100 Designs for a Modern World

Book excerpt: The first book on one of the leading collections of modern industrial design. A must-have for lovers of modernism, this is an accessible but authoritative introduction to the field. From the second industrial revolution to the start of the digital revolution, industrial design has played a major role in shaping society and the everyday objects used for living, working, and traveling. As factories transitioned from manufacturing machines for war to mass-produced goods, industrial design evolved to meet the needs of a quickly growing consumer economy. 100 Designs for a Modern World is a curated overview of the most influential pieces of modern industrial design from 1900 to the present day. George R. Kravis II has collected some of the most innovative and memorable products—including, for example, the Silver Streak glass iron—that contributed to this radical transformation of global culture. This book presents one hundred exceptionally designed objects: chairs, radios, irons, electric clocks, ceramic tableware, textiles, posters, and other graphic designs. The chronological organization generates a history of industrial design since the turn of the twentieth century. With an introduction by design historian Penny Sparke, this book is an authoritative reference on industrial design in the twentieth and early-twenty-first centuries. Meticulously selected and beautifully photographed, this elegant book is both an informative guide and a source of inspiration for collectors and enthusiasts of modern industrial design.