Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Beautiful Thing 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 summarise 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.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction
• 1 On 'Taste'
• 2 Design Evolution
• 3 Composition
• 4 Colour
• 5 Drawing, Communication and Expression
• Conclusion
• Glossary of Design Terms
• Bibliography
• Index

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Beautiful Thing is an excellent academic introduction to design for both students and wider audiences. Clay (Univ. of Teesside, UK) explores the various aspects of design and tries to put them into a holistic context. He covers important figures, works, and movements in product design, graphic design, and architecture. Design is a multidisciplinary subject, and Clay emphasizes that "the visual element cannot be separated out from other related areas such as the historical, contextual, technical and the practical." Given that development of new materials has a major impact on future design, he aims to highlight the relationships between design and technology. Clay also wants to encourage thinking about the relationships between design and beauty (even though defining beauty is difficult). The book's insightful chapters include "On 'Taste,'" "Design Evolution," "Composition," "Colour," and "Drawing, Communication and Expression." The book is amply illustrated with primarily black-and-white illustrations, though there is a small section of color images. Useful aspects of this volume include the theory boxes summarizing important ideas, and design case studies. Also included are a glossary of design terms and "further reading" suggestions. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readers. Y. Cortes Skidmore College