Hasta La Ideas

From fiction to fanzines, the students showing at the 2010 degree exhibition at Stockholm’s art and design school Konstfack put out many fine examples of self-publishing. Demonstrating that the younger generation still see relevance in tangible media, students like Magda Lipka Falck presented thoughtfully refreshing paper-bound projects.

For the culmination of her masters in Experience Design, Falck decided to examine travel books. “Anywhere—A Travel Guide” represents Falck’s belief that, “There are many different types of travel. Sometimes they carry us right across the globe, sometimes into space and sometimes just around the block. Sometimes there is a journey going on inside us,” she says.

Falck’s whimsical take on the form, reads zesty and vibrant. Free of acknowledging any specific place she has “created a travel guide that is situated somewhere in the middle.” Featuring a range of inspiring journey accounts—from diverse travelers to photographs of places, people and experiences—there’s plenty of stimuli to get you up and about.

Yet perhaps the pages of travel tips, the real flesh of this unusual travel guide, which sets it in context. Applicable for all types of travel, Falck doles out creative advice like “Imagine a song you haven’t heard in a long time. Move your body with the music. Turn right when the song ends.” Or, “Ask a stranger which is their favorite street. Go there.”

“It’s a travel guide that will hopefully lead you to places you have never seen before—though you may visit them every day. A place you have forgotten, a place you have never searched for or a place that does not exist,” continues Falck. In addition to the book, she made a set of small cards with concise advice for the budding traveler.

Falck, though not settled yet on her future intentions for the project, fast ran out of copies during the exhibition. Entertaining, thought provoking, well produced and visually appealing, we hope to see “Travel—A Guide to Anywhere” on bookshelves soon.