Introduction to Modern Design

With some 280 colour illustrations, Introduction to Modern Design takes us on a visual survey of design from the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century to the Maker Movement of today. It offers a new understanding of the birth of modern design in the early twentieth century and chronicles the way its meaning has changed over the decades. The narrative is supported by twenty-six readings from significant texts by designers and critics, offering readers an opportunity to learn about design from those who created it and those who commented on it as it was done. The focus of this book is on the objects themselves-from industrial design, furniture, ceramics, textiles, graphics, electronics, to automobiles-and explores the development of these designs in relation to industrialization, technology, environmental responsibility, consumerism, individual needs, and the expression of the social values of their day. Clearly written and accessible, Introduction to Modern Design provides a succinct history of, and fascinating insights into, the world of design.

Author Biography

George H. Marcus is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania and co-author of the pioneering survey Landmarks of Twentieth Century Design (1993). His other publications include Le Corbusier: Inside the Machine for Living (2001), What Is Design Today? (2002), and The Houses of Louis Kahn (2013), which received the Athenaeum of Philadelphia Literary Award. For over thirty years he was director of publications at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.