ISTD 2016 presentation

ISTD2016PROJECT2

A GUIDE TO CHINESE FUNERALS IN SINGAPORE

PRESENTATION DECK18 MARCH 2016BY ELSA NG HUI SHAN

DESIGNSTRATEGY

DESIGNSTRATEGY

Concept

In response to the ISTD brief “The Undiscovered Country”, the proposed typographic solution is driven by the notion of death as a mystery that we often try to figure. It seeks to engage readers in exploring the unfamiliar dimension that is out of reach by presenting the possibility of deciphering meanings in reflections.

The 88-page publication centers on a Chinese idiom “三长两短”/san-chang lyang-dwan/ (translates into “three long, two short”), which forms the book title. The phrase originally referred to a traditional wooden casket and presently refers to death.

Like birth, death is intimate, raw and undisguised, but much less discussed amongst Chinese. Fitted in an unpolished wooden “casket” box, the six-chapter publication challenges the undiscovered realm by baring information about Chinese funerals—what we can expect and should do upon death. To retain the mystery surrounding death, even numbers are omitted like how they are avoided in the funerals; each chapter is odd-numbered.

The approach is visually driven by a contemporary Asian theme to target young design-savvy readers who are keen in Asian culture. It comprises the juxtaposition of reworked Chinese characters and figurative illustrations, sensitive choice of colours and typefaces and treatment of text matter.

DESIGNSTRATEGY

cont’dTarget audienceThe proposed solution caters primarily to design-savvy readers who are keen in Asian culture, especially Chinese rituals and customs, aged 25 to 40:- Discerning, intellectual, literary and design-aware- Western-influenced/ intrigued by Asian culture- May be non-conformists who seek to challenge traditions

DESIGNSTRATEGY

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Inspiration board one Inspiration board two

DESIGNSTRATEGY

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Inspiration board three

DESIGNSTRATEGY

Design

The casket imagery is the basis for key visual and typographic elements. The meaning of “san-chang lyang-dwan” is visualised through the alchemy of the casket structure and the strokes in the Chinese characters “三” (“three”) and “二” (“two”). An important recurring element is the stylised casket icon, which also acts as a customised end mark.

The infinity symbol gradually revealed through mirror pages at the end of each chapter underscores death as belonging to a separate dimension and also, represents ancestral eternity after death.

As a typographic solution, the choice of fonts is exercised with maximum care and sensitivity. One feature textual treatment lies in the Chinese chapter titles (track foward to “Typographic Specifications” below).

/322 words/

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RESEARCH+DEVELOPMENT


Idea generation (selected journal pages)Conception of main concept centered on a Chinese idiom “三长两短”/san-chang lyang-dwan/ through mindmap, research, notes and sketches


cont’dDesign development (selected journal pages)Crafting visual elements and layout, and planning form and binding specifications, through sketches and rough notes.

WEBSOURCES

Newspaper

Soong, P.J. (2011) Traditional coffin industry struggles to survive. My Sinchew [online]. 9 November. Available from http://www.mysinchew.com/node/66155 [Accessed 4 November 2015].

Presentation

Lin, Y. (1995). Crossing the Gate of Death in Chinese Buddhist Culture [lecture as part of a programme presented by SHAPS Buddhist Studies Programme and Summer Session], Tan Wah Temple. 17 June.

Videos

Teo, N. (2015). Singapore Funeral Documentary 新加坡殡葬业纪录片. YouTube [video]. 2 March. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUMpC1UZ48 [Accessed 25 October 2015].

Articles

Funerals.SG. (2014). Singapore Funerals Taoism Condolence Practices. Funerals.SG. 27 June. Available from: http://www.funerals.sg/#!Singapore-Funeral-Practices/c4l7/69AF41DD-A5E5-4BC3-BBBB-1166BC182630 [Accessed 23 October 2015].

Gerber, C. (nd). Chinese Death Rituals. LoveToKnow. nd. Available from: http://dying.lovetoknow.com/Chinese_Death_Rituals [Accessed 3 November 2015].

Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations. (nd). Funeral Rituals. Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA). nd. Available from: http://www.sfcca.sg/en/node/62 [Accessed 23 October 2015].

