Of all the categories of the Core77 Design Awards, the Writing & Commentary category is perhaps nearest and dearest to us.
After all, Core77 has been an outlet for the ever-evolving conversation of design thinking and criticism for nearly two decades now, and we are excited to recognize these signification contributions to the discourse. Led by design writerAlissa Walker, the energetic jury team selected winners that range from
bread-and-butter topics such as typography and scale models to esoteric essays on the likes of Zoolander and Russian sausages.
bread-and-butter topics such as typography and scale models to esoteric essays on the likes of Zoolander and Russian sausages.
Professional Winner: Arts and Letters, by Aileen Kwun
Taking a cue from Wallace Steven’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," Aileen Kwun‘s “Arts and Letters" explores 26 different thought processes on typography. The essay was published in Colophone Foundry‘s “FIVE YEARS," also served as an accompanying catalogue to an exhibit of the same name. The jury appreciated the essay’s memorable content: “The innovative format of this unusual essay is what made it such a standout from all the other entries: It’s a piece on design that plays with the design of the storytelling, as well. It’s a reminder to all writers that the story isn’t simply in the words, it’s in how they are presented—sometimes in the most literal ways. Although some of us initially felt skeptical about this essay, right around the donuts, we were hooked. This is the line that turned us: ‘Not all donuts are created equally; some are unholey.’ Also, this was the only essay that had lines we actually wanted to remember: ‘Letters are tools for words, and words are tools for meaning. If a house is a machine for living, a book is a machine for thinking, and a typeface is a machine for writing. We are always building.’"
Student Winner: Super Models or: Some (Scale) Models That I’d Like to Know, by Ian Besler
To many, the scale model is the beginning of a project. To Art Center College of Design student Ian Besler, it’s grounds for an entire investigation. His essay, “Super Models or: Some (Scale) Models That I’d Like to Know" is a dive into the bigger topics scale models bring to design, like digital vs. handmade and relative size in digital space. His piece stands behind the idea that scale models are used more as accuracy tools and a means to explore spatial relationships. “Fantastic! A new way of looking at a common thing, smart without using convoluted academic language—hooray! Out of all the entries submitted for the Core77 writing awards (both student and professional), this was the best piece we read. It combined solid writing with the unique exploration of the practical and cultural purposes a scale model serves. The tone was conversational and the observations illuminating. The best part: The reference to Zoolander was quite irresistible."
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