About the Cover

Work to live or live to work can be presented as a personal philosophical question – what is it that we prioritize more? Our livelihood? Or the meaningful work that we do? Are they truly two separate matters? As we exist in a society with people and systems, things are not quite as simple. The question we ask ourselves becomes much more complex, where it is no longer a question of our personal work ethics but what is permissible in today’s society. How much of it is truly in our control? How much of our decision is dictated by our occupations, companies, institutions, and employers?

The cover of this issue represents the co-dependent relationship of work and life. They are two parts of a machine, with each gear propelling one another forward. This interconnection can, however, feel like a loop with no clear definition of where it begins and where it ends. Your perspective can change depending on which figure you focus on in the cover, but perhaps the most difficult task is to view this paradox as a whole. Nevertheless, the cover invites you to ponder the question: work to live, or live to work?

Design notes

In tackling the complex topic of work and life, our designers skillfully utilized different colour palettes and images to represent the wide spectrum of tone of writing in this issue. From the use of a monochromatic gray palette to convey the coldness of isolation and entrapment to the use of contrasting colours to convey the two different sides of one concept, it is incredible the story-telling power our designers possess! We would like to thank all of our talented designers for all their hard work and beautiful creations.

-Kitty Liu-