John Heskett wants to transform 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, and the car we drive to work in, to the medical equipment used to save lives. Design combines 'need' and 'desire' in the form of a
practical object that can also reflect the user's identity and aspirations through its form and decoration.
This concise guide to contemporary design goes beyond style and taste to look at how different cultures and individuals personalize objects. Heskett also reveals how simple objects,
such as a toothpick, can have their design modified to suit the specific cultural behaviour in different countries. There are also fascinating insights into how major companies such as Nokia, Ford, and Sony approach design. Finally, the author gives us an exciting vision of what design can offer us
in the future, showing in particular how it can humanize new technology.
1. What is Design?
2. Utility and Symbolism
3. Objects
4. Communications
5. Environments
6. Systems
7. Contexts
8. Identities
9. Futures
Further Reading
Index
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John Heskett's analysis of design as the result of social and economic influences has earned him an international reputation as an important commentator on design. He is the author of Industrial Design (Thames and Hudson, 1980; published in translation in Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Brazil,
and Japan) widely used as a basic textbook in design courses in many countries, and Philips: A Study of the Corporate Management of Design (Rizzoli, 1989). He has also contributed articles and essays to numerous magazines, anthologies and catalogues, and regularly writes for ID Magazine. In addition
to writing and lecturing internationally on design, he has acted as consultant to governmental bodies and educational organizations in many countries. He is an executive consultant for the Hirano Design Group, a major Japanese consultancy, and visiting professor at Tama Art University in Tokyo.
