Design History Handbook

An overarching vision of the development of design

Dedicated to the history of design from the mid-19th century to the present, Design History Handbook provides guidelines for the development of design, offering an overarching vision of the subject and at the same time highlighting areas for future investigation.

It is in the mid-19th century that we can discover the professional figure of the designer, thus marking the birth of modern and contemporary design. From there the figure of the designer unfolds and branches off, embracing many disciplines: in addition to the field of furniture―which often exemplifies the broadest lines of design―other sectors are considered here, from technical objects to graphics, from fashion to car design. In particular, attention is focused on the influence of the art world, with its array of avant-garde ideas that has gone hand-in-hand with original design.

Along with the chronological story, Design History Handbook presents a diachronic approach in which, through in-depth graphics, the story of a single type, material or concept detaches from its historical place to create relationships with similar phenomena of other periods. The volume reproduces 300 color images, many with lavish captions elaborating on each story and leaving room for the reader’s interpretation.