What drives us?
Illustration, Editorial Design
Illustration and editorial design for the special edition of the 'Akademische Mitteilung 2023' of ABK Stuttgart.
Akademische Mitteilung (AM) publishes an annual issue on topics and projects relating to the Weißenhofsiedlung. In addition to innovation and development in architecture and design, the magazine also repeatedly addresses social issues.
As part of the 2023 annual issue, a special edition entitled ‚What Drives Us‘ was also published, which dealt with the question of what drives us. In this issue, the reader experiences an in-depth examination of the philosophy of Buddhism. It is based on Paul Debes‘ book ‚The Mastery of Existence‘, in which the author attempts to introduce Buddhism to a German-speaking audience.
In Buddhism, the existence of an “I” is regarded as an illusion. The teaching of the “non-ego” aims to overcome suffering, which is the main goal of Buddhism. But what drives us if not our ego? Who is it that feels, thinks and interacts?
According to Buddha, our perceptions arise through the interaction of the five senses and the thinking organ, but only under the influence of conditioned desire. Only this desire leads to contact and thus to the idea of a self and a world. A person who loves fast food, for example, immediately notices a fast food advertisement, whereas someone with other eating habits may not notice it at all. The satisfaction of desire is both a driver and creator of further illusions.
Bartholomaedesign developed the visual design for the special edition, with the challenge of illustrating the difficult-to-access topic. The drawn illustrations played a key role in this. The clear depictions of the driving forces at work within us provide the reader with quick and entertaining access to the content. In addition to the illustrations, Bartholomaedesign was also responsible for the editorial design. A newspaper format was chosen that made it possible to reproduce the illustrations over a large area.
The special edition was enclosed in folded form with the annual edition and could also be purchased separately in the Rundgang gift store.
The article was also specially designed for AM‘s e-magazine, which readers could scroll through and experience the illustrations digitally. The issue was also promoted via social media in the form of stories, articles and reels.
The special issue “What drives us” deals with the driving forces that work within us and express themselves through six sensory areas. It is published as a supplement in newspaper format and comprises 24 pages.
Large illustrations make it easier to access Paul Debes' Buddhist view of the six sensory areas.
According to Buddha, our perception arises from the interaction of the five senses, the thinking organ and a conditioned desire. This desire leads to contact and the idea of a self and a world.
The article was adapted to the layout of AM's e-magazine to provide an interactive scrolling experience. It was promoted on social media through stories, posts and reels.
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