Design is broken. Young and not-so-young designers are becoming increasingly aware of this. Many feel impotent: they were told they had the tools to make the world a better place, but instead the world takes its toll on them. Beyond a haze of hype and bold claims lies a barren land of self-doubt and impostor syndrome. This book probes the disillusionment that permeates design. It tackles the deskilling effects provoked by digital semi-automation, the instances of ornamental politics fashioned...

Eleven striking pairs of Rietveld’s furniture and sculptures by Ruud Kuijer

Exhibition, Centraal Museum Utrecht

For Kuijer, Rietveld / Rietveld, Kuijer, Dutch sculptor Ruud Kuijer (1959) curated eleven striking combinations of chairs from the famous Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) and his own sculptures. The focus is not on Rietveld as a designer, architect, or member of De Stijl, but specifically on the process of making a chair versus making a sculpture. Particularly, Riet...

The scarcity of resources, climate change, and the digitalization of everyday life are fuelling the economy of swapping, sharing, and lending—all of which are in some way linked to a culture of commoning. In this context, we understand commons as community-based processes that use, collectively manage, and organize generally accessible resources—referring to both goods and knowledge. Commons in Design explores the meaning and impact of commons—especially knowledge-based peer commons—a...

An overview of the work of illustrator and designer Milton Glaser during the 1960s and 70s

In The Cult of LEGO, Wired's GeekDad blogger John Baichtal and BrickJournal founder Joe Meno take you on a magnificent, illustrated tour of the LEGO® community, its people, and their creations.

The Cult of LEGO introduces us to fans and builders from all walks of life. People like professional LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya; enigmatic Dutch painter Ego Leonard (who maintains that he is, in fact, a LEGO minifig); Angus MacLane, a Pixar animator who builds CubeDudes, instantly recognizable...

Comprehensive guide and resource for student and professional furniture designers.

The exquisitely produced first monograph on innovative and influential British designer Paul Cocksedge

The internationally acclaimed, London-based designer Paul Cocksedge has spent the last two decades building a reputation for experimental multidisciplinary work infused with a sense of simplicity, joy, and wonder. With his keen interest in science and a fascination with how people interact with design, Cocksedge channels his curiosity into creating thought-provoking pieces that challenge per...

This visually stunning investigation of natural and man-made materials will change the way you look at the world around you, while offering hope for the future of our planet.

The role of design professionals' in innovation is growing towards a more strategic one. They are no longer just executors of new product and/or service design briefs but are increasingly involved in the crafting of these briefs and in the strategic decisions leading to these briefs. In order to effectively play this role, design professionals need to master a set of strategic practices - i.e., routinized actions and ways of working. However, since the strategic role of designers is a relativ...