‘The Poetic' as visual rhetoric in book design

• Main Author: Chong, Yee Cher
• Other Authors: Wang I-Hsuan Cindy
• Format: Thesis-Master by Research
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Visual arts and music::Design
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/153423
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This dissertation aims to examine poetic expressions in design artefacts as a phenomenon that exists in contemporary design. The objectives for this research are shaped by a perceived lack of analysis into what constitutes poetic-ness within the area of contemporary book design. In this research, ‘the Poetic’ is a framing device that serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it expands the adjective poetic by tapping into its evocative effects and transformative qualities. It refers to a category of design artefact that evokes emotional resonance and self-reflexivity. Secondly, ‘the Poetic’ is a proposition drawn from the study of visual rhetoric in design artefacts. It involves analysing, identifying, distilling characteristics of poetic-ness and translating into a working model for design thinking to recreate poetic effects in book design. Could ‘the Poetic’ operate as a form of visual rhetoric and create new perspectives in book design? How might it enable design possibilities and create unique experiences when integrated as visual rhetoric? The study takes the form of visual research, which begins with an investigation on selected book artefacts created by contemporary graphic designers like Irma Boom, Richard Nieesen and Xiaoxiang Liu. The case studies identified design strategies adopted and elucidate factors that constitute the poetic attributes in this category of work. A book prototype facilitates the demonstration of ‘the Poetic’ as visual rhetoric in book design.