... took a graduate class "The History of Design" and enjoyed it tremendously
357893
Many years ago I took a graduate class "The History of Design" and enjoyed it tremendously. I was thrilled to find this book covers the entirety of the course as I remember it-- (not surprisingly, I found the professor who taught my class, Victor Margolin, is referenced in the bibiography).
"The Story of Design" is a phenomenal summary of the history of design and an excellent reference book.
3783678
I have to say I'm a fan of Steve Heller. And a little envious of his acquaintances... Gee, tell me somebody else who's friends with Sagmeister, Schwast, Glaser... this guy is incredible!

Regarding the book, Heller conscripted his friends to single out their favorite design piece. Some classics appeared, obviously, and some shady ones as well, what is great. As a designer, it's really fun to see what other designers like, and see how most of the choices relate to the actual work produced by them. Baantjes, for example, cites a 16th century mosque as her favorite piece of design - totally in line with her virtuoso style.

So, Steve, another one to you man, congrats!

Patrick
907852
Although I received my Ph. D. several years ago, I very much enjoyed  reading this book.  It definitely provoked a lot of memories!  Although  prospective and current graduate students certainly will value the book, I  think it also is of value to current graduate student mentors.  Professors  too often "forget" what life is like as a graduate student, and  what their role should be in fostering learning in their students.  This  book does a great job of putting the professor/student relationship in  perspective.
333739
First, the photos in this book are gorgeous. Clear, sharp, and laid out well. The accompanying text gives a bit of background on the designer, sometimes their inspiration, along with the materials used. It spans most of the last century of design and leans more toward the cleaner designs (i.e. straight/smooth lines, soft curves, minimalism) with a few bold designs thrown in. Subjects range from the telephone, to appliances, to furniture. This is a book which one can casually thumb through for inspiration, or read to kick off their research into a particular design or designer.

One note I would add is that aesthetics are subjective and what's great design to one may not be great design to another. That said, some may quirk an eyebrow to a few of the included designs (specifically in the furniture department), and may wonder why a few other designs/designers were omitted. Overall, though, this makes for a great coffee table book and introduction to design in general.
2702424
When I graduated from design school I had all the tools I needed to make my clothes, except that I never used a home sewing machine. I saw this book advertised in the back of a sewing magazine and by the title and brief description I thought it would give tips and hints for taming the bobbin, tension, etc.

The book came and lo & behold it was a drafting & design how to. I should have been disappointed being that I had a suitcase full of textbooks on this, but after flipping through the pages I was intrigued. I decided to follow the steps to this design then that- and found I enjoyed this book even more than my terribly expensive texts written by industry giants.

Something about the way the author wrote - it was as if a family member was passing on her knowledge. After a month or two of wearing my designs I was asked to make things for my friends, and then their friends. No matter what they drew or asked for I was able to find a way to draft it because of this book. It was the only one I needed to take from the shelf. Well that was 20 years ago, and now that my son is a teen I want to teach my self to design again.

A few years ago I lost all my books when a pick-up turned my living room into a drive-through.  The only good pattern drafting book I need to replace is this one. Think about that- I attended a good design school, had access to books costing $100-200 each, and the one I really want is available for about $20. That's how good I feel this book is.
3784946
We were very pleased with our choice of this 'coffee table' book for my daughter's graduation gift.  She recently graduated from UT of Texas in Austin with her degree in fashion and women's gender studies and this was awesome with not only its fashion history but lovely color examples of dresses spanning 50 years of fashion in Hollywood and around the world.  I've even thought about getting one for myself.........great book!
2695367
When I was studying architecture at the beginning of the 1970's Modernism had vanquished the field and reigned supreme.  Although there were rare whispered references to the Beaux Arts, it was common knowledge that historicism had been dealt its final blow by the end of the Great Depression.

Although since that time I have discovered many of the major Classical architectural practitioners of architecture in the United States prior to the succssion of Modernism and that rare American Gothicist, Ralph Adams Cram, I was entirely ignorant of the British scene.  Thus, this book came as a refreshing surprise to me.  I was delighted to discover an architect so courageous as to resist the hatred and scorn of his contemporaries in order to pursue his vision of Gothic beauty.

As an architectural conservator, I must admit to having mixed feeling about Dykes Bower's renovations of Victorian churches and fittings.  However, I applaud his audacious creativity in breathing life into a style considered to be entirely outside the pale of the living.

Although this book is relatively brief, it is as comprehensive as one could possibly desire, given the sad facts of an architectural practice limited by the economic realities of the Great Depression and World War II in addition to the mockery, hatred, and scorn of his colleagues in the architectural profession.

I highly recommend this book.
1970987
This book gives a wonderful history of the Mechanical Engineering Dept at Purdue, and of Purdue in general. The essays give a rich history, and the photographs are chosen well to tell the story. I especially enjoyed finally learning who Michael Golden was (for whom  Michael Golden Labs are named) and his colorful personality.
4361197
I really learned a lot from this book.  I can't think of any reason to give it less than 5 stars.

It's a great overview of a field I'm not particularly familiar with, so I can't comment about the choice of topics.  However, what is covered is covered rather effectively.  There are wonderful examples throughout to concretize the principles illustrated.

The author has a clear perspective on what good and bad design is, and it was very tastefully done.  It doesn't come across as derogatory even when criticizing a particular approach or product.  It's always a learning experience to read through an example you're already familiar with.

