Objectivity: A Designer's Book of Curious Tools by David Usborne

by David Usborne

Usborne, David

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of single photos of a variety of objects, organized by an interestingly reductive structure of utility: things that hit, that hold, that cut, etc. The photos are good, although in that popular style of "punching out" the object from any background that I really don't care for, and offer great shapes for thinking about design. Most objects are identified, although there are a few mystery-objects included, but descriptions are brief. What elevates it for me from 3-star to 4-star book is the introduction, discussing the nature of collecting and how collections can be organized -- I may want to add that to one of my course syllabi.

[Pablo María Fernández · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book looking for content on or by Thomas Heatherwick. Almost 200 pages of weird-looking tools organized by function: hitting, cutting, gripping, holding, rubbing, shielding, moulding, spreading, and testing. It surprised me that the author didn’t know what many of them were for. I guess with AI today it is easy to find out, but that would destroy the mystery. There is a foreword by Heatherwick, an introduction by the author, and each of the nine sections has its own introduction.

The concept I like the most is the contrast Usborne makes between art and these tools: they don’t want your attention, they don’t have a famous author or celebrity designer, but they fulfill a role. That humility is refreshing in a world of art that tries to make you admire everything an “artist” considers their art. He also mentions Duchamp, Miró and other artists, and once you take a closer look at these objects, you realize how much some of their work visually echoes them.

A good book for leaving on your coffee table. I guess you could even create a game in which you have to discover the functions of a tool (not for kids, because some of the surgical tools are frightening!).

[zzs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reference book for getting ideas, all kinds of ideas.