An Introduction to Design and Culture: 1900 to the Present by Sparke, Penny (2013) Paperback

by Penny Sparke

An Introduction to Design and Culture provides a comprehensive guide to the changing relationships between design and culture from 1900 to the present day with an emphasis on five main This fourth edition extends the traditional definition of design as covering product design, furniture design, interior design, fashion design and graphic design to embrace its more recent manifestations, which include service design, user-interface design, co-design, and sustainable design, among others. It also discusses the relationship between design and the new media and the effect of globalisation on design.Taking a broadly chronological approach, Professor Sparke employs historical methods to show how these themes developed through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century and played a role within modernism, postmodernism and beyond. Over a hundred illustrations are used throughout to demonstrate the breadth of design and examples – among them design in Modern China, the work of Apple Computers Ltd., and design thinking – are used to elaborate key ideas. The new edition remains essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of design studies, cultural studies and visual arts.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Art, Reference

Paperback

First published July 1, 2004

About the author

Penelope Anne Sparke is a writer and academic who specializes in the history of design. She is a Professor of Design History at Kingston University, London, where she is also Director of the Modern Interiors Research Centre.

Sparke received her B.A. in French Literature and her P.G.C.E. in Education from Sussex University, and her Ph.D. in Design History from Brighton Polytechnic.

Reviews

[Marta]

Very good research, but poorly executed. However, I would recomment it to anyone who's interested in the way design has influenced our everyday lives. But beware, the writing style makes it quite difficult to go through.

[Hayden]

In this brief but powerful read, Penny Sparke expertly outlines the major influences and stakeholders in the world of 20th century design. The book contains a rather exhaustive list of resources for further investigation, which is good for a scholar but perhaps boring for the lay reader. Sparke is doubtless a bookshelf name for anyone attempting to understand how design arrived at its present context.

[Emily]

I read this for an interior design class. It’s not a bad book, but so grew bored of it fast.

[⌦K8U]

for fall2023 history of design class---forgot to log.

[mahatmanto]

standard deh...

[Em]

Reads like a textbook, but it's not bad for a textbook! :)