This book helped me to see design as a sort of science with many useful principles.  It won't make me good at design per se, but there was enough practical suggestions that it'll greatly improve the apps I write for fun.  And the theory also serves as a good context for the practical advice.  They're connected very well, with a good mix of each.
3821428
I've heard Prof. Duggan give talks on this book twice in the past year or so, and I've also studied the book in detail (It is a very popular course in the Columbia B-School curriculum as well). I think it provides a great high-level overview of the creative process, something that is admittedly difficult to get our arms around. By exploring examples from military history to the art world to the formation of world-changing companies, Duggan keeps us enthralled while offering a different approach for tackling our own creative challenges. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
2199402
I rented this book for a graduate class I am taking and I've never, ever in my life - and I'm an adult student - ever wanted to keep a text book after the class was over, but this one I loved!  It's a wonderful historic piece about medicine and healthcare through the ages and was highly informative!
1692224
Comprehensive, readable, enjoyable.  Recommended to me by a professor of architectural history. A great read!  Recommended for anyone interested in a long term review of architecture, technology and design tools.
3074928
I've admired Stefan's work since my first days in design school. The first time I had Made you look in my hands, I was shocked and deeply impressed to feel, really feel something while reading about and looking at someone's work.

Now, almost five years after that experience I finally got my copy of Things I have learned in my life so far (I live in Mexico) and I just felt thrilled like a teenager while reading it (even while opening the box).

This is not a book for designers, its more an inspiring piece that really makes you think about your life and how you reflect what you believe in in your work and personal relations. (and for designers, your jaw will fall at the sight of every poster, installation and spread included in it)

Visually amusing, beautifully designed, touching and really really inspiring. Get it before it reaches $195, just like Made You Look.
127239
The Ghosts of Berlin is an awesomely comprehensive history of the built environment of Berlin.  Intelligent without being snooty, in most cases, this is one of the best guides out there.

Having studied under Ladd at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, I can assure you that this book is excellent in every way.  As a textbook, it is comparatively inexpensive and information-laden.  As a casual read, it is detailed without being dry and tedious.

A must-have for anyone interested in the effect of design on history and society (and vice-versa).
1330218
I teach a class on drawing and design, and I could never find the right book for my students until I came across The Artist's Design.  There are plenty of how-to books out there, but none of them tackles what is frankly an intimidating subject for many in quite the same clear, logical manner.  From the initial discussion of what design is all about and what tools the artist has, right through to an exploration of some of the classic structures, she makes my students feel like insiders working alongside the masters of the past. Her dozens of examples from centuries ago right through to the present are both riveting and revealing.
449792
I teach from Barry's What It Is in almost every class, so it was with surprise and pleasure that I picked up a book called, of all things, Syllabus. I wasn't disappointed. A series of Barry's actual syllabi comprise text, filled out by samples of student work and her own notes and reflections, often written on top of or in the margins of other content. To understand how joyful this is to read, you have to appreciate that a "syllabus" in Barry's inspired hands is very different from what your freshman year history teacher handed out. Each one is a work of art and mind, a visual brainstorm that includes instructions for following along the journey with Barry's invisible class. "Samples of student work" = pages of demented beavers and interpretative Batmans. To follow the text all the way through is to prove Barry's basic thesis, that "good" art and alive art are not always the same thing, and that in the stumbling process of trying something out for the first time (e.g. drawing or storytelling), we often create more powerful work than those with years of training. For artists, writers, teachers and anyone interested in how the creative brain works, I highly recommend this book as a source of material, inspiration and encouragement.
797689
Can one design an "ideal city"?  A virtual metropolitan utopia, where all residents can live in peace and harmony?  Well, many people throughout history have thought so, and designed detailed plans for creating such a city; and in some cases, these plans have even been put into place (not always according to the exact specifications of the designer, however).

Ruth Eaton's book is a wonderful (to call it "richly illustrated" is an understatement) presentation of this dream.  Although there were some depictions of the earthly "ideal" in, say, the Middle Ages (usually contrasted with the glories of Heaven), it was with the Renaissance that such dreams really began to multiply, even as the concept of "utopia" in literature (e.g.,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Thomas-More-s-Utopia/dp/1604500301/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Thomas More's Utopia</a>,"&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Francis-Bacon-Essays-and-New-Atlantis/dp/B000ZZZKXC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Francis Bacon Essays and New Atlantis</a>) began to develop.  Everything had its place, from the vast quarters for the king, to the church.

The book then traces the ideal being exported to the New World (often with new cities being planned along a rigid 'grid' design), and finding a fertile ground with the rise in the 19th century of genuine utopian thinkers such as Charles Fourier and Robert Owen, who actually built utopian communities.  The desire to reject the growth of "urban squalor" in the designs of men like John Rushkin and William Howard, as well as the advent of progressive architectural designs by men such as Frederick Law Olmstead (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Frederick-Law-Olmsted-Designing-the-American-Landscape-Universe-Architecture-Series/dp/0789302284/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape (Universe Architecture Series)</a>) and Ebenezer Howard (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Garden-Cities-of-To-morrow/dp/055911575X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Garden Cities of To-morrow</a>) are covered.  The work of later architects such as le Corbusier, and of course Frank Lloyd Wright, are also surveyed. Paolo Soleri's Arcosanti is also briefly mentioned.

While the coverage of these topics is not "deep," and persons desiring detailed coverage of specific areas will have to look elsewhere, this book is a sumptuous introduction to this topic, and is even suitable as a "coffee table book" for the casual reader.