Thinking: Objects: Contemporary Approaches to Product Design

Tim Parsons is a product designer, writer and lecturer on design. He has worked with manufacturers in Britain and Europe and exhibited widely. He has contributed articles to publications including Blueprint and Phaidon's Design Classics. His London studio creates tableware, lighting, accessories, furniture, and more.

• How to get the most out of this book. Introduction. Perception: Design and politics; Value and the object; Reading form. Motivation: Conforming, reforming or contesting; Defining approaches; Aesthetic refinement; Collective memory and behaviour; Social inclusion; Materials and processes; Technological innovation; Ethics; Sustainability; Participation; Strategies and services; Design for debate. Process: The elusive design process; Design methodology; Thinking tools; Observation; Ideas generation; Drawing; Maquette and model-making. Context: Employment; Commission; Speculation. Sources: Bibliography; Picture credits; Acknowledgements.

A perfect book for all levels on our 3D Design course, especially as it goes into detail about the story behind the product ... Very clean and easy to read.