Digital Song-Printed Books
Designer
Yifan Zhai / Yifei Wu
Awards
Platinum Originality - Excellence (2025)
KDA - Bronze (2024)
SLOC - Best Design (2024)
KTK - Second Prize (2024)
Category
Digital Humanities Web
Paper
From Text to Visual Parameters: A Study on the Design of Visualization
Applications for Ancient Book Heritage in Media Transition
Abstract
In the process of media transformation from physical carriers to digital ones, the preservation and dissemination of traditional ancient book heritage faces many challenges, and innovative methods are urgently needed to achieve their digital protection and display. This study focuses on China's Song Dynasty block-printed calligraphy, an important cultural heritage object, and aims to explore how to achieve effective protection through digital visualization in the context of media changes. This study proposes a universal method for converting historical texts into digital interactive content. Through systematic visual compilation design and digital visualization, an immersive interactive experience is constructed to help users deeply understand the historical texts of Song Dynasty block-printed books. Structure and development process.
Value Delivered
The research results show that the method of visual visualization of digital information of cultural heritage such as ancient books not only significantly improves its accessibility, but also opens up new ways for its inheritance in the interactive environment of digital applications. At the same time, this study further demonstrates the great potential of digital humanities visualization in promoting the understanding and dissemination of ancient book heritage.
Background
Chinese ancient book culture is an important part of world cultural heritage, known for its rich artistic forms and unique aesthetic value. It includes calligraphy, painting, engraving, printing styles, and literati design. Among them, Song Dynasty printed editions are especially notable for their refined carving, elegant binding, and layout aesthetics. They represent the peak of both functionality and artistry, and are widely regarded as exemplary rare books in Chinese history.
Since the 1980s, China has made significant progress in the digitization of ancient books, transitioning from paper to digital formats. Digital preservation has become a key method for protecting cultural heritage, enabling broader collection, storage, and dissemination. However, challenges remain in maintaining the integrity and accessibility of this non-renewable cultural heritage, despite strong cultural and regional foundations.
Scope of Work
Creative Strategy
Concept Design
Data Exploration
Prototyping
UI/UX Design
Visual Design
Development
User Testing
Developing technologies and methods that are broadly applicable to the visualization and preservation of ancient books is a challenging endeavor.
Taking the perspective of digital visualization web applications, we propose a user-centered design framework specifically focused on the digital visualization of Chinese book heritage.
Solution
This study systematically organizes and employs technological approaches to present the evolution of the regular script (kaishu) used in printed books of the Song dynasty through interactive and visual means, covering a time span from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Yuan dynasty.
Using the website as a medium, it visualizes data along a timeline to illustrate both the historical development of regular script and the stylistic evolution of kaishu in Song dynasty printed texts.
Home Page
The dynamic visualization and interactive design of the main interface are the core of this study's regular script visualization. Starting from the perspective of the "Eight Principles of the Character 'Yong'," the brushstrokes are combined using the principles of three-dimensional spatial illusion to form the character "宋" (Song). Each stroke is linked with interactive elements, allowing users to click on any stroke to access its corresponding Song Dynasty block print content page, where they can explore the font features, historical context, and cultural information. Additionally, the navigation bar enables users to quickly jump to the pages of different dynasties that interest them for further exploration.
Timeline
The entire interactive experience is threaded through with a timeline across the microsite, creating a wonderful journey through the history of the regular script in Song Dynasty printed books.
