Thinking: Objects: Contemporary Approaches to Product Design: (Required Reading Range)

Thinking: Objects: Contemporary Approaches to Product Design discusses influences on modern product design such as globalization, technology, the media and the need for a sustainable future, and demonstrates how readers can incorporate these influences into their own work. The book also discusses how readers can learn to read the signals an object sends, interpret meaning and discover historical context. Thinking: Objects provides an essential reference tool that will enable you to find your own style and succeed in the industry.

Table of Contents:
How to get the most out of this book. Introduction. Perception: Design and politics; Value and the object; Reading form. Motivation: Conforming, reforming or contesting; Defining approaches; Aesthetic refinement; Collective memory and behaviour; Social inclusion; Materials and processes; Technological innovation; Ethics; Sustainability; Participation; Strategies and services; Design for debate. Process: The elusive design process; Design methodology; Thinking tools; Observation; Ideas generation; Drawing; Maquette and model-making. Context: Employment; Commission; Speculation. Sources: Bibliography; Picture credits; Acknowledgements.

About the Author :
Tim Parsons is a product designer, writer and lecturer on design. He has worked with manufacturers in Britain and Europe and exhibited widely. He has contributed articles to publications including Blueprint and Phaidon's Design Classics. His London studio creates tableware, lighting, accessories, furniture, and more.

Review :
A perfect book for all levels on our 3D Design course, especially as it goes into detail about the story behind the product ... Very clean and easy to read. Very relevant for the product design element of the course ... well illustrated combined with well placed theoretical references to stretch thinking. The book is clearly laid out and represents a thoughtful, diagrammatical approach to reading. Expertly written and crafted, it avoids the 'heavy image' approach of other general design books. The book has been very effective in making students understand the subject relevance in a real world context. The book also provides some very useful examples and very creative sketches. the layout is very visual and very attractive. It also provides information in a reader-friendly format. I was impressed with the book, due to the process and meaning behind the objects. Specifically, I loved the fact that the book talked about how it's also about our society as a collective (including politics, ethics, behaviours and services). A well illustrated and produced book. Challenging ideas ... an insight into how designers work. Good page layout. Great book ... Nice layout - good pictures. All material is up to date which is very important. It covers all the main areas of design education process. The visible personal touch of the author, having experience as a tutor and designer, makes the book trustworthy and what differs it from others. Clear structure, good layout, good contemporary examples. I am impressed by the scope and richness of the content. Very interesting and sober analyses of 'phenomenons' within the design field. Well done! Relevant to anyone working professionally or in education. This book gives a real insight into what it means to think and work as a product designer today. It reveals the breadth of the subject and gives an excellent understanding and appreciation of the multi-disciplinary nature of product design ... I think this book will be essential for students to get a deeper understanding of the definition of product design. A great primer giving readers a good introduction to this field.