Author: TOM. MAY
Description
Discover the 50 greatest designers and their incredible achievements in this spectacular hardback guide, richly illustrated with full-color images throughout.
Selected by award-winning design journalist, Tom May, this beautifully illustrated book examines the achievements of 50 of history's greatest designers: the men and women who have influenced the way we live by creating everything from furniture to household goods and decorative objects to cars and motorcycles, airplanes, signage, sports equipment and much more.
These inspiring personal stories provide a fascinating overview of design history: the ways that style has married with technical innovation; how historical contexts have fuelled design choices; and what role design plays as we try to move away from excessive consumerism towards a more sustainable future.
Featured designers include:
- William Morris: English textile designer and key figure in the Arts and Crafts movement
- Gunta Stölzl: German textile artist and one of the most outstanding members of the Bauhaus.
- Eileen Gray: Irish architect, furniture designer, and pioneer of the Modern Movement in Architecture
- Charles and Ray Eames: Married couple, most famous for their iconic Eames chairs
- Art Sims: African-American graphic designer, best-known for his film posters such as for Spike Lee's movies such as "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X".
- James Dyson: British industrial designer and inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner
Perceptive and informative, this guide makes a fascinating introduction to the way design has become such an integral part of what we are and do.
ABOUT THE SERIES The 50 Greatest series brings together highly visual reference guides, each exploring 50 of the most influential figures across a certain discipline. These rich biographical profiles outline their key achievements, influences and impact on the industry, accompanied by stunning full-color photography.
Author description
Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, creativity and technology. Across a career spanning more than two decades, Tom has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine.
Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq, Creative Boom, Digital Camera World, T3.com, Tom's Guide and Tech Radar. He is author of the book Great TED Talks: Creativity.
Table of contents
Introduction...6
William Morris (1834-1896)...8
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951)...12
Eileen Gray (1878-1976)...16
Harley Earl (1893-1969)... 20
Poul Henningsen (1894-1967)...24
Gunta Stoelzl (1897-1983)...28
Harry Beck (1902-1974)...32
Marcel Breuer (1902-1981)...36
Elizabeth Friedlander (1903-1984)...40
Jacqueline Groag (1903-1986)...44
Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999)...48
Eva Zeisel (1906-2011)...52
Charles and Ray Eames (1907-1978 / 1912-1988)...56
Marianne Straub (1909-1994)...60
Paul Rand (1914-1996)...64
Florence Knoll (1917-2019)...68
Lucienne Day (1917-2010)...72
Saul Bass (1920-1966)...76
Milton Glaser (1920-2020)...80
Jacqueline Casey (1927-1992)...84
Maija Isola (1927-2001)...88
Adrian Frutiger (1928-2015)...92
Kenji Ekuan (1929-2015)...96
Massimo Vignelli (1931-2014)...100
Terence Conran (1931-2020)...104
Dieter Rams (B.1932)...108
Don Chadwick (B.1936)...112
Margaret Calvert (B.1936)...116
Rosmarie Tissi (B.1937)...120
Giorgetto Giugiaro (B.1937)...124
James Dyson (B.1947)...128
Erik Spiekermann (B.1947)...132
Paula Scher (B.1948)...136
Lonnie Johnson (B.1949)...140
Philippe Starck (B.1949)...144
Paola Navone (B.1950)...148
Ahn Sang-soo (B.1952)...152
Susan Kare (B.1954)...156
Art Sims (B.1954)...160
Naoto Fukasawa (B.1956)...164
Carol Twombly (B.1959)...168
Karim Rashid (B.1960)...172
Stefan Sagmeister (B.1962)...176
Hella Jongerius (B.1963)...180
Marc Newson (B.1963)...184
Jonathan Ive (B.1967)...188
Kenneth Cobonpue (B.1968)...192
Es Devlin (B.1971)...196
Cas Holman (B.1974)...200
Naihan Li (B.1981)...204
Picture credits/Acknowledgements
