Toothpicks and logos : design in everyday life / John Heskett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Heskett, John.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Industrial design--Methodology.

Industrial design.

Creative ability in technology.

Physical Description:

214 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Other Title:

Toothpicks & logos

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002.

Summary:

John Heskett transforms the way we think about design by showing how integral it is to our daily lives -- from the spoon we use to eat our breakfast cereal, to the car we drive to work in, to the medical equipment used to save lives. Design combines usefulness and meaning in the form of practical objects that can also reflect users' identities and aspirations through form and pattern.

This concise introduction to contemporary design goes beyond style and taste to look at how different cultures and individuals personalize objects. Heskett also reveals how the design of an object as apparently simple as a toothpick reflects the culture of the country that produced it. There are fascinating insights into how major companies such as Nokia, Ford, and Sony approach design. Finally, we are shown an exciting vision of what design can offer us in the future, and especially its role in humanizing new technology.

Contents:

1. What is Design? 1

2. The Historical Evolution of Design 12

3. Utility and Significance 35

4. Objects 55

5. Communications 81

6. Environments 101

7. Identities 124

8. Systems 144

9. Contexts 165

10. Futures 190.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-207) and index.

ISBN:

0192803212

OCLC:

48501261