Design History

Sometimes designed objects reject their users: a computer mouse that doesn't work for left-handed people, for example, or a touchscreen payment system that only works for people who read English phrases, have 20/20 vision, and use a credit card. These mismatches are the building blocks of exclusion. In Mismatch, Kat Holmes describes how design can lead to exclusion, and how design can also remedy exclusion.

In the 1970s, Paris fashion exploded like a champagne bottle left out in the sun. Amid sequins and longing, celebrities and aspirants flocked to the heart of chic, and Paris became a hothouse of revelry, intrigue, and searing ambition. At the center of it all were fashion’s most beloved luminaries - Yves Saint Laurent, the reclusive enfant terrible, and Karl Lagerfeld, the flamboyant freelancer with a talent for reinvention - and they divided Paris into two fabulous halves.

Discover how the Bauhaus transformed the way we live, work, and create. Form, Function, and Vision: Exploring the Lasting Principles of Bauhaus Design takes you inside the movement that forever changed architecture, furniture, typography, and modern culture. Founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus was more than a school; it was a bold vision for uniting art, craft, and industry. Its philosophy of simplicity, clarity, and functionality still shapes the digital age, influencing everything from smartphones and corporate logos to sustainable architecture and minimalist interiors. This ...

In Designs for the Pluriverse Arturo Escobar presents a new vision of design theory and practice aimed at channeling design's world-making capacity toward ways of being and doing t….

In this vivid and captivating journey through the colors of an artist’s palette, Victoria Finlay takes us on an enthralling adventure around the world and through the ages, illuminating how the colors we choose to value have determined the history of culture itself. How did the most precious...

Emotions are inseparable from how we humans think, choose, and act. In Emotional Design, cognitive scientist Don Norman shows how the principles of human psychology apply to the invention and design of new technologies and products. In The Design of Everyday Things, Norman made the definitive case for human-centered design, showing that good design demanded that the user's must take precedence over a designer's aesthetic if anything, from light switches to airplanes, was going to work as the user needed.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A whirlwind tour of fundamental physics and cosmology.”—The Wall Street Journal “Fascinating . . . a wealth of ideas [that] leave us with a clearer understanding of modern physics in all its invigorating complexity.”—Los Angeles Times When and how...

Written by the forensic nurse who transformed the way the FBI profiles and catches serial killers, this thought-provoking book takes an intimate look at the creation of the Behavioral Science Unit–the inspiration for Hulu’s Mastermind documentary. In the 1970s, the FBI created the...

A Short History of Human Stupidity is a lovingly researched, gleefully irreverent celebration of humanity at its most confident—and most wrong. This is the story of how civilisation was built not just on genius and insight, but on bad ideas pursued with alarming enthusiasm and excellent posture. From scientists who explained the universe with diagrams that meant absolutely nothing, to doctors who prescribed treatments that made patients immediately regret seeking help, to engineers who stared at a drawing and said, “Yes, gravity will probably be fine,” this book chronicles our ...

This is the complete history of the synthesizer—from electromagnetic experiments in the 1870s to the software and hardware you use today. You'll discover how these instruments evolved from room-sized laboratory equipment to portable analog classics to digital dominance to the software revolution to the analog revival happening right now. Every major instrument, every breakthrough, every paradigm shift that shaped how electronic music gets made. You'll understand why the Minimoog became legendary, how the Prophet-5 changed everything with patch memory, why the DX7 killed analog synthesis ...

Since 1945, the United States Armed Forces have fielded 70 different nuclear and thermonuclear devices on approximately 120 weapon systems. During this period, the manufacturing operations of the Manhattan Project, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Department of Energy produced about 70,500 nuclear bombs and warheads. The Air Force and the Navy currently deploy eight types of thermonuclear device on six weapon systems and the Department of Defense maintains about 2,500 nuclear bombs and warheads (tactical and strategic) on active duty. It keeps approximately the same number in reserve. ...

The time has come for you to embrace the power of remembrance and express your full potential, and The Divine Design is your faithful companion on this lifelong journey. Whether you’re looking for daily guidance or long-term clarity, each passage will reveal something different every time you listen to it that serves you exactly where you are in your human evolution.

A riveting account of the birth and remarkable evolution of the most important development in entertainment since television, Replay is the ultimate history of video games. From its origins in the research labs of the 1940s to the groundbreaking success of the Wii, Replay sheds new light on gaming's past.

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy clarifies the muddled thinking underlying too many strategies and provides a clear way to create and implement a powerful action-oriented strategy for the real world. Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader. A good strategy is a specific...

From the bestselling author of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels comes the next definitive, behind-the-scenes account of the video game industry: how some of the past decade's most renowned studios fell apart—and the stories, both triumphant and tragic, of what happened next. Jason Schreier's...

Discover the Magic of Confidence Through Time! When curious friends Ethan, Maya, and Leo stumble upon a mysterious antique clock in Grandpa's dusty attic, they unlock the adventure of a lifetime. This isn't just any ordinary timepiece—it's a magical portal that transports them back in time to meet history's most inspiring figures during their moments of doubt and triumph.

Covers virtually everything: What they do, their history, components, manufacture, substitutes, clones, replicas—& the companies & bands - people & artists—who invent create, fix, mod, replicate, clone, & use them. Effects—Everything You Wanted to Know in One Book - Book 1: History, Makers, Artists What, Who, When, Where, Why Effects, Pedals, Stomp Boxes, Rack Mounts, Talk Boxes, Wahs, Vocoders, Preamps, Amp Simulators & Modelers Twist a Knob, Stomp a Switch, & Crank It to Eleven—This Is the Guitar Effects Book You’ve Been Waiting For Ever wonder where fuzz came from? Why Hendrix ...

For twelve years, Alexis Kennedy has been writing some of the most original and intelligent narrative games of the last decade - Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Cultist Simulator, and more, as well as guest-writing gigs for BioWare, Paradox and Telltale Games. And for most of that time, he's been writing *about* games as well. Here for the first time in one place are the best of his essays and columns - from hard-won lessons about game development to reviews of unreviewable games, from narrative design principles to writing masterclasses, from historical discursions on labyrinths to the ...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Dapper Dan is a legend, an icon, a beacon of inspiration to many in the Black community. His story isn’t just about fashion. It’s about tenacity, curiosity, artistry, hustle, love, and a singular determination to live our dreams out loud.”—Ava DuVernay...

***An Instant New York Times Bestseller*** From the woman who is credited for launching what we know as the celebrity focused, “brand” driven, social media obsessed popular culture of today, comes an honest and surprising memoir that reckons with that truth, and shows that there is so much...