Beautiful Thing: An Introduction to Design

(Hardback)

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Description

Beautiful Thing presents a broad introduction to design theory and practice. Historical, contextual, philosophical, technical, visual, and practical approaches to Design are often presented separately. But each approach impacts on others and together they are critical to a rounded understanding of design. Beautiful Thing presents a clear synthesis of these approaches, explaining all the basic concepts and allowing the reader to connect the different elements of Design. Both lively and accessible, the book takes the reader step by step through the key topics of taste, design evolution, composition, colour, drawing, communication and expression. Superbly illustrated, the book includes a range of detailed design case studies. In addition, theory boxes summarise necessary but complex ideas. A Glossary and Guides to Further Reading are also included. The book will be invaluable as a broad introduction for students of all branches of Design.

Reviews

'The beauty of design is that there is more to it than meets the eye. Everyday objects and items have rich stories, meanings and considerations behind them. Beautiful Thing is a brilliant introduction to Design for any student studying design or a related area, or a teaching aid for design academics. It also lends itself well for wider audiences to learn about design practice, ranging from architecture to products and graphics.' Juha Kaapa, Head of Design, Leeds Metropolitan University 'A noble endeavour and Clay sets about it extensively; covering Classicism, Modernism, and Post-Modernism; product design, graphic design and architecture. All the important figures, from Leonardo Da Vinci to Zaha Hadid, and their major works, are explained in the same scrupulous and balanced way.' Blueprint

Author Bio

Robert Clay is Principal Lecturer in Industrial and Product Design, School of Arts and Media, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough.