Design Your Self

Karim Rashid, Design Your Self: Rethinking The Way You Live, Love, Work, and Play (Regan Books, 2006)

As creative designers, we are all faced with the daunting task of living within that which we so desperately want to change. Born in 1960, Karim Rashid grew up as the son of a painter/set designer. Traveling the globe as a young boy, Rashid developed an almost obsessive love of sketching, encouraged by his father to draw what he saw, not what he thought he saw, Rashid was able to refine a keen eye for seeing things as they truly were. Over time this love of observation transformed into a life of design.

Having design products now featured in shops around the world, ranging from Museum shops to Costco, Rashid’s book, Design Your Self: Rethinking The Way You Live, Love, Work, and Play, gives the reader a look inside the his mind. While the majority of his observations and recommendations are made from the aspect of a diehard minimalist, Rashid takes a refreshing open-minded approach to the world.

His life and style is directly reflected in the vibrant colors of the book along with its unconventional graphic layout. Each chapter of the book is color coated to reflect the message within and the use of type throughout the book provides a wonderful illustrative quality. When writing a book about how you see the world, I imagine it is difficult to remain nonjudgmental, but Rashid does this nicely while keeping the page-to-page flow of the book consistent and easy to follow.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a creative take on the world.