The book is, true to its title, a general - indeed, a very general - overview of design in its different manifestations and domains of application.
Heskett understands design very broadly - i.e. not in terms of aesthetic design or even that plus usability - including product development and strategy, landscaping, urban construction etc. In fact, in the opening words of the book, Heskett introduces the subject matter by suggesting - quite reasonably - that when a modern, urban person looks around, very little that he/she sees is not a result of some kind of a design effort.
Was it good?
The book is very straightforward and extremely understandable. In fact, in comparison to other books in the "Very short introduction" series, the book is quite a bit less "deep" than an average representative of the series. The contrast is exceptionally striking with the one in the series on postmodernism I read a few weeks ago.
Still, Heskett does, in my mind, very good job on conveying his basic message: that design is present in may if not most human undertakings and - evidently according to Heskett - it would be a mistake to equate design with aesthetic or usability considerations alone.
However, I perhaps enjoyed a biography of Jony Ive, the head designer of Apple, a bit more, since it gives a deeper "insider's" look into the world of design, especially product design.
The main take-away for me?
The main take-away for me was Heskett's basic message: that design is a very broad phenomenon with various manifestations in the human-built environment - including intangibles such as services and information systems and structures - which, once again, provides a worthy perspective with which to approach daily life with an "analytical" eye.
Who should read the book?
The book is of quite general interest, and it is difficult to think of a particular demographic who would particularly like or dislike it. Still, perhaps Jony Ive's biography would be a bit more compelling - though it's take on design is somewhat narrower.
The book on Amazon.com: Design
No comments:
Post a Comment