An issue devoted to the role of design in crisis

This month, we’re looking at Wallpaper*, a fantastic independent magazine on design. The October issue is particularly special — it is their annual Guest Editors’ edition and this year’s editors have curated a selection of stories focused on design in the pandemic. We’ve put down a few reasons on why it’s something you’ll want to hold on to, even in the future. Read on.

The Guest Editors

Wallpaper*’s editors for this issue are design writer Alice Rawsthorn and the senior curator of MoMA, Paola Antonelli. In the initial months of the pandemic, they launched Design Emergency, an Instagram Live series of interviews, discussions and introductions to innovative design — all centred around design’s ability to inspire in a time of crisis. In this issue of Wallpaper*, they have divided their content into two sections: ‘Design Leaders in the Covid-19 Response’ and ‘Design Leaders of Post-Pandemic Reconstruction’, with a varied list of interviews with folks from across the world who are doing exceptional work and making a major impact.

The Photos

There are a number of good photographs and photo essays, including portraits of design leaders shot over Zoom, but you’ll want to watch out for British photographer Hannah Starkey’s stirring photo series documenting the deserted streets of London through the lockdown.

The Goings-On

The magazine’s front-of-book section, Newspaper, offers a quick look at the coolest design happenings around the world — from tactile textiles inspired by the Mediterranean landscape to gender neutral wearable art and from a Swiss pen inspired by traditional Japanese toys to the stretching realms of chair design.

All The Design

The magazine also holds in-depth features on several wonderful facets of the design and art world right now — socially distanced creations from undervalued wood, the transformation of a 16th century Polish Merchant’s house, the rediscovery of a forgotten polar explorer and more.

Get your copy of Wallpaper*s October 2020 issue in print here.