Customer Reviews

Design: An Illustrated Historical Overview (Crash Course Series)

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I am an engineer with a love for design and architecture This book itself is well-designed and is printed in a handy 4-3/8" X 7-1/2" size that makes it ideal for carrying in a jacket pocket to read on an airplane or to use as a reference during a museum trip. It's richly illustrated on every page in color and printed on heavy, semi-gloss paper. The 192 pages cover the period 1750 - 1993 but are limited to European and American design. The book was originally published in Germany, and German designers have coverage that is perhaps disproportionate.

The appendices include a useful chronology, an ample bibliography, an index by subject, and an index of the more than 400 names whose work is mentioned in the body of the book. The glossary unfortunately is far too brief.

I have a very large library and prize books like this which can be repeatedly browsed with enjoyment or quickly used for reference. It would also make a nice gift for a young person with an interest in art who does not yet realize that art is all around us in things we use each day.

Design (Crash Course Series) [Thomas Hauffe] is a condensed history of design from the 18th through 20th century. Hauffe's writing style is interesting, informative and well thought-out. The book itself is visually stunning (a design feat in itself) with high quality images and an intuitive layout. Through the text, Hauffe explores the external influences - the developments and effects of technological advancements throughout time and the implications on design.

As a software engineer and an admirer of design / architecture, I find this small pocket book an excellent source of inspiration and an intriguing read. The factors influencing design also impact the realm of software design (a subset of design in general).
Technical, economic, aesthetic, and social developments along with political, psychological, cultural, ecological, and global influences will continue to impact software design (and all types of design). Throughout the text we can see that design is an integral part of history, and that innovation has been happening for centuries (designers have been constantly improving existing ideas). We can also observe that design is iterative (cyclic) and often occurs in patterns (similar to design patterns in the software realm).

This is an excellent book, a great source of inspiration. Many parallels can be drawn throughout this text and applied to any specific type of design.

We can learn more from history than we may think. Read!