Filing

Here is another office supply/organization book. I was thinking yesterday about why I'm so fixated on paper and office supplies...and I think it had something to do with how my mom used to bring me with her to work during summer vacation. (I know, Asians sure know how to give their kids a swell summer break.) I used to sit at the IBM Selectric (that's a typewriter for all you kids) and I'd pretend to type up all kinds of important documents. She worked for the military (clearly, they were on high alert with me behind the desk) and I guess spending a summer in that environment probably has some basis for my love of industrial furniture and office supplies.

Anyway, enough of that.

I got this book is called "Filing" at Tortoise Life a few months ago. It's one of my favorite design books. Produced by the Hara Design Institute, it is a result of Makoto Orisaki's project called "Haptic" (originally produced for the Takeo Paper Show in 2004) which was about chaos and organization. It's written in both Japanese and English. Thank goodness!

First off, the book is just very simple, beautiful, and inspiring. It features organizational design from primarily Japan. Some of the best designs are by the Hara Design Institute (Kenya Hara), who helped develop Muji's brand and products. So there is alot of Muji-esque work.

Here are some of my favorite images and captions:

"Actions that create texture: The sticky notes express the staggering scale of this indexing task. Maybe there is a hint here to find a new solution."

"A label turns anything into a file: Apply the label to a stone used for weighting pickles, writing on it, 'cabbage-leaf kimchee' or 'pickled eggplant', and the stone become a file. It's a pity that so few objects originally designed as files are aesthetically pleasing."

Oh I also just bought Designing Design by Kenya Hara. The covers look so similar. It's gotta be good, too.

Comments

[joy]

ha, i love your note in parenthesis! dude, i totally went to work with my mom all the time too. reading books in the company cafeteria...nice..

[Freshly Found]

I love the idea of labelling a pebble for filing! How inspiring!

[lagirafeverte]

I discovered your blog via "bookendless" and I like much your blog, see you

[gina kay]

Thanks for posting this. Hara has an organic way of thinking. I also like the cloth/washable signage.

[pia]

how cool is that middle image!

[laissezfaire]

wow...i love the sticky notes pic!

[Stickers and Donuts]

wow, i love that book with all of the post-its sticking out if it

[Yael Landau]

I am totally in love with the design of organizing and would love to get my hands on this book, but when I went to the tortoiselife site, it seems to not be working. I tried searching the net but no luck. Any idea how I can get it?