Industrial Design A-Z

If you take even the slightest interest in the design of your toothbrush, the history behind your washing machine, or the evolution of the telephone, you'll take an even greater interest in this new book. This comprehensive volume traces more than three hundred designers and design-led companies, with more than seven hundred illustrations of their most important designs.

Individual designers and design firms can be referenced directly via the A-Z of Industrial Design section, which covers more than 550 pages; here you'll find the likes of Enzo Ferrari, Philippe Starck, Zanussi and Apple Computer, among many others. The Case Studies section tracks the history of everyday household appliances from their very beginnings to the present day, illustrating how, for example, your washing machine made the fascinating journey from a wooden tub with gears and cranks to the sleek white cube that it is today. For those interested in the more technical side of industrial design, there's the ''''Themes and Materials'''' section, referencing technological developments and processes such as plywood, steam power and plastics and introducing topics ranging from packaging and branding to CAD.

Exploding with color, aesthetic, and style, Industrial Design is both informative and fun; you'll have a hard time putting it down.