Originally published in 1934 this book became recognised as one of the principal standard works on industrial design and industrial architecture. The chapters explain the complete operation, character and background history of industrial art, its relation to architecture, materials, industrial production and retail distribution. It is fully illustrated with line drawings and photographs.

Eleanor Herring's unique study of street furniture in post-war Britain considers how objects which are now familiar parts of our urban environment were designed to populate public spaces. Herring explores the design of lampposts, post boxes, parking meters, and signage in the context of a government backed by various bodies keen to propagate 'good' modern design, in a Britain whose towns and cities had been laid waste by bombing and the privations of war. She also considers the innate conservatism of local communities and councils, wary of a standardised street design imposed from above. She traces how the design of street furniture became the site of a fierce struggle which exposed deep-seated anxieties about class, taste and power. Herring's original research draws on archival material and on interviews with leading figures in urban design, including graphic designer Margaret Calvert and industrial designer Kenneth Grange.

Economic activities are becoming increasingly globalised. One result being that for companies in developed market economies price-based competition is being replaced or supplemented by other forms of competitiveness. This book explores the shift towards design-based competitiveness and the escalation in the design-intensity of goods and services.

his anthology compiled from volumes 3-10 of Design Issues, includes material from areas seldom discussed in existing surveys and will facilitate the general discourse within the design community on a wide range of conceptual and methodological issues of contemporary design history. Design history has emerged in recent years as a significant field of scholarly research and critical reflection. With their interest in the conceptualization, production, and consumption of objects (large and small, unique or multiple, anonymous or signed) and environments (ephemeral or enduring, public or private), design historians investigate the multiple ways in which intentionally produced objects, environments, and experiences both shape and reflect their historical moments. This anthology compiled from volumes 3-10 of Design Issues, includes material from areas seldom discussed in existing surveys and will facilitate the general discourse within the design community on a wide range of conceptual and methodological issues of contemporary design history. Individual essays investigate various aspects of design in the modern era. They provide fresh insights on familiar figures such as Harley Earl and Norman Bel Geddes and shed new light on neglected aspects of design history such as the history of women in early American graphic design or the history of modern design in China. The essays are grouped in three broad categories: Graphic Design, Design in the American Corporate Milieu, and Design in the Context of National Experiences. Contributors David Brett, Bradford R. Collins, Dennis P. Doordan, David Gartman, Gyorgy Haiman, Larry D. Luchmansingh, Roland Marchand, Enric Satué, Mitchell Schwarzer, Paul Shaw, Svetlana Sylvestrova, Ellen Mazur Thomson, Matthew Turner, John Turpin, Shou Zhi Wang. A Design Issues Reader