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posted on November 14 by DesignAddict.
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The book 'Material Matters: New Materials in Design' discusses the vast
range of materials that are available to us today, and highlights the
advances predicted to prove seminal in the future.
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The six chapters are divided by chemical composition—Metals, Glasses, Ceramics, Polymers, Composites and material Futures.
Each
material featured is presented with relevant manufacturer information,
material properties and current and potential applications and includes
the websites of manufacturers and research institutes, making this a
handy reference book for the designer.
Material examples
include the newly developed metallic ‘microlattice’, now the lightest
solid known on earth; Dow Corning’s ‘Deflexion’, a fabric capable of
instantly hardening and Graphene, a material which, at 200 times the
strength of structural steel despite being only one atom thick, has the
potential to revolutionise the field of electronics.
Philip Howes, Materials Scientist and Zoe Laughlin, Creative Director of The Institute of Making, provide explanations of the basic chemical structure of materials—what makes a glass a glass and why not all polymers are plastics. Their discussion of the potentialities of new materials embraces disciplines as disparate as aerospace engineering and medical research, in addition to offering explanations to everyday material conundrums.
Book: Material Matters: New Materials in Design
Authors: Phillip Howes, Zoe Laughlin
Publisher: Black Dog Publishing
tags: glass, ceramic, books, plastic
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posted on August 2 by DesignAddict.
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'The Fashion Resource Book: Research for Design' is a richly illustrated survey and a mine of information about the major themes of fashion, with interviews of leading contemporary designers and education professionals.
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The author Robert Leach, in the fashion business for over 30 years, is associate Lecturer at Central St Martins since 1992 and Senior Lecturer by The University of Westminster since 2002.
He is also a great contributor on Design Addict's forum and we took this opportunity to ask him a few questions:
-Can you explain how you got the idea for this book?
"The idea was born from my recognition, within the academic process, that visual research is becoming more and more important to feed the designer's output. The source books that existed were out-dated and old-fashioned; design students today seek out visually exciting and arresting books and imagery. They are visual people so no amount of text can compensate for a strong visual narrative.
Design, in some respects, has plateaued, so only by developing a sound knowledge of what has gone before, as well as developing one's critical thinking, can design move forward at the pace demanded by this fast-moving global industry.
At the beginning of the writing process I posted about the subject on the Design Addict Forum and both discussed the subject and received valuable input from people working within other design disciplines."
- In your opinion, does research for design has been strongly influenced by the Internet and its easy access to multiple sources of inspiration? What is its impact on the creation?
"The internet can be a useful research tool if one knows how to use it properly, but I don't think it's any substitute for books and primary research. I think one can learn a lot more by, say, visiting a museum or an exhibition than by browsing the net. Images on a screen are no substitute for seeing and handling the real thing."
- Design Addict being a website focused on furniture and product design and knowing that you are very familiar with this area as well, could you tell us whether the research process are very different in fashion design and the other design fields? Doesn't the sustained rate of fashion collections require a more methodical research work?
"Research and development in furniture and product design is usually a slower process; not being driven by the seasonal forces affecting the fashion business, and with the end result having a longer life expectancy, but fundamentally I think the processes are the same; an in-depth knowledge of what has been done before, teamed with a strong working knowledge of materials and technology, both traditional and, especially, any new methods and techniques.
In a world where it can feel like most things have been seen and done the invention of new materials and technology is a very obvious way of driving design forward, as well as the designer’s desire to create, and to convey their ideas in new and exciting forms."
This book will enable readers both to understand the vital role of research and to discover the techniques the designers have adapted for themselves.
Book: The Fashion Resource Book: Research for Design
Author: Robert Leach
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
tags: fashion, textile, books
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posted on February 2 by DesignAddict.
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In her latest book, Judith Gura, a specialist in the history of
interiors and furnishings explains the important movements (Bauhaus,
Postmodernism, High Tech, and Green Design), forms, and furnishings from
the 1950s to the present.
Design After Modernism captures the
range of influences that have spurred new ideas in design and
illustrates many of the most characteristic and most innovative objects
in this diverse mix.
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With the first decade of the twenty-first century behind us, it is
time to reassess the concept of "modern," a term that dates to the
Middle Ages, when it signified current or recent events. Not until the
eighteenth century did it become a stylistic term; more recently it has
generally referred to the aesthetic that evolved from the Bauhaus and
flourished in the mid-twentieth century. Though proclaiming freedom from
the limitations of style, it became as formulaic as most of its
predecessors, as Modern architecture and furnishings conformed to
prescribed specifications: geometric forms, industrially fabricated,
unadorned, and studiously ahistorical.
Curiosity Kitchen, Alexander Pelikan (Netherlands) 2010
Annie, Reestore (United Kingdom) 2001 Repurposed shopping cart
Those guidelines are no longer relevant. As Midcentury Modernism has
receded into history, Modernism has been redefined, reenergized, and in
the process transformed. Today it embraces a cornucopia of design in an
almost limitless range of materials: design studios are laboratories for
experimentation; design concepts can be as important as finished
objects; and furniture has crossed barriers to become a new art form.
Tools and technologies never before possible have provided new
approaches to decoration, and may incorporate influences from the past.
The design profession has broadened its horizons; interiors and
furniture are being created by architects, interior designers, furniture
makers, industrial designers, artisans, artists, and even fashion
designers.
Nomos Dining Table, Norman Foster (United Kingdom) 1989
Lounge Chair, Fabio Lenci (Italy) 1970
Design After Modernism offers an overview of developments in design over
the past four decades-some evolutionary, some expected, and some
extraordinary. It identifies the diverse influences that have generated
new directions in design and illustrates many of the most
characteristic, most noteworthy, and most innovative objects in this
rich and variegated mix. All are representative of their time, and many
of the earlier designs have already gained iconic status. Of the more
recent ones, whether or not they will be admired in decades to come is
something that only time will tell.
Hanging Lamp, Model SP1, Verner Panton (Denmark) 1969
Sushi III Chair, Fernando and Humberto Campana (Brazil) 2002
Book: Design After Modernism: Furniture and Interiors 1970-2010
Author : Judith Gura
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
tags: furniture, lighting, glass, books, plastic, wood
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posted on December 12 by DesignAddict.
The author of the book, Karoll Audibert, is a French graphic designer passionate about unknown creators. In 2007 he finally met Mr. Laporte after a long search. Here is the result of his patient and impressive work.
This is the first book published about Jean-Pierre Laporte, French interior architect and discreet designer not enough known by the general public. "65|75, Jean-Pierre Laporte, dix ans de création" presents his mid-century creations. His work was recently highlighted at the Moby Boom exhibition in Paris, and also in a retrospective at Edouard Edwards Gallery last year.
Graduated from the Ecole Boule and from the Ecole nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Jean-Pierre Laporte discovered furniture design in the late 50's at Thonet where he met Pierre Paulin. He collaborated with Marc Held and Pierre Guariche on interior architecture projects, and launched his own furniture design agency in 1969.
He created some plywood chairs edited by Thonet, before experimenting new plastic materials for the creation of spectacular seats shown at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs. By the end of the 70's, due to the lack of interest of French industrial manufacturers towards the avant-garde furniture, Jean-Pierre Laporte abandoned his personal researches.
Recently, following the new visibility given to his work through this book and various exhibitions, Jean-Pierre Laporte designed new creations that await an editor to see the light.
This book, through numerous photos, drawings, sketches and plans, offers a rediscovery of the work of Jean-Pierre Laporte, whose sculptural creations made in the 60's and 70's already anticipated those of the twenty-first century.
Four famous designers, Jean-Louis Berthet, Michel Boyer, Michel Cadestin and Marc Held, collaborated to this project. They reveal the portrait of a "virtuoso of forms", and reflect a time of great creative freedom.
To order the book at a special price for Design Addict readers, simply email [email protected] with your delivery address.
You can also visit www.laportecreation.com
Book: "65|75, Jean-Pierre Laporte, dix ans de création"
21x21 cm, 132 pages, duotone print in black and metallic blue. Text in French.
Limited edition by Edouard Edward
tags: furniture, books, plastic
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posted on December 28 by DesignAddict.
Abitare: 50 years of design: The best of architecture, interiors, photography, travel and trends 1961-2011
Abitare: 50 Years of Design is the first-ever compilation of the most innovative design magazine of the 1960s and 1970s. Launched in 1961, Abitare is a revolutionary lifestyle magazine, the source of all things hip, important, and avant-garde, covering a wide range of topics including contemporary design, lifestyle, and modern architecture.
Abitare was founded to cover the growing influence of Italian design but also to gather the most interesting trends worldwide, from the mod fashion in London, and the rise of alternative lifestyles in New York and San Francisco, to the development of industrial design in Milan. Classic articles from Abitare are reproduced in full, with their original English and Italian texts, while new essays by noted writers and past editors reflect on the influence of this avant-gardist magazine.
Contributors to the book, including senior curator of Design at the MoMA Paola Antonelli, are all former editors of Abitare, and are now considered arbiters of style and design worldwide. Their new essays, along with the classic original articles reproduced in full in English and Italian constitute an important milestone in the analysis and appreciation of design.
Book for sale on Amazon: Abitare: 50 years of design: The best of architecture, interiors, photography, travel and trends 1961-2011
Edited by Mario Piazza - Rizzoli New York
tags: furniture, magazine, photographs, lighting, books, modern architecture
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posted on October 19 by DesignAddict.
The book explores the language of letters that we see around us everyday, from a comprehensive introduction on the origins of the written word, through to theories such as “The Alphabet Effect”, to exploring coding, decoding and abstraction Alphabets features illustrations, found objects, graphic design, art, conceptual typography, graffiti and more.
To celebrate the book’s release, Black Dog offers you a 40% discount. To order, simply email [email protected] with your delivery address and quote ‘Alphabets Offer’ as the subject of your email.
tags: graphic, books
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posted on September 23 by DesignAddict.
This book brings together contemporary graphic design promoting sustainability and the fight against climate change.
Essays look back in time to posters and ideas that set the stage for the current movement (World War Two posters, images of international cooperation, posters from the environmental movement in the 1960s and 1970s) and address the state of the poster: what is the efficacy and mode of distribution for purposeful, message-oriented graphic images today?
The bulk of the book is given over to a compilation of the best posters on the theme of sustainability by a variety of contemporary artists (both emerging and established), among them Shepard Fairey, Vier5, DJ Spooky, James Victore and Geoff McFetridge. These posters, which have a strong graphic presence and which never rest on the tired slogans of the past ("Save the Earth," etc.), show that graphic design does not passively respond to the zeitgeist--it helps shape it.
The book, which is sustainably printed in the U.S., reproduces 50 of these posters as tear-outs. Also included is a section on action, with documentation of designs at work in the world: on buses, billboards, protesters' placards, graffiti, t-shirts and so on. This movement is about a new form of patriotism, one that exhibits pride of place, but not fear of others.
Book for sale on Amazon: Green Patriot Posters - Images for a New Activism
Edited by Edward Morris, Dmitri Siegel.
Text by Michael Bierut, Thomas L. Friedman, Steven Heller
Edward Morris, Dmitri Siegel (Metropolis Books)
tags: sustainable, graphic, books
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posted on August 11 by DesignAddict.
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The 1960s was an optimistic era of unprecedented change, and its heady
zeitgeist was captured in the amazing range of artwork that adorned the
magazines of the time.
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Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s is a colossal survey of magazine
artwork from the Swinging Sixties. It not only provides revelatory
insight into the extraordinary artistic talents of the illustrators
featured--such as Austin Briggs, Lynn Buckham, Antonio Lopez and Coby
Whitmore--but also tellingly elucidates the social aspirations of this
era of political optimism and sexual freedom.
Featuring over 1,000 inventive and stylistically diverse illustrations, the book traces the decade's dizzyingly swift evolution from the homemaking ethos of romantic coupledom to the stylish liberation of mini-skirted Chelsea girls and the psychedelic palette that evolved towards the decade's close, conjuring a fabulous and euphoric pageant of 1960s pop culture from rediscovered artworks by the very best illustrators of the day.
An inspirational sourcebook for contemporary designers and fans of 1960s culture.
Book for sale on Amazon: Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s - Author: Rian Hughes - Fiell Publishing
tags: graphic, books
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posted on May 31 by DesignAddict.
A leaf of light is thin as a page of a book. It's a rechargeable, wireless OLED light with adjustable brightness, for those who read and travel everywhere.
Designed by Valentina Trimani.
tags: accessories, lighting, books
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posted on May 25 by DesignAddict.
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Exploring Materials invites you to get inspired by physical forms and
substances. Materials are like words. The richer your design vocabulary,
the more design solutions you can see and express.
Foam, mesh, wood, plastic, and wire each have behaviors and properties
that suggest different types of structure, surface, and connection. Each
has its place, consequences, and cost.
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Understanding materials is essential to design, and understanding materials through hands-on experiment is absolutely crucial.
Use this book to begin looking at design with new eyes. Ignore what you already know, and find out how substances such as cardboard, cloth, metal, and rope can yield surprising structures with unexpected functions.
The book opens with case studies of the design process. Lively examples
show how designers can interact with physical materials to jump-start
the course of thinking and inventing and how they can involve real
people and real environments to take a fresh look at real problems.
At the core of the book is a visual glossary of materials, organized both to inspire and inform. Everyday uses of each material are juxtaposed with experimental projects that reveal how designers from around the world have exploited materials in surprising and creative ways. The book concludes with a section on making it real, moving beyond the prototype to create a product that can be manufactured and marketed.
Book for sale on Amazon: Exploring Materials: Creative design for everyday objects
by Ellen Lupton and Inna Alesina (Princeton Architectural Press)
tags: furniture, sustainable, outdoor, fabric, project, textile, books, kids, plastic, wood
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posted on January 21 by DesignAddict.
The Estate of Lester Beall has launched a website about American Graphic Design Pioneer Lester Beall (1903 - 1969).
The Estate of Lester Beall was seeking a web presence with a vintage modern approach. Greg Chinn has found a way to showcase the history of Lester Beall, emphasizing the early developmental career, pioneering work and lifestyle, while adding to the visual language of the time period.
The website was created from a very personal point of view. Greg Chinn is married to the youngest Beall grandaughter and his great respect and affection for the work is evident.
Beall, whose work was considered avant-garde, was the first graphic designer to have a One Man Show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1937, inducted into the Art Director's Club Hall of Fame in 1972 and awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by AIGA in 1993. Design historian, R. Roger Remington has written a book, Lester Beall: Trailblazer of American Graphic Design (1996).
Rural Electrification Administration posters - Series One 1937
The site is framed by the words of Lester’s wife, Dorothy Miller Beall, from the December 1969 issue of the Journal of The American Institute of Graphic Arts. Functioning as a primer to Beall’s work, the website shows salient examples from his iconic portfolio. Viewers can see Beall’s early design work, drawings/paintings from the family's personal collection and peek inside his working Dumbarton Farm design studio in Brookfield, Connecticut.
Rural Electrification Administration posters - Series Three 1947
All pictures © Estate of Lester Beall
tags: internet, graphic, books
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