Why plain bookmarks? The inspiration came after I read a book titled “Super Normal: Sensations of the Ordinary” co-written by Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrison. The topics and philosophy on anonymous design discussed in the book resonated with me in a way no other design book had done before.
The bookstore gave me a free bookmark for my purchase of the book. The bookmark was white in front and green behind printed with some cute cartoons and the bookstore’s logo. Tt was free, so I used the bookmark and after a while, I began to feel distracted by the flashy bookmark. It reminded me of today’s busy society, where company is trying to outdo, outsmart, out-compete and out-advertise each other. As a result, I feel our simple human lives have become quite suffocated and fatigued under the overwhelming pressure from modern-day media.
Good design is design that is invisible and should be free of the designer’s ego. Who designed the plastic bag? the ash tray? the bicycle? the salt shaker? Most of us have never considered these things because they just work, albeit anonymously.
I decided to try making my own bookmark. I made many prototypes and used each one for a few days with the books I read. I took them out on walks, on to the train and to the cafe. After a few tests, I ended up with something I felt is just right. The simplicity and emptiness in the bookmark was refreshing and sort of made my reading activities a bit more enjoyable.
