Beautiful Thing: An Introduction to Design

This book presents a broad introduction to design theory and practice. Historical, contextual, philosophical, technical, visual and practical approaches to Design are often presented separately. But each approach impacts on others and together they are critical to a rounded understanding of design. Beautiful Thing presents a clear synthesis of these approaches, explaining all the basic concepts and allowing the reader to connect the different elements of Design. Both lively and accessible, the book takes the reader step by step through the key topics of taste, design evolution, composition, colour, drawing, communication and expression. Superbly illustrated, the book includes a range of detailed design case studies. In addition, theory boxes, placed at intervals, summarize necessary but complex ideas. A Glossary and Guides to Further Reading are also included. The book will be invaluable as a broad introduction for students of all branches of Design.

ROBERT CLAY is Principal Lecturer in Industrial and Product Design at the School of Arts and Media at University of Teesside, Middlesbrough.