Xueqing Chen · CLIENT: Nanjing University of the Arts
Gongche Sketch Book is an interactive book about Gongche notation, a traditional Chinese musical notation system. The book presents a redesigned set of Gongche characters, refined in stroke direction, thickness and size for clarity. A 30-note hand-cranked music box movement is built into the book structure. A punched paper tape matching the notation is inserted into the movement, and turning the crank produces the written pitches. The bare wire hardcover binding exposes the spine and the layered pages. The design lets readers study Gongche notation by sight, sound and touch.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Through innovative design, Gongche Sketch Book facilitates a profound understanding of the charm of Gongche notation among people from different cultures, languages, and eras. It serves as a cultural conduit, connecting the past with the present, allowing the enchanting resonance of Gongche to spread globally.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 160mm × length 210mm × height 30mm
- Tags
- Gongchipu; multi-sensory; redesign; listening book; music interpretation
- Production Technology
- When designing the binding, bare wire hardcover is a special binding method, and its handmade texture can also echo the content and cultural heritage of the book. In addition, the exposed form of the spine shows the layering of the pages, and coupled with the feeling of hand touch, the reader's body and mind can be compared to enjoying the rhythm of music.
- Design Challenge
- In the process of modern character drawing for Gongchipu, it is not only necessary to ensure the standardization and readability of the symbols, but also to integrate them with other musical notation forms and the metric Pu character system for easy understanding. When redesigning the musical notation symbols, attention was paid to the accurate expression, conciseness and ease of understanding of each character, while also making these characters visually impactful and recognizable. On the basis of retaining the characteristics of traditional Gongchi Pu notation, the We conducted in-depth research and optimization on glyph direction, stroke thickness, symbol size, etc., and then created a novel, beautiful, and easy-to-understand Gongchipu character system.
- Project Duration
- The project will start in Nanjing in June 2022, be completed in Nanjing in May 2023, and will be exhibited in Nanjing in May 2023.
- Operation Flow
- The 30-note hand-cranked music box movement is used as the core mechanism and combined with the book structure. Its characteristic is that a paper tape with holes punched at the corresponding note position is loaded into the mechanical structure, and the hand rocker is shaken, and the punched paper tape passes through the sound comb to emit sounds. corresponding pitch. Using this principle, the musical notation of Gongchipu corresponds to the pitch hole position of the paper tape, so that after the reader has a preliminary understanding of the image and text, he can further insert the paper tape corresponding to Gongchipu into the movement. The interactive method further understands Gongchipu from the auditory dimension.
- Research
- none
- Inspiration
- At the core of Gongche Sketch Book is interactive design, allowing readers to delve into the culture of Gongche notation in a user-friendly manner. Through a comprehensive experience involving sight, hearing, and touch, it sparks interest in Gongche notation, infusing new vitality into cultural heritage. Friendly interaction makes learning easy and enjoyable.
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