Scan barcode
A review by ericfheiman
Sagmeister & Walsh: Beauty by Jessica Walsh, Stefan Sagmeister
3.0
Funny how you can both agree with WHAT is being said, and then find yourself wanting to vehemently disagree with that same content because of HOW it is being delivered. Case in point: Beauty by Sagmeister & Walsh. (Also see: our current political climate.)
I’m grateful for this book, though. Not for its wise arguments about beauty (though they do have some sound observations here). No, instead, Beauty unintentionally lays bare the inherent economic elitism that characterizes contemporary design and its discourse. This book is littered with asides like “Our good friend, Hella Jongerius...”, “Spotted during Jessica’s honeymoon in India...”, and other rarefied frames of reference that point to one of design’s largest flaws as practiced today: the wide swaths of people it excludes.
This book may play well with the New York Times T magazine set, but everyone else should probably scream, “Check your privilege!” in protest.
I’m grateful for this book, though. Not for its wise arguments about beauty (though they do have some sound observations here). No, instead, Beauty unintentionally lays bare the inherent economic elitism that characterizes contemporary design and its discourse. This book is littered with asides like “Our good friend, Hella Jongerius...”, “Spotted during Jessica’s honeymoon in India...”, and other rarefied frames of reference that point to one of design’s largest flaws as practiced today: the wide swaths of people it excludes.
This book may play well with the New York Times T magazine set, but everyone else should probably scream, “Check your privilege!” in protest.