Synopses & Reviews
The vivid kaleidoscope of contemporary design comes alive in this whopper of a book. World Design offers an A-to-Z encyclopedia of the greatest designers of the last century, featuring 1000 color photographs of their most distinctive pieces in a tour-de-force visual gallery. Nearly a hundred subchapters discussing styles, movements, and innovations help put a remarkable century of design in context. An invaluable source for the design professional or student and a pure visual delight, World Design is an informative, economical, and entertaining design compendium like no other.
Review
This book is a wonderful reminder that good design knows no boundariesformal, cultural, or otherwise. Instead of focusing on one particular medium (fashion, graphics, decorative arts) or a specific coterie of designers (French, Italian, Swedish), the authors have chosen to do them all. The result is a visual extravaganza of twentieth-century design in all disciplines and from around the worlds. It is a heady experience to see showcased in one book classic modernist furniture designs by the French master Le Corbusier next to the wold contemporary fashion of Japanese designer Issey Miyake or the cyclone vacuum cleaner designed by John Dyson next to dinnerware by Kaj Franck. The authors have also taken great care to include late '90s creations, such as the new Volkswagen Beetle and the iMac computer, making this book a truly comprehensive overview of twentieth-century design. Organized by designer, in an easy-to-read A-Z format, each entry includes a short text on the designer's background in and contribution to modern design as well as photo samples of the most representative works. An indispensable reference for professionals, students, and aficionados of contemporary design.
Synopsis
Pixis and Abendroth present the best in classic and contemporary furniture, fashion, graphics, and more. Featured designers include Philippe Starck, Alvar Aalto, Ron Arad, and others. 1,000 full-color images.
About the Author
Christian Pixis is a publisher and writer whose most recent work is a book on Henri Cartier-Bresson. He lives in Munich, Germany.
Uta Abendroth is an art and design historian who has written numerous articles for European publications and edits the German magazine Architecture and Living. She lives in Hamburg, Germany.