Design: Intelligence Made Visible [Hardcover]

Stephen Bayley (Author), Terence Conran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 14, 2007

Essential facts, authoritative opinions and a provocative list of the most influential designers.

Design: The Definitive Directory of Modern Design is a dynamic and comprehensive guide to the subject. Global in scope, this book includes architecture, industrial design, furniture, fashion, cars, clothing, graphics, consumer products, signs and much more -- all complemented by 300 color photographs. There are also up-to-date profiles of the innovators and visionaries past and present whose achievements have forever changed the way we view ourselves and the world.

A series of essays outlines the role of design in modern cultural history and includes Terence Conran's definition of design. The main section of the book is an A-Z directory of the most influential people, products and processes of the past and present centuries and includes biographies of leading designers. The authors also share their personal views on today's newest achievers.

Among the topics examined:

• Art, industry and the beginnings of design
• The consumer age and mass consumption
• The craft ideal of old values
• The Modern movement and the romance of the machine
• America of the thirties
• Italy since the fifties
• Symbolism, the language of objects and consumer psychology
• Postmodern design, and looking to the future.

Up to date, provocative and completely original, Design will be a sourcebook for professional designers, an essential guide for students of design, and a revelation for general readers hungry for information about design and designers.

Highlights:

• 100-page A-Z directory for easy look-up
• 300 full-color illustrations with detailed captions
• Biographies of designers past and present
• Corporate histories and product appraisals
• The influence of management, cultural and social theories
• Michelin-style ratings of today's up-and-coming designers
• Brand identity and assessing brand value
• The newest types and categories of design.

The featured subjects include, among many others:

• Bauhaus
• IBM
• Sony
• Benetton
• iPod
• Tom Wolfe
• Charles Eames
• Italy's Autostrade
• Victorinox
• Eric Gill
• Philippe Starck
• Vogue
• Ferrari
• Porsche
• Walt Disney
• Frank Lloyd Wright.

(20071215)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Design experts Bayley (Imagination, General Knowledge) and Conran (Ultimate House Book, Designers on Design, etc) offer readers a crash course in design in this impressive, coffee-table-ready resource. After a brief narrative history of design from the 18th century to the present (the rise of consumerism and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement, the Bauhaus ethic, etc.), the design and pop culture heavyweights delve into an alphabetical listing of design figures, themes and products. The artful confluence of the societal, artistic and architectural is what sets the book apart: rather than relying on key figures, Conran and Bayley's wide net enables the reader to see both the forest and the trees, no small achievement. Though the sheer number of subjects restricts most entries to a paragraph or two, this is no staid or simplistic survey; Conran and Bayley inject plenty of colorful editorial comments, characterizing fashion icon Pierre Cardin, for example, by his "monomania," which can "infuriate or bore." The book assumes a familiarity with most styles and designers, though movements such as surrealism and modernism are well-explained. Bayley and Conran's experience with and enthusiasm for the material, coupled with up-to-the-minute coverage (the iPhone is included), make this a thoughtful contemporary look at an often mercurial subject. Color photos and illus. throughout.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Conran and Bayley ... have seamlessly orchestrated a history of design that is as eclectic as it is evocative. (Jon Alain Guzik Miami Modern Living 20071231)

This is a brilliant book. (Bill Robertson Star Phoenix (Saskatoon) 20071013)

Fantastic photographs and lively, Conran-esque text.... If you found the 1985 volume useful, you'll want this useful update. (Azure Magazine 20071214)

An opinionated, comprehensive history of industrial design ... an encyclopedic survey of the best 19th and 20th century industrial designers. (Zahid Sardar San Francisco Chronicle 20071215)

Smartly written and gorgeously illustrated.... It's the kind of book you'll dip into repeatedly just for fun. (The Week 200711)

Hundreds of large gorgeous photos make this a useful resource and a fun browse. (Metropolis 20071124)

This essential read for designers, or anyone who wants to know more, includes more than 300 colour photographs. (Globe and Mail 200712)

Richly illustrated and elegantly packaged, the book is beautiful enough for the coffee table and encyclopedic in its scope. (Kimberley Brown House and Home 200712)

This hefty tome is a swell start to building your arsenal of cool facts. Conran and Bayley know their stuff. (The Globe and Mail 20080203)

By carefully limiting the number of entries ...the authors [have] lots of room left over for pictures. (Michael Lassell Metropolitan Home 20071209)

Provides an encyclopedic portfolio of iconic modern design, from Johan Vaaler's paper clip to Jonathan Ive's iPod. (Elle Design 20071001)

A comprehensive directory of just about everything related to design and those who create it.... A lovely and valuable book. (Linda Turk Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay) 20071007)

Trace[s] the history of various artistic movements, bringing order to what might seem like an avalanche of design concepts (Grand Magazine 20080531)

This is an eclectic, stylish guidebook of design through the ages. (Martin Cash The Winnipeg Free Press 2008)

[Bayley and Conran] offer readers a crash course in design.... This is no staid or simplistic survey. (Publishersweekly.com 200804)

A lively and opinionated history. The bygone age of enlightened corporate sponsorship gets loving treatment. (Piladas Viladas The New York Times - City Edition 20080401)

[A] delightful survey of designers. Nothing about design escapes the critical gaze of Bayley and Conran. (Reno & Dï¿1/2(c)cor )

A thought-provoking read for design aficionados, techies, and pragmatic consumers alike. (Charleston Magazine )

Nothing about design escapes the critical gaze of Bayley and Conran. (Patrick Tivy Reno and Dï¿1/2(c)cor )

Best feature: A stage-setting series of essays...by Conran and Bayley probing the evolution of design since the 19th century. (Jennifer David House & Home )

This is a solid purchase, especially for its reasonable price and international scope. Summing Up: Recommended. (R. T. Clement, Northwestern University Choice )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (September 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554073103
• ISBN-13: 978-1554073108
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,116,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Expert Advice > Terence Conran

More About the Author

Tom Wolfe said of Mr. Bayley, "I don't know of anybody with more interesting observations about style, taste and contemporary design."

Stephen Bayley is one of the world's best known and outspoken commentators on modern culture, art and design. He contributes regularly to The Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, The Spectator, The Los Angeles Times, High Life, New Statesman, The Independent, and GQ. Cars are on of his many passions, and he has written extensively on automobiles and automobile design for 25 years for both car companies and numerous publications including Car Magazine. He was awarded PPA Columnist of the Year for his car column in (British) GQ.

As a design consultant his clients include: Ford, Absolut Vodka, Volkswagen, Audi, Foster Associates, BMW, the V&A Museum, among others. Former Chief Executive of the Design Museum, the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design, he appears frequently on radio and television, and lectures at museums and universities all over the world. His numerous books include Design: Intelligence Made Visible with co-author Terence Conran, published by Conran Octopus.

Mr. Bayley has been a judge at many national and international design competitions, including Campaign Press Awards, RIBA Architectural Awards, The Building Awards, Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance at Hurlingham, Cartier Style et Luxe at Goodwood, and the BBC Good Food Awards.

In 1989 he was made a Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et Des Lettres, France's top artistic honour, by the French Minister of Culture.

He lives in London.