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The Story of Design
Design is a multi-disciplined approach to problem-solving that has always uniquely reflected humankind's aspirations, needs and desires. It has both shaped and mirrored the spirit of our times. 'The Story of Design' is a fascinating multi-stranded account that is truly comprehensive in its scope, introducing the styles, movements, theories, materials, processes, technologies, leading practitioners and companies that have shaped modern design into what it is today. Contextualizing developments in design with regard to wider social, cultural and political matters, this is an indispensable overview of creative endeavour in the pursuit of the better-designed product.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2013
18 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Fiell
108 books25 followersCharlotte Fiell is a leading authority on the history, theory and criticism of design and, to date, has written 60 books on the subject.
Charlotte initially studied at Heatherley School of Fine Art in London and then later at the British Institute in Florence. She subsequently took a BA(Hons) degree in the History of Drawing and Printmaking with Material Science at Camberwell College of Arts (UAL), London. Following on from this, she trained at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London.
Charlotte initially studied at Heatherley School of Fine Art in London and then later at the British Institute in Florence. She subsequently took a BA(Hons) degree in the History of Drawing and Printmaking with Material Science at Camberwell College of Arts (UAL), London. Following on from this, she trained at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 25, 2018
Замечательная книга, подробно рассказывающая об эволюции дизайна.
Жаль только, что на новое (наше) время выделили всего лишь одну главу и мало что осветили (хотя после 2000 года самый пик пошел из-за новых технологий, развития веб-дизайна как такового — о нем вообще упомянули вкратце).
P.s. По истории дизайна меня очень порадовали лекции от openedu.ru, в той же приятной и понятной манере мне все объяснили и показали.
Жаль только, что на новое (наше) время выделили всего лишь одну главу и мало что осветили (хотя после 2000 года самый пик пошел из-за новых технологий, развития веб-дизайна как такового — о нем вообще упомянули вкратце).
P.s. По истории дизайна меня очень порадовали лекции от openedu.ru, в той же приятной и понятной манере мне все объяснили и показали.
June 27, 2022
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Хороших зарубежных книг по искусству крайне мало. Я имею в виду книг типа книги Гомбриха «История искусства». Но ещё меньше существует таких книг по дизайну. Редким исключением является эта книга. Возможно, на русском языке, это единственная книга, которую можно сравнить с книгой Гомбриха «История искусства».
Книга «История дизайна» очень похожа на вышеназванную книгу Гомбриха. Книга начинается с каменного века, ведь именно с появлением первых инструментов и первого оружия (лук, стрелы, топор и пр.) и ведёт свою историю дизайн. Хотя многие люди думают, что дизайн появился совсем недавно и что дизайн – это про красоту. На самом деле дизайн – это создание человеком предметов, начиная со спички и стула и заканчивая современными компьютерами. Дизайн, искусство и архитектура – это то, что появилось сразу с появлением первых людей. И, кстати говоря, все три компонента – дизайн, искусство и архитектура – так или иначе, дошли до наших дней. И в этой книге по истории дизайна и в книге Гомбриха «История искусства» и в книге «World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History» по истории архитектуры (книга не переведена на русский), авторы предлагают читателям фотографии самых первых человеческих предметов в этих трёх сферах. Но, как можно понять, много до наших дней не сохранилось, поэтому большая часть книги «История дизайна» начинается с нового времени, т.е. с началом эпохи появления нынешних США и с началом промышленной революции. Да, авторы осветят и древние времена, и средневековье, но только сделают это мельком. Главным образом их внимание будет сфокусировано на эпохах, начиная с промышленной революции, которая стала главным мотором современного дизайна, ведь именно промышленная революция создала возможность для массового производства товаров, т.е. появились товары массового спроса. Эти товары стали доступны множеству людям, а не только представителям аристократии, духовенства и богатого купечества (торговцы). С тем самым пор дизайн стал востребован массами, а не единичными заказчиками. Авторы очень хорошо расписывают основные события в мире дизайна, особо фокусируясь на таких знаковых предметах как мебель и в частности - стулья; оружие или потребности военной промышленности; транспорт.
