SOFU-GLOVE MAG
8.5 x 12 inches // 77 pages // 2007 [flip through]
This hybrid dictionary-magazine was an early framing device for the concepts and observations that informed my thesis. Soft power—the international relations theory advocating “soft” (cultural/ideological) rather than “hard” (military) tactics of persuasion—became the focal point, and led to the exploration of kawaii as my case study in Cultural Transmography. This concept was key for the use of "softer" cuteness culture within the field of graphic design. These characteristics are embodied in the magazine's mascot, Sofu-Gurabu-san, a small boxing glove that appears throughout the magazine, often making commentary.
