John Maeda, probably the most important digital designer, educator, and artist working today, created a sensation with <em>maeda@media</em> (2000), which documented his complete oeuvre and laid out his belief in the importance of designers understanding the computer as a medium, not just a tool.<br /><br />Maeda's work as an educator and director of the Aesthetics + Computation Group (ACG) at the MIT Media Lab has largely remained behind the scenes. For seven years, Maeda and his students-several of whom are already internationally celebrated-have created some of the most digitally sophisticated and exciting pieces of design to emerge anywhere. Little of this research has been seen outside the laboratory.<br /><br />This book presents the most fascinating work produced by the group, arranged into themes that apply to today's design issues: information visualization, digital typography, abstraction, interaction design, and education. Each section also features brief essays by leading names in the field of interaction and digital design-Casey Reas, David Small, Yogo Nakamura, Joshua Davis, and Gillian Crampton-Smith.<br /><br />Deftly bridging the chasm between art and science, John Maeda, a true pioneer in the digital realm, leads the way to a greater understanding and richness of experience.