Library: Industrial Design: Books & Other Resources

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Recommended Surveys & Introductions to Industrial Design

Beautiful Thing: An Introduction to Design by Robert Clay This book presents a broad introduction to design theory and practice. Historical, contextual, philosophical, technical, visual and practical approaches to Design are often presented separately. But each approach impacts on others and together they are critical to a rounded understanding of design.
Call Number: TS171 .C63 2009
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints.
Call Number: E-Book
Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman Did you ever wonder why cheap wine tastes better in fancy glasses? Or why washing and polishing your car seems to make it drive better? New research has shown that attractive things really do work better.
Call Number: E-Book
100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People by Susan Weinschenk This book combines real science and research with practical examples to deliver a guide every designer needs. With it you’ll be able to design more intuitive and engaging work for print, websites, applications, and products that matches the way people think, work, and play.
Call Number: NK1510 .W45 2011
Phaidon Design Classics (3 vols.) by Phaidon Press Editors; Ralph Ball; Edward Barber; Simon Alderson This three-volume set is an authoritative collection of design classics. It consists of 999 industrially manufactured products, carefully selected by a group of experts - from cars to furniture, from tableware to cameras, from everyday objects to airplanes.
Call Number: NK1320 .P438 2006
The Making of Design by Gerrit Terstiege This book takes an in-depth look at design processes, with twenty-five depictions of "the making of" products from a wide variety of industries. Its primary focuses are furniture design, transportation design, and household appliances.
Call Number: NC710 .M35 2009
Making Design by Matilda McQuaid; Cara McCarty; Susan Brown (Text by); Kimberly Randall (Text by) Making Design marks the transformative renovation of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and signifies an entirely new way to experience a museum and its collection.
Call Number: NK1320 .C6984 2014
Beautiful Users: Designing for People by Ellen Lupton (Editor) Beautiful Users explores the changing relationship between designers and users and considers a range of design methodologies and practices, from user research to hacking, open source, and the maker culture.
Call Number: NK1520 .L865 2014 (also available as e-book)

Books on the Use of Materials in Design

Materials for Design by Chris Lefteri Over the last ten years there has been a huge growth in the area of materials for design, but most books on this subject deal with advanced, semi-formed materials (that is, materials sold as sheet, rod, tube, etc.). This book provides much-needed information on the raw materials, and the low-down on how these can be used.
Call Number: TA403 .L43 2014
Materials and Design: the Art and Science of Material Selