Design

Design is now one of the world's major industries - from the rarified world of elite designers creating high-end products and environments for wealthy consumers to the increasingly pervasive culture of brand management and mass consumption. The study of Design involves the analysis of both the form, function and style of material artefacts and their ideological, aesthetic, political, cultural, technological and economic contexts. "Design: The Key Concepts" guides the reader through this complex field, carefully illustrating its arguments with case studies and images. As well as examining the contemporary world of design, the book also assesses how design has changed through history, especially since industrialisation, and how writers, theorists and critics have influenced the history of design and its practice. "Design: The Key Concepts" presents a provocative, concise and accessible overview for students coming to Design for the first time.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. The Histories of Design 2. The Properties of Design 3. Design and Identities 4. Design, Institution and Ideologies 5. Design, Consumerism and Consumption 6. Design, Technology and Innovation Conclusion Annotated Guide for Further Reading Questions for class discussion and essays Index

Author Biography

Mark Westgarth is Lecturer in the Dept of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds and also teaches in the Dept of History at Queen Mary, University of London and in the School of Design at the University of Salford. Eleanor Quince lectures in the disciplines of History and Archaeology at the University of Southampton.