Core77

If Bruce Sterling is the heart of Shaping Things, Lorraine Wild is the soul. Wild is the head of Green Dragon Office, a graphic design studio based out of LA, and the design force behind Shaping Things. Several things are done well with the design of this manifesto and one or two are done really well.

First, the book has the perfect size and heft to support the content inside. Remember, this is a manifesto, it should be rugged, paperback, and somewhat pocketable. You have to feel good about passing it on to a friend, but not so careless that you don't take it seriously. Typography is boldly used to compliment and bring clarity to the content. For example, whenever the word, "Gizmo," appears, it's set in a pixilated typeface. It's eye-catching at first and later becomes a subtle way to remember a key idea.

Overall the charts, the pictograms, the type, even the broad strokes of green, generate a visual wit and empathy that neatly matches Sterling's optimism.