nterior Designer Jun Alday has authored what is considered the defining book on Asian design. Entitled “Way of Design,” the book offers valuable examples and insights on the Asian aesthetics and the underlying age-old philosophies that make it unique. The book, however, does not exist in our material world. It hasn’t been printed on paper, it hasn’t used any ink, and it hasn’t been bound. You will not find it in a bookstore or in a library and it’s unlikely that anyone you know has a copy lying around at home.
“Way of Design” exists, “virtually,” in cyberspace. It floats freely on the Internet where anyone with a wired computer can access and read it free of charge. The book has been on the World Wide Web since 1996 and it has received 69,000 visits to date. It has also won a number of website awards for effective design and useful content.
To see it, you must boot-up your PC, get on the Internet, and type www.asiaonline.net.hk/~junalday on your favorite browser. Once it is accessed, you will be treated to Jun Alday’s practical wisdom on Asian interior design and the philosophies behind his meaningful and minimalist style.
Surfing through the site is an enriching experience that broadens one’s horizons on the proper design aesthetics. The beautiful thing about it is, the e-book is free. The author is simply sharing his knowledge with whoever is curious or needful of his expertise.
Jun recently reestablished himself in Manila after many years of being based in Hong Kong. His approach to design is inspired by the Taoist ideals of harmony and balance. It also adopts elements and symbolism from feng shui.
“Way of Design,” whose limited CD ROM version was released over the weekend at the Filipinas Heritage Library, is a breakthrough publication in a number of ways. Written originally as a coffee table book, “Way of Design” was eventually expanded and updated specifically for publication on the Internet.
“The on-line book is a first in the design industry not only in the Philippines but also in the world,” Jun explains. “When I wrote the book in 1985, I had difficulty in getting bona fide publishers to finance it. The project was shelved when I opened my Oriental gallery in Hong Kong. In the early part of 1996, a year after I bought my first computer, I ventured in to the Internet and immediately realized its potential. For the first time, I felt empowered to publish my work independently.”
“Way of Design” is also a pioneer on-line publication by a Filipino author. Jun did not merely use the Internet as a publishing medium. He applied his designer’s sense to his experience as a web surfer and put together a successful on-line book visited by thousands of global Internet users. You can even see how the book has inspired people around the world by reading their on-line messages and praises.
“My natural inclination towards order and systems helped a great deal in understanding the HTML language (Hypertext Markup Language - the computer code used to create web pages for the Internet). In constructing my e-book, the only discipline I had to acquire was patience. Learning through trial and error is definitely a tedious process,” relates Jun.
As tedious as it was, the undertaking was worth it. “Way of Design” reveals a fascinating approach to design principles as well as the concepts behind the different projects that Jun has completed through the years. The e-book is also a veritable journey through the designer’s body of work and history. It also includes sections on the designer’s interests such as collecting stamps and phonecards. Jun’s attention to detail is apparent in the personal touches he includes. For example, the Oriental music plays on-line during the different sections. Scrolling words of wisdom are visible throughout the book; these add deeper insight to the experience. We asked Jun how his CD ROM differed from the Web version.
“The CD ROM is an enhanced and expanded version of the on-line book. The text is slightly different with additional materials inserted and with larger graphics. There is more animation to enliven each page. With my CD ROM, you feel you are surfing the Internet but all the data are accessed from the disk. It is therefore much faster than the Internet version. With the CD ROM, one can read the book leisurely off-line. Of the 1,000 CD ROM printed, I am selling only 800 copies, a good collectible number.”
Jun put together the CD ROM after realizing the impact of “Way of Design” on its on-line readers. He produced it with the help of friends. His brave step towards this new media also serves to inspire aspiring local artists and writers to publish on their own.
“The wonderful thing about electronic publishing is that you can publish your work immediately and revise it as often as you like. When I published my work on-line, I never imagined it would have such a global impact. It is gratifying to know that in my own way, I am educating, enlightening, and inspiring a lot of people, young and old alike. My efforts are being appreciated without any biases or hype,” Jun says.
An avid Internet user, Jun not only surfs the World Wide Web but also monitors his interests, news and information and friends through IRC (Internet Relay Chat), e-mail, and Usenet newsgroup services. “Way of Design” for example, was launched in 1996 on-line over the IRC which made it a virtual book launch.
Jun reveals that his involvement with on-line projects is just beginning.
“I have also used the web to mount a virtual exhibition of my collection of 19th century Thai Jataka paintings. The web page entitled Tales of Buddha, is a carry-over of the actual exhibit I had in my gallery in Hong Kong.
“My advice to aspiring local designers would be to look near; to look at what we have; study and enhance them. Filipinos have the tendency to be awed by anything Western. This colonial baggage must be cast away. I am not saying that one should disregard completely what is happening in the West like computer technology for instance, but it must be balanced with the awareness of our Asian culture and values. Mimicking the West without deep understanding and discernment is not healthy. Confucius said: learning without thought is labor lost, thought without learning is perilous. ”
As for the future of on-line publishing, Jun Alday is anxious to see what it has to offer. “I still have to exploit the potentials of e-commerce, maybe for the next edition of my book. However, what I can adopt immediately to my work as a design consultant is my experience in constructing web pages. For instance I plan to do away with a lot of paper in the presentation of my work to clients. Not only is it environmentally conscious but also more interesting as opposed to paperwork. With the Internet, I can work at home and transmit my work by modem anywhere, anytime. Time and space are transcended.”
Read about the launch of Way of Design CD ROM
