User Design Books

Three simple booklets bring wit, wordplay and graphic design shenanigans to the printed page

Boutique graphic design outfit User Design recently released a series of self-published works united by British wit and a simple, hand-drawn aesthetic. The titles include “The Journey of the Larks”, “Punctuation…?” and “Life”, and show an emerging playful side of the predominantly commercial publisher. Illustrated, designed and created by Thomas Bohm, the trio matches supremely minimal design with an endearing sense of play. “Journey of …

Hawaiian Shirts

Five contemporary tops prompting good vibes and great style

Since its introduction in the 1930s, the Hawaiian shirt—or Aloha shirt as it’s known in Hawaii—stands as one of the most notorious icons of good vibes and bad fashion. Ignoring the stigma behind the infamous floral print a few brave designers took it upon themselves to rethink the ultimate party shirt for the upcoming summer season, dropping in on the turquoise wave once reserved for …

Current State: Snowboarding

Tracing the sport's past and present in a pair of complementary books

Written, edited and designed by professional snowboarder, graphic designer and filmmaker David Benedek, the new two-volume book “Current State: Snowboarding” marks three years of hard work across 450 pages. Interviews with some of the sport’s most prolific characters, such as Jake Burton, Terje Haakonsen, Shaun Palmer and Peter Line, are included alongside images from the past three decades. This massive tome attempts to show the …