Ocean State Libraries

"Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious-even liberating-book, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The problems range from ambiguous and hidden controls to arbitrary relationships between controls and functions, coupled...

"A feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. In his second film, director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica) documents the creative processes of some of the world's most influential product designers, and looks at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets"--Container

Includes the leading names, movements, materials and processes such as furniture, fashion, cars, graphics, products, signs and symbols that have influenced the world of design.

"Active at the Bauhaus between 1920 and 1931, teaching in the bookbinding, stained glass and mural-painting workshops, Paul Klee (1879-1940) brought his expressive blend of color and line to the school and, with the second volume in the 'Bauhausbücher' series, beyond its walls. In his legendary 'Pedagogical Sketchbook', Paul Klee takes a theoretical approach to drawing using geometric shapes and lines. Evincing a desire to reunite artistic design...

"Based on the Webby Awardwinning Tumblr site, Things Organized Neatly is thoughtfully composed of everyday objects, all displayed beautifully for the neat freak. Things Organized Neatly takes the messiness of the everyday world and recasts it in neat and appealing designs. On one page a massive collection of cellphones from the past twenty years is laid out on the floor and photographed from above; on the next, a collection of candy is pleasingly...