Tiong, C. (2011). An Introduction To a Chinese Funeral. Taoism Singapore Forum. 11 June. Available from: http://z14.

WEBSOURCES

invisionfree.com/taoism_singapore/ar/t499.htm [Accessed 3 November 2015].

TraditionsCustoms.com. (nd). Chinese Funeral. TraditionsCustoms.com. nd. Available from: http://traditionscustoms.com/death-rites/chinese-funeral [Accessed 23 October 2015].

Wu, A. (2015). A Grave Day–the Culture of Death!. China Highlights. 31 March. Available from: http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/article/death-culture.htm [Accessed 3 November 2015].

Yeo, H.E. (nd). My Grandma’s Funeral. Singapore Memory. nd. Available from: http://www.singaporememory.sg/contents/SMA-18929960-4c68-4b50-850c-e0350b11fce7 [Accessed 23 October 2015].

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TYPOGRAPHICSPECIFICATIONS


The document size was set in a similar proportion as that of a Chinese casket—90 by 240mm.

1 Top margin 15mm 2 Outside margin 12mm 3 Inside margin 12mm 4 Gutter 3mm 5 Top contents margin 35mm

1

5

2 34

7


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6 6 Bottom margin 15mm

7 Bottom contents margin 45mm

A six-vertical-column grid was applied for flexibility and fluidity. It easily divided into columns of one, two, three and six for the tall publication, presenting a good number of layout possibilities.


cont’d

Heading 1, English14pt Lucida Sans Typewriter BoldColour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=013° vertical shear

Running headline 2, Chinese5.5pt Songti SC RegularColour: 100% black

Running headline 1, Chinese5.5pt Songti SC BoldColour: 100% black

Folio5pt Lucida Fax RegularColour: 100% black

Heading 1, Chinese17/22pt Songti SC BlackColour: 100% black13° vertical shear

Body text7/10pt Lucida Sans Typewriter* RegularLeft aligned66mm measureColour: 100% black or C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0

*All body text in Lucida Sans Typewriter were optically kerned and manually tracked at -1/100em for better readability.


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Chapter title, Chinese30/36pt Songti SC BlackReflected horizontallyColour: 100% black

Note, phonetics6/9pt Lucida Grande RegularColour: 100% black


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Chapter number, Chinese160pt Songti TC BoldLeft alignedColour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=013° vertical shear

Chapter number, phonetics6pt Lucida Grande BoldColour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=013° vertical shear

Standfirst9/12pt Lucida Grande RegularColour: 100% black or C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0

Heading 214/18pt Lucida Sans Typewriter BoldColour: 100% black or C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0


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Body text7/10pt Lucida Sans Typewriter RegularLeft alignedVaried column measure*Colour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0 or 100% black

Subtitle7/10pt Lucida Sans Typewriter BoldLeft alignedVaried column measure*Colour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0 or 100% black

Running headline, English5pt Lucida Fax RegularColour: 100% black

*Subtitles and body text were fixed the stated font characteristics, unless otherwise stated, but occupied four different column widths—three, four, five and six.


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Call-out 177pt Lucida Sans Typewriter BoldTracking: -1/100emCenter alignedSix column measureColour: C=0 M=0 Y=0 K=0

Body text7/10pt Lucida Sans Typewriter RegularTracking: -1/100emCenter alignedColour: 100% black or C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0


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Call-out 219pt Lucida Fax DemiboldFive column measureColour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0 or 100% black

Pull-quote24/29pt Lucida Fax DemiboldFour column measureColour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0 or 100% black

Pull-quote, quotation mark180pt HeadLineA RegularColour: C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0

Note6/9pt Lucida Sans Typewriter ObliqueColour: 100% black or C=0 M=60 Y=100 K=0


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Lucida Sans Typewriter

Lucida Font Family

To complement the contemporary Asian theme, the Lucida family is the primary type applied throughout the publication. It includes Lucida Sans Typewriter (headings and body text), Lucida

Grande (standfirsts and Chinese phonetics) and Lucida Fax (sub headings, folios). The Lucida family appears premeditated, solemn and authentic, befitting the sacred and somber nature of the contents—death rituals and practices and their significance.

