Designing Things
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Designing Things: A Critical Introduction to the Culture of Objects

Designing Things: A Critical Introduction to the Culture of Objects


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About the Book

When and why did the turntable morph from playback device to musical instrument? Why have mobile phones evolved changeable skins? How many meanings can one attach to such mundane things as tennis balls? The answers to such questions illustrate this provocative book, which examines the cultural meanings of things and the role of designers in their design and production. Designing Things provides the reader with a map of the rapidly changing field of design studies, a subject which now draws on a diverse range of theories and methodologies - from philosophy and visual culture, to anthropology and material culture, to media and cultural studies. With clear explanations of key concepts - such as form language, planned obsolescence, object fetishism, product semantics, consumer value and user needs - overviews of theoretical foundations and case studies of historical and contemporary objects, Designing Things looks behind-the-scenes and beneath-the-surface at some of our most familiar and iconic objects.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Theorizing Things: Disciplinary Diversity in Thinking about Objects 2. Valued Possessions: What are Things Worth? 3. Making Things: Labor in Production 4. Producing Things: A History of Systems of Manufacture 5. Beautiful Things: The Aesthetics of Surfaces 6. The Greed Imperative: User Needs in Product Design 7. Planned Obsolescence: Unsustainable Consumption 8. Objects as Signs: What do Things Mean? 9. The Obsession of Possession: Fetish Objects Conclusion Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Prasad Boradkar is Associate Professor of Industrial Design and Director of InnovationSpace at Arizona State University.

Review :
A must read for those interested in the world of things. It explains complicated theoretical texts in ways that will delight readers. A lucid introduction to many of the theoretical perspectives that exist around objects and their design. For students it provides a deep understanding of the social meanings of design in both its production and consumption and the ethical issues that these raise. Provides the reader with a map of the rapidly changing field of design studies. Of much use to designers struggling to identify any critical basis with which to begin reflecting upon their own practice. In addition to a thought-provoking examination of the role of designers in the design and production process, the book delves into the cultural meaning of our most familiar and iconic objects.


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Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9781845204266
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
  • Publisher Imprint: Berg Publishers
  • Height: 244 mm
  • No of Pages: 336
  • Spine Width: 19 mm
  • Weight: 795 gr
  • ISBN-10: 1845204263
  • Publisher Date: 01 May 2010
  • Binding: Hardback
  • Language: English
  • Returnable: Y
  • Sub Title: A Critical Introduction to the Culture of Objects
  • Width: 172 mm


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