Customer Reviews

By Design: Why There Are No Locks on the Bathroom Doors in the Hotel Louis Xiv, and Other Object Lessons

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This review is of the first edition (1982.)

By Design is an analysis of the design profession: where it came from, what designers do and don't do, what they do well and what they do badly, what design is and is not. This book should be of interest to anyone from layman to professional designer. Caplan writes in a very fluid style with a wonderful sense of humour and wit. By Design is truly a joy to read! Caplan delves into product design; the design of chairs; how designers interact with each other, engineers, and clients; and the relationship between design and art. There is a lot more to it than would appear from my description, however; Caplan looks at the big picture, the connections, the emotions and interactions between people and products. The longest section is about whether designers could design situations and possibilities rather than merely products. The point Caplan tries to make is that even though design is often preoccupied with relatively inconsequential tasks, it has the potential to solve some of humanity's greater problems.

Highly recommended!