Spoon [Paperback]

Editors of Phaidon Press (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

Spoon presents the work of 100 product designers, selected by 10 critics, educators, designers and entrepreneurs who are all involved in innovative developments in contemporary design. Essentially an exhibition in a book, it provides an overview of the product design world and presents the most forward-looking and ground-breaking designers of today. The different kinds of objects illustrated - from furniture to tools, from high-tech products to cars and motorcycles - make up a wide collection of what is today considered good design. Spoon is a comprehensive view of new product design, presenting the work of 100 exceptional international designers who have emerged on an international platform in the last five years, selected by 10 critics, designers and entrepreneurs who are highly respected for their informed opinion on the international contemporary design scene. It provides a unique opportunity to see a diverse collection of recent design projects that includes a whole range of objects: furniture, lighting, tools, utensils, high-tech products, machinery and so on. The designers are listed in alphabetical order featuring two double-page spreads for each, with recent, exemplary pro

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'If you care about what's great in contemporary product design and you want a reason to buy Spoon, you've got exactly 100.' Blueprint magazine 'Definitely the book to have for anyone practicing, curious about, interested in or just plain infatuated with industrial design.' i-D magazine 'Where once "product design" incorporated little more than furniture and lighting, we now live in a designed world - a point clearly reflected in the diverse range of products included in Spoon.' Graphics International (now grafik)"

About the Author

Ron Arad is a designer and Professor of Design Products at the Royal College of Art, London Giulio Cappellini is the CEO of the furniture manufacturer Cappellini, Italy Ultan Guilfoyle is Director of Film & Video Production at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in New York and was the curator of the landmark travelling exhibition, 'The Art of the Motorcycle' (1998) Brooke Hodge is the Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Laura Houseley is Architecture and Design Editor at Wallpaper* magazine, London Hansjerg Maier-Aichen was the founder of Authentics plastic manufacturer and is Professor of Product Design at the Hochschule fur Gestaltung, Karlsruhe. Ryu Niimi is Professor of Arts Policy and Management at Musashino Art University Ramon Ubeda is a critic and a regular contributor to El Pais, Ardi and De Diseno, Barcelona Lisa White is Editor-in-Chief of Bloom, INview and View on Colour, and Director of the publishing company United Publishers, Paris Stefan Ytterborn is design manager of Ytterborn & Fuentes Corporate Design in Stockholm, a leading Scandinavian design consultancy

Product Details

• Paperback: 444 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714844551
• ISBN-13: 978-0714844558
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,830,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5 star content no star for the packaging, December 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Spoon (Hardcover)

The designers work showcased in Spoon is great, and is the best collection of up to date design that I have seen. The work in Spoon is mostly product and furniture design. This book is a great addition to any industrial designers library for content alone.

The cover and binding design is the stupidest I have ever seen. Spoon is the least functional book I have ever used. It has a heavyweight, sharp edged, curved metal cover. Spoon doesn't fit in a bookcase, and is not sturdy enough to leave out on a table. Upon a few passes through, this book that cost $75, began to fall apart. If a guest picks it up I have to tell them to be careful, so as not to rip it. Spoon catches on some knit surfaces and is sure to scratch your bookcase if it is made of wood.

The form of the book is nice, and could have worked nicely if one of the designers featured inside worked on the outside packaging. Spoon nests on your lap when opened thanks to the wave shape of the cover, then it slips off thanks to the nature of the material and its protective coating.

It should have had a soft but durable cover with more welcoming lighter materials. Phaidon must have gone with the packaging they did so SPOON would stand out at book stores, attract more attention, and sell more copies. It is to bad for the consumer that they didn't choose a different way to do so.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the space on your book shelf, September 4, 2007

By 

N. VanLaanen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spoon (Hardcover)

The book is large, heavy and hard to handle while reading. The designs are unfinished, unpolished, and unsophisticated. The images are dark and poor. Being a designer I have numerous books on the subject and was terribly disappointed in this book!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have, October 18, 2009

By 

Andrea Schwartz "Andrea" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spoon (Paperback)

I loaned the original metal cover one years ago, and I just had to get it again. It is definitely something you want to have if you are interested in modern design.