Introduction
Hand printed and bound book designed to analyze five ‘objects of desire’ with applied narratives based on personal memories and research while defining what futurism and retrofuturism mean within design.

I worked with guidance under Willem Henri Lucas, a graphic designer and faculty from UCLA to research and refine the design in a 10-week schedule. Further prototyping through variety of printers has been completed at UCLA’s print lab facility.


My Role: Design Lead

People Involved: Dong Hye Kim

Timeframe: 10 Weeks



Skills:
Narrative
Typography
Editorial Design
Research
CMF
Prototyping
Printing

Tools:
Adobe Photoshop (Image editing)
Adobe Illustrator (Layout)
Adobe InDesign (Editorial)
RISO (Printing)
OKI (Printing)
DSLR (Photography)









Idea
Over 150 years of technological history are depicted along the forseen future -- with flying cars, silverized steel flying machineries, and the concept of planet colonization, this timeline is represented through five examples of objects found throughout California, the center of technological advancements. The collection of five objects are all found objects purchased through Craigslist from different locations and sellers within California. They are all components, meaning that they function as a ‘part’ of something to function as a whole. Objects were purchased merely through my interest in their appearance: color, shape, cost, material, and most importantly, concept. This book analyzes each aspect of five objects to support the narrative behind the theme of futurism.






A

How did we define the future?








M
Inspiration
In the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, an imposing black structure referred to as a ‘monolith’ provides a connection between the past and the future. The five objects chosen for this project are all components that play a role to make a machine function as a whole. These objects can also be seen as a vision from the past of what the future might have looked like. Each of these objects were, at one point, a breakthrough on its own category by increasing the efficiency of mankind with the use of tools. Much like the monolith from the movie, these objects from the past symbolize space and time by providing a connection between the past and the future.








Execution and Format
Printed and bound on paper soured from French Paper Company in Niles, Michigan. White toner printed with OKI and red glowing spine screened with a RISO machine.