1 Regular ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

1234567890

2 Oblique ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ


1234567890


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Lucida Grande

2 Bold

1 Regular

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890


Lucida Sans Typewriter cont’d

3 Bold ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ


1234567890


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Lucida Fax

2 Demibold

1 Regular

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ


1234567890



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Songti SC

2 Bold

Songti Font Family

The primary Chinese typeface used for the publication is 宋体 Songti. It is generally used for headings and running headers. Each chapter title

in Chinese is in the same typeface, deconstructed and married with contrasting illustrative contents to assist in understanding the meaning of the title, so that non-Chinese can be engaged too.

1 Regular


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Songti SC cont’d

Songti TC 1 Bold

3 Black


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Deciphering Text in Mirror Pages

Chapter titles are reverse-printed and can only be deciphered when they are reflected in the mirror page opposite. The process reflects how people try to make sense of the unfamiliar dimension of death, which may not be the reality.

Sheared Text

Each set of Chinese and English title before the main chapters, and all Chinese chapter numbers are sheared and oriented in a way to suggest a separate dimension within the book from which they emerge, mirroring the concept of revelation.

COLOURSPECIFICATIONS


Sacred Orange #ef7c00

The natural texture and colour offered by the choice of paper stocks (track forward to “Production Specifications” below for details) delivers a somber visual appearance to match the solemnity of the topic. The primary colour sacred orange (#ef7c00) demonstrates Asian traditions and valued qualities of respect and filial piety. It is also a colour that is closely associated with Chinese funeral processions and wakes.

Orange also offers emotional strength in difficult times and assists in the recovery from grief. A warm and inviting colour, it stimulates and gets people to talk and think about a topic worth uncovering.


Mysterious Black #000000

The second primary colour is mysterious black, for some text matter and illustrations, to underscore the taboo nature of the subject.

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VECTORILLUSTRATIONS

VECTOR ILLUSTRATIONS

To facilitate quick navigation of the contents, illustrative vector content drawn with reference to photographs is included in a subtle and sensitive manner. They are generally figurative and non-naturalistic to deliver information quickly and clearly.

VECTOR ILLUSTRATIONS

1

2

1 An example of vector illustration: an ancestral tablet based on photograph

2 An example of a reworked Chinese character “ancestor” and its development

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PRODUCTIONSPECIFICATIONS


Packaging

To get audience to “visit death” and uncover its rituals, the packaging is an interpretation of a wooden casket; it measures 276 x 120 x 48mm (A x B x C) and finishes with steel hinges and snap closure. It is hand crafted with 5mm Balsa wood planks and sticks^ to fit. The publication is identified with a steel label plate on the lid.

Unlike a typical contemporary casket in the market, the packaging is unpolished to suggest the qualities of death—raw and undisguised, and is reminiscent of simple, intimate times when the family would prepare the deceased for burial. Traditionally, chinese caskets were also made from unfinished wood.

A B C


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dimension”. Two pieces of the paper stock is joined to produce the double sided reflective page.

The publication is wholly trimmed and bound by hand.

*Paper stocks are purchased from RJ Paper Pte Ltd in Singapore. ^Wood materials are purchased from Daiso Singapore.

Publication

The publication, in a size ratio similar to that of a chinese casket, is made up of seven signatures (standard pages in 100gsm St. Cotton Plain White*), end papers (115gsm Aspire Text*) and two hard cases (1.5mm grey board from calligraphy paper pad wrapped with 120gsm Maple Stucco*), put together using coptic stich binding with a matching orange yarn thread. It can open flat and when closed, it measures 94 x 244mm. The inside pages each measures 90 x 240mm (D x E).

The next highlight of the book is the use of single side 150gsm Strike Silver* to engage readers in the experience of “exploring the unfamiliar


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D E


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Standard page100gsm St. Cotton Plain White


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Mirror page150gsm Strike Silver, manually joined


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Hard case cover1.5mm grey board wrapped with 120gsm Maple Stucco

FINALOUTCOME

Chapter dividersThe infinity symbol which represents ancestral eternity is gradually revealed through mirror pages which mark the end of each chapter.

Deciphering text in mirror pagesThe chapter titles in Chinese are reverse-printed and can only be deciphered when they are reflected in the mirror page opposite—an unfamiliar dimension.

ISTD2016PROJECT2

THANK YOUBY ELSA NG HUI SHAN