Как и книга Гомбриха «История искусства», книга «История дизайна» не только невероятно тяжела физически, ибо содержит 500 страниц, но и напечатана на специальной, очень дорогой бумаге. А причина этого – иллюстрации. Огромное количество иллюстрация были включены авторами в эту книгу. Можно даже сказать, что книга на 40% состоит из иллюстраций. И эти иллюстрации просто потрясающие, они великолепного качества и чрезвычайно помогают донести суть написанного. Эти иллюстрации – огромный плюс книги, хоть и делают книгу неподъёмной. Да, книгу можно читать только дома.
Некоторые читатели говорят, что эта книга являет хороший пример «Coffee table book». Возможно. Авторы не претендуют на серьёзный глубокий анализ истории дизайна. Эта книга для людей, которые не знают о дизайне и об истории дизайна ровным счётом ничего. Так что эта книга является прекрасным подарком тем, кто ничего не знает о дизайне, но хотел бы получить хотя бы базовые знания на эту тему. Другими словами, эта книга является прекрасным введением в дизайн. Да, для более глубокого погружения в тему потребуются другие книги. Но даже то, что эта книга способна объяснить, будет уже достаточно для общего понимания того, что такое дизайн и каковы его цели.
There are very few good foreign books on art. I mean, books like Gombrich's History of Art. But there are even fewer such books on design. The rare exception is this book. Perhaps, in Russian, it is the only book that can be compared to Gombrich's History of Art.
The book "Story of Design" is very similar to the aforementioned Gombrich book. The book begins with the Stone Age, for it is with the appearance of the first tools and the first weapons that design leads its history. Although, many people think that design appeared quite recently and that design is about beauty. In fact, design is about the human creation of objects, from matchsticks and chairs to modern computers. Design, art, and architecture are things that came into existence immediately with the appearance of the first humans. And, by the way, all three components-design, art, and architecture-have survived to this day, in one way or another. In both this book on design history and Gombrich's History of Art and the book World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History on architectural history, the authors offer readers photographs of the earliest human objects in these three realms. But, as one can understand, many things have not survived to the present day, so most of the book "Story of Design" begins with the new times, that is, with the beginning of the era of the emergence of the current United States and with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Yes, the authors will cover both ancient times and the Middle Ages, but only in glimpses. Their main focus will be on the eras, starting with the Industrial Revolution, which became the main engine of modern design because it was the Industrial Revolution that created the opportunity for mass production of goods, i.e., mass-market goods appeared. These goods became available to many people, not just members of the aristocracy, the clergy, and the merchant class. Since then, design has been in demand by the masses rather than a single customer. The authors are very good at describing major developments in the world of design, focusing, particularly, on such iconic objects as furniture, and in particular - chairs; weapons, or the needs of the military industry; transport.
Like Gombrich's History of Art, the Story of Design is not only heavy (physically), for it contains 500 pages, but also printed on special and expensive paper. And the reason for that is the illustrations. A huge number of illustrations have been included, by the authors, in this book. You could even say that the book consists of 40% of illustrations. And these illustrations are amazing; they are of great quality and extremely helpful in conveying the essence of what is written. These illustrations are a huge plus for the book, even though they make the book too heavy. Yes, the book can only be read at home.
Some readers say this book is a good example of a "Coffee table book." Perhaps. The authors do not claim a serious in-depth analysis of design history. This book is for people who know nothing about design or the history of design. So this book is a great gift for people who know nothing about design but would like to get at least a basic knowledge of the subject. In other words, this book is an excellent introduction to design. Yes, other books would be needed to delve deeper into the subject. But even what this book is able to explain will already be enough for a general understanding of what design is and what its goals are.
Хороших зарубежных книг по искусству крайне мало. Я имею в виду книг типа книги Гомбриха «История искусства». Но ещё меньше существует таких книг по дизайну. Редким исключением является эта книга. Возможно, на русском языке, это единственная книга, которую можно сравнить с книгой Гомбриха «История искусства».
