World History of Design

Reviews / Votes

Victor Margolin's epic World History of Design charts the practice's perceptual shift in approach from pragmatic to artistic ... In the annals of design histories, [World History of Design] is perhaps the most exhaustive effort yet undertaken ... The book is unique for its inclusivity, which reaches far beyond Western design research's usual orbit. -- Steven Heller * The Atlantic * Writing the World History of Design is a Herculean task. Design historian Victor Margolin felt some concern when the project started ballooning. He had no idea that the book he began fifteen years ago would explode into an encyclopedic multi-volume set ... a resource for scholars and students of design, art history, history, anthropology and sociology, as well as a resource for professional designers. Each chapter has an extensive bibliography, providing scholars with a jumping-off point for further research. -- Toni Nealie * New City * Margolin brings a humanistic take on design history ... At a time when Jony Ive's creations for Apple are as much status symbol as a technological advance, Margolin believes that the discipline's potential lies in solving big problems and the creation of culture, not just the newest products. This philosophy informs his forthcoming book, [World History of Design], a multi-volume set 15 years in the making that evolved from a textbook into a narrative tracing the arc of creativity and innovation, and how it shapes society. Spanning prehistoric times to WWII, the first two volumes coming out in April weigh in at 1,600 pages; he expects the in-the-works third volume covering the Cold War to the computer age to be two-thirds as long. -- Patrick Sisson * Chicago Tribune * An ambitious and impressive project ... Both new and experienced scholars will discover an abundance of new material on little-known topics ... World History of Design encapsulates a vast body of knowledge within a singular vision ... [and is] more than an essential reference source. * Journal of Design History * Extensive and wide-ranging ... [Margolin marshals his] materials with intelligence, a level of self-confidence, and considerable determination ... The World History of Design has a key role to play in helping to shape and reshape design historical knowledge, the design history curriculum and interdisciplinary opportunities, and possible future design historical trajectories. * Design and Culture * Immersive and encyclopaedic ... [T]hese two terms encapsulate how [World History of Design] engaged me in a highly informative and thought-provoking reading experience for a solid three weeks ... [T]he tone of writing is uncomplicated and unpretentious, and the vast amount of information is chunked into easily consumable slices ... What Margolin achieves in particular is to expand the design history canon beyond the traditional Westernised focus that has dominated it ... World History of Design covers a diversity of design disciplines; incorporates material and non-material history of design practice and profession history; and includes a great diversity of narratives and a plethora of images sourced from all over the world, which are not often seen in design history books ... [A] 'must have' reference in any library - personal or academic. * Image & Text * This is the first comprehensive world history of design that plays a crucial part in charting our profession's story - speaking to designers and professionals around the world. It takes a holistic look at design, covering communication and product design, as well as design organisations, policies and publications. Victor's work accurately charts where the future of design should be and inclusively looks at design the world over. This equal treatment of design voices around the world resonates to all of Icograda members, as one of our core values. * Iva Babaja, Icograda President, Croatia * Featured * International Council of Societies of Interior Design * Margolin informatively places design innovations and changes within historical, cultural, and geographical contexts. * Library Journal * A colossal study of the history of design. * Azimuts Journal (Bloomsbury translation) * Interviewed * ico-D * ... it is an extraordinarily useful compendium. I will turn to it again and again to find new points of connection and departure, and I am sure I won't be alone. Within our discipline, I hope we can all lay aside the perspectives of our narrow expertise long enough to simply thank Professor Margolin - thank him for his effort, and thank him for his generosity. The most exciting thing about these books is the further scholarship that they will engender. In that sense, they are truly the works of a lifelong teacher. * Glenn Adamson, West 86th Journal * The World History of Design has a key role to play in helping to shape and reshape design historical knowledge, the design history curriculum and interdisciplinary opportunities, and possible future design historical trajectories in ways that reflect the realities of a multicultural world. * Jonathan Woodham, University of Brighton, UK *