Great Designs: The World's Best Design Explored and Explained

by Philip Wilkinson

A lavishly illustrated guide to the history of design, this book showcases more than 100 of the most groundbreaking and important design classics ever created - from the 1860s to the present.

Discover the story of design and its evolution from the industrial revolution to the modern day - from William Morris wallpaper and the Swiss Army Knife to 21st-century icons of design such as the Apple iPad and Philippe Starck's Masters Chair.

With stunning photography and useful explanatory pull-outs of characteristic features, each entry shows you the numerous ways in which art and engineering have created products that are both functional and beautiful. Comprehensive profiles of each celebrated design explain why each one was created, and who for, and how innovations in technology and materials made its creation possible.

Covering design from the everyday to the avant-garde, and from interior design to furniture, glassware, tableware, textiles, cars, electronics, and graphics, Great Designs is perfect for anyone who loves beautiful objects.

Genres: Art, Design, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2013

About the author

Philip Wilkinson (born 1955) is the author of non-fiction books for children and adults. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He worked as an editor prior to becoming an author.

He specializes in works on history, the arts, religion, and architecture and has written over forty titles.

Reviews

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

1860-1919
Bentwood chair model 14, Michael Thonet
Fruit wallpaper, William Morris
Tiffany lamp, Clara Driscoll

1920-1929
L’élégance perfume bottle, Rene Lalique
Silver pitcher, Johan Rohde
Nord express poster, A.M.Cassandre

1930-1939
Moka express coffee-maker, Alfonso Bialetti
Anglepoise lamp, George Carwardine

1940-1954
Birch platter, Tapio Wirkkala
Kilta tableware, Kaj Frank

1955-1959
Lounge Chair 670 and ottoman, Charle and Ray Eames
Egg chair, Arne Jacobsen
Cadillac series 62, Harley Earl

1960-1969
Valentine typewriter, Ettore Sottsass
Tizio desk lamp, Richard Sapper
Suomi tableware, Timo Sarpaneva

1980-1995
Vermalha chair, Fernando and Humberto Campagna

1996-present
Spun chair, Thomas Heatherwick

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic trip through different stars of design from 1860 - present. Things like the Butterfly Stool, the Apple Vase, the Artichoke Lamp, the Panton chair, the Vermelha chair, the Ericsson telephone - the inventiveness of the designers is wonderful. To think that all the objects in our lives come first from the mind of a maker who tries to combine form and function, that they have been formed and re-formed, adapted and re-imagined over time - is a subject both educational and inspiring.

[Phil Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good all-round coverage of 20th century design. It was given to me as a birthday gift, and I have dipped into it on occasion, hence the long reading time. Being aware of most of the content from having been a design educator, I found it to be interesting but not revelatory. I would recommend it to anyone who wanted a general introduction to this field.

[ZZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspirational book that helps you make sense of what good design is all about.