Книга «История дизайна» очень похожа на вышеназванную книгу Гомбриха. Книга начинается с каменного века, ведь именно с появлением первых инструментов и первого оружия (лук, стрелы, топор и пр.) и ведёт свою историю дизайн. Хотя многие люди думают, что дизайн появился совсем недавно и что дизайн – это про красоту. На самом деле дизайн – это создание человеком предметов, начиная со спички и стула и заканчивая современными компьютерами. Дизайн, искусство и архитектура – это то, что появилось сразу с появлением первых людей. И, кстати говоря, все три компонента – дизайн, искусство и архитектура – так или иначе, дошли до наших дней. И в этой книге по истории дизайна и в книге Гомбриха «История искусства» и в книге «World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History» по истории архитектуры (книга не переведена на русский), авторы предлагают читателям фотографии самых первых человеческих предметов в этих трёх сферах. Но, как можно понять, много до наших дней не сохранилось, поэтому большая часть книги «История дизайна» начинается с нового времени, т.е. с началом эпохи появления нынешних США и с началом промышленной революции. Да, авторы осветят и древние времена, и средневековье, но только сделают это мельком. Главным образом их внимание будет сфокусировано на эпохах, начиная с промышленной революции, которая стала главным мотором современного дизайна, ведь именно промышленная революция создала возможность для массового производства товаров, т.е. появились товары массового спроса. Эти товары стали доступны множеству людям, а не только представителям аристократии, духовенства и богатого купечества (торговцы). С тем самым пор дизайн стал востребован массами, а не единичными заказчиками. Авторы очень хорошо расписывают основные события в мире дизайна, особо фокусируясь на таких знаковых предметах как мебель и в частности - стулья; оружие или потребности военной промышленности; транспорт.
Как и книга Гомбриха «История искусства», книга «История дизайна» не только невероятно тяжела физически, ибо содержит 500 страниц, но и напечатана на специальной, очень дорогой бумаге. А причина этого – иллюстрации. Огромное количество иллюстрация были включены авторами в эту книгу. Можно даже сказать, что книга на 40% состоит из иллюстраций. И эти иллюстрации просто потрясающие, они великолепного качества и чрезвычайно помогают донести суть написанного. Эти иллюстрации – огромный плюс книги, хоть и делают книгу неподъёмной. Да, книгу можно читать только дома.
Некоторые читатели говорят, что эта книга являет хороший пример «Coffee table book». Возможно. Авторы не претендуют на серьёзный глубокий анализ истории дизайна. Эта книга для людей, которые не знают о дизайне и об истории дизайна ровным счётом ничего. Так что эта книга является прекрасным подарком тем, кто ничего не знает о дизайне, но хотел бы получить хотя бы базовые знания на эту тему. Другими словами, эта книга является прекрасным введением в дизайн. Да, для более глубокого погружения в тему потребуются другие книги. Но даже то, что эта книга способна объяснить, будет уже достаточно для общего понимания того, что такое дизайн и каковы его цели.
There are very few good foreign books on art. I mean, books like Gombrich's History of Art. But there are even fewer such books on design. The rare exception is this book. Perhaps, in Russian, it is the only book that can be compared to Gombrich's History of Art.
The book "Story of Design" is very similar to the aforementioned Gombrich book. The book begins with the Stone Age, for it is with the appearance of the first tools and the first weapons that design leads its history. Although, many people think that design appeared quite recently and that design is about beauty. In fact, design is about the human creation of objects, from matchsticks and chairs to modern computers. Design, art, and architecture are things that came into existence immediately with the appearance of the first humans. And, by the way, all three components-design, art, and architecture-have survived to this day, in one way or another. In both this book on design history and Gombrich's History of Art and the book World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History on architectural history, the authors offer readers photographs of the earliest human objects in these three realms. But, as one can understand, many things have not survived to the present day, so most of the book "Story of Design" begins with the new times, that is, with the beginning of the era of the emergence of the current United States and with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Yes, the authors will cover both ancient times and the Middle Ages, but only in glimpses. Their main focus will be on the eras, starting with the Industrial Revolution, which became the main engine of modern design because it was the Industrial Revolution that created the opportunity for mass production of goods, i.e., mass-market goods appeared. These goods became available to many people, not just members of the aristocracy, the clergy, and the merchant class. Since then, design has been in demand by the masses rather than a single customer. The authors are very good at describing major developments in the world of design, focusing, particularly, on such iconic objects as furniture, and in particular - chairs; weapons, or the needs of the military industry; transport.
Like Gombrich's History of Art, the Story of Design is not only heavy (physically), for it contains 500 pages, but also printed on special and expensive paper. And the reason for that is the illustrations. A huge number of illustrations have been included, by the authors, in this book. You could even say that the book consists of 40% of illustrations. And these illustrations are amazing; they are of great quality and extremely helpful in conveying the essence of what is written. These illustrations are a huge plus for the book, even though they make the book too heavy. Yes, the book can only be read at home.
Some readers say this book is a good example of a "Coffee table book." Perhaps. The authors do not claim a serious in-depth analysis of design history. This book is for people who know nothing about design or the history of design. So this book is a great gift for people who know nothing about design but would like to get at least a basic knowledge of the subject. In other words, this book is an excellent introduction to design. Yes, other books would be needed to delve deeper into the subject. But even what this book is able to explain will already be enough for a general understanding of what design is and what its goals are.
May 16, 2017
Really solid coffee table book. Each section is rather short (between 5 and 10 paragraphs per section). The size of the book is daunting, but the short chapters are encouraging. It is full of fascinating images (and the glossy paper they use smells divine!). The content ranges from ancient times (yes, more ancient than the Romans and Egyptians) and covers into the modern era. Overall a great book. Not one you can read in one sitting, but one that you can have on your table for years and enjoy in short bits at a time.
Side note: I borrow 99% of my books from the library (including this one), but I intend to save up enough to purchase a copy for my own bookshelf.
Side note: I borrow 99% of my books from the library (including this one), but I intend to save up enough to purchase a copy for my own bookshelf.
April 18, 2018
I think this book is mind-revealing. It's like finding something precious inside a rusty box named "architectural student compartment" in my small and empty brain. So, if you once a design-related student and have lost your passion, try read this book. You will find delicious super-food for your rusty designer body and served in a bite size. Enjoy it.
July 28, 2021
Fantastic despite its Eurocentrcism. Wish these two would write the Asian-African-Middle Eastern prequel...
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September 11, 2021i need a free copy please
June 15, 2022
A great book for designers and everyone who work in arts field. It's a must read and contains basic knowledge for you.
July 9, 2022
Очень полезная и интересная книга!
March 22, 2024
Ok- by the very name of this book- this is attempting to cover an absurd amount of ground. They (my edition lists the authors as Charlotte and Peter Fiell) note in their introduction that their focus will mainly cover areas that underwent the most rapid industrialization/were the industrial/cultural/militaristic hubs of their eras, but, even with that caveat, this book tries to tackle basically any form of man made objects (architecture, vehicles, household goods, military equipment, furniture, artwork, printed materials, etc, etc, etc, etc) for mankind's history.
As you would expect, they do a massive amount of summary for most design work up to the industrial era. From them on, they focus mainly on the main design movements within different countries (mostly Britian, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries in Europe, Japan and (to a lesser extent) China in Asia, and the United States) in increasingly smaller and smaller chunks of time. With this kind of focus, I felt like I was both covering way too much information, and only getting the most high level and basic understanding of it. It seemed like an Intro or Survey class in college. Something that just gives you the names/dates/broad concepts of movements like De Stilj in the Netherlands or Art Noueveau in France but just providing the leading figures of this, some notes on common aspects of the artwork/designs and some images of classic examples.
The images were my favorite part of this book. Honestly, if you are just looking for something to skim through, this would be an excellent coffee table book. There are hundreds of examples shown- many that were inspiring even without the context of where they came from/how they were a response to past or present designs. Although I was somewhat dissapointed by the scope of the book, I would say it would be a nice gift for anyone interested in design history, art history, or I guess just visually appealing history books.
As you would expect, they do a massive amount of summary for most design work up to the industrial era. From them on, they focus mainly on the main design movements within different countries (mostly Britian, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries in Europe, Japan and (to a lesser extent) China in Asia, and the United States) in increasingly smaller and smaller chunks of time. With this kind of focus, I felt like I was both covering way too much information, and only getting the most high level and basic understanding of it. It seemed like an Intro or Survey class in college. Something that just gives you the names/dates/broad concepts of movements like De Stilj in the Netherlands or Art Noueveau in France but just providing the leading figures of this, some notes on common aspects of the artwork/designs and some images of classic examples.
The images were my favorite part of this book. Honestly, if you are just looking for something to skim through, this would be an excellent coffee table book. There are hundreds of examples shown- many that were inspiring even without the context of where they came from/how they were a response to past or present designs. Although I was somewhat dissapointed by the scope of the book, I would say it would be a nice gift for anyone interested in design history, art history, or I guess just visually appealing history books.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews