was postponed due to the pandemic.
- Project Duration
- This research started in 2019 and was finalized in May 2020. The book was designed after the completion of the research, from June to August 2020.
- Research
- This research aims to look at the transition between the physical and virtual, material and data, user engagement and experience from the perspective of craft making and preservation. Craft has always been a reflection of culture and identity. As our lives transitioned from physical activities to virtual interactions, new needs and forms of engagement with our surroundings were prompted. And such change not only exhibits via the object and the technology, but also the whole culture at large.
As craft and preservation being the two main cores of this research, it is important to explore different ways to archive the research process. In addition to this book, the designer had also built a website to document the research in another format. It is also interesting to compare the same content on two different mediums. - Inspiration
- This book can be seen as an archive that not only documents the designer's research in writing but also organizes several other design projects, experiments, and references in a clear structure that supports the main thesis. The grid and the rigid layout of the book are inspired by letterpress, which plays a key role in my research on technology and web interface design.
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The process of producing the book itself embodies the translation between physical and digital realms. The structure and layout are guided by a grid system, which is fundamental to both digital interfaces and traditional print design. Throughout the book, the grid is subtly revealed through pin lines that expose the underlying structure, while the analogue qualities are expressed through scanned imagery, handwritten script, and the tactile materiality of the paper.That said, I intentionally avoided emphasizing either the physical or the digital as the dominant perspective. The focus of the project is not the contrast between the two, but rather how artifacts—regardless of their medium—become living records of time, culture, and human activity. I wanted the design to remain neutral enough to reflect that ongoing process of preservation rather than favor one methodology over another.
The typographic combination reflects the evolution of communication technologies. Historically, each typeface emerged in response to changing functional needs and improvements in printing and reproduction. Over time, however, these typefaces also accumulated cultural associations that extend beyond their original purposes.I wanted to embrace both aspects. The typography serves as a subtle timeline of technological development while also acknowledging the meanings we have collectively attached to different visual languages. In that sense, typography itself becomes a preserved artifact—carrying both practical and cultural information—which aligns closely with the book's broader exploration of preservation.
The pandemic fundamentally changed how we interacted with both physical and digital environments. As much of our daily lives shifted online, we began relying on digital spaces not only for communication but also for connection, memory, and community. It made me think more deeply about how digital interactions themselves could become meaningful artifacts worth preserving.At the same time, the physical objects that emerged during that period naturally became historical records of an unprecedented moment. Face masks, "6 feet apart" signage, vaccination cards, and other everyday objects all became tangible evidence of a shared global experience.The pandemic highlighted both the limitations of physical spaces and the adaptability of digital platforms. More importantly, it revealed that preservation no longer belongs exclusively to either realm. That realization ultimately led me to document the research through both print and digital formats, allowing each medium to contribute something unique to the narrative.
One of the most interesting discoveries during my research was how many of the structural principles of digital interfaces can be traced back to traditional printing methods. In letterpress printing, compositions are built from individual pieces of movable type, spacing blocks, and a rigid grid that organizes every element on the page. Similarly, digital interfaces are constructed from pixels, grids, modules, and coded systems that determine how information is displayed.Although the technologies are vastly different, they share a common logic: both rely on small, repeatable units that collectively form a larger visual system. The pixel, in many ways, resembles the modular nature of letterpress type and spacing blocks.By adopting a structured grid and disciplined layout, I wanted the book to reveal this historical continuity. Rather than presenting print and digital media as opposing forces, the design suggests that contemporary interface design has inherited many of its foundational principles from traditional printing. The grid becomes a visual language that connects centuries of technological development and reinforces the idea that innovation often evolves from existing systems rather than replacing them.
The website offered opportunities for a much more dynamic form of storytelling. Unlike a printed book, where the reading sequence is largely predetermined, a website allows readers to navigate through hyperlinks, creating multiple pathways through the content. It also supports additional media such as video, audio, and animation, allowing different forms of information to coexist. Because of this flexibility, every design decision becomes more intentional, as the narrative is no longer controlled by a single linear sequence.One challenge I found particularly interesting was how chapters function differently across the two formats. In a book, chapters naturally create rhythm and moments of pause. They help readers understand the structure of the content. On the web, however, the continuous vertical scroll creates a fundamentally different reading experience. Introducing clearly defined chapters felt overly editorial and interrupted the natural flow of the interface. Instead, the content benefited from transitioning more fluidly between topics, allowing hierarchy and pacing to emerge through layout and interaction rather than formal chapter divisions.
I wanted the publication to feel accessible—as if it could exist alongside manuals, research papers, or personal records that naturally accumulate over time. This reinforces the project's central idea that preservation is often embedded in everyday practices rather than confined to museums or institutions.
My research began by questioning what craftsmanship means today. Because digital technology is now integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives, the traditional definition of craft is no longer sufficient. Establishing a contemporary understanding of craftsmanship became the foundation for the entire project.From there, I focused on the information embedded within crafted projects and processes. Rather than looking only at the finished artifact, I examined what kinds of data were being preserved, how they were preserved, and what they revealed about the people, technologies, and societies that produced them.Approaching the research through these questions allowed me to view craft as more than a method of making. It became a framework for understanding broader cultural shifts—how technologies evolve, how behaviors change, and how values are reflected through materials and processes. By studying the relationships between artifacts, mediums, and their social contexts, I was able to capture patterns of engagement that extend far beyond the projects themselves.
Those material choices were intended to reinforce the book's argument through the physical reading experience. Newsprint has a unique place in the history of mass communication and documentation. It is inexpensive, widely distributed, and inherently ephemeral. Yet despite its impermanence, newspapers have historically served as some of our most important cultural archives.Debossing, on the other hand, introduces a different notion of preservation. Rather than adding ink to the surface, it permanently reshapes the paper itself. The information becomes embedded within the material through physical pressure, leaving a tactile impression that can be felt as much as seen.Together, these material decisions would have echoed the book's broader exploration of preservation across physical and digital contexts. Just as digital information is encoded through invisible systems of data, analogue materials preserve information through texture, wear, and physical transformation. Although they operate differently, both methods leave traces of human activity over time. I wanted readers to experience preservation not only intellectually through the content but also physically through the materials themselves.
The three-part structure follows the evolution of craftsmanship itself. It begins with a more traditional understanding of craft rooted in physical making, then explores how that definition has expanded alongside digital technologies, and finally examines how contemporary artifacts are documented, stored, and preserved.I wanted the progression to feel natural, allowing readers to gradually build an understanding of the topic rather than presenting physical and digital preservation as separate discussions. By the end of the book, the relationship between the two becomes less about contrast and more about continuity—showing how preservation has continually evolved alongside technological change.
One of the strongest insights from the project is that making has become increasingly cross-disciplinary. Digital technologies and analogue techniques no longer exist independently—they constantly inform, translate, and reshape one another.What fascinated me most was that this process of translation is itself a valuable form of documentation. The sequence of making, the choice of materials, the technologies involved, and the way information is transformed between mediums all reveal something about the cultural and technological context in which they were created.Moving forward, I believe craft documentation will become increasingly multi-layered. Rather than relying on a single artifact or medium, preservation will involve interconnected physical objects, digital records, processes, and interactions. Together, these layers provide a richer and more complete understanding of not only what was made, but also why it was made and what it reveals about the society that produced it.