Design Since 1945

(Paperback)

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Description

The essential shape, form and structure of some objects in our daily lives may have been fixed one, ten, or even a hundred generations ago; but the role of designers has become increasingly prominent in a society that in less than half a century has gone from a restless search for the new to recycling of materials.

Manufacturers are using design more systematically than ever before to shape their marketing and make their products more attractive, while designers have sought to raise the status of their activity to that of an art form. Peter Dormer defines with great clarity the contexts within which designers work, and surveys the wide range of postwar activity, including industrial and product design, graphics, furniture, textiles, kitchen utensils and tableware.

Reviews

'Provides a global view of design in the post - World War II era' - Booklist
'One of the most perceptive critics, ranging across the vast body of workwith prodigious energy' - Crafts
'Puts design in context. There are wonderful examples of design within the realities of corporate teamwork' - Communication Arts

Author Bio

Peter Dormer is a writer and critic specializing in 20th-century design and applied art. His previous books include The New Ceramics, The New Furniture and The Meanings of Modern Design all published by Thames and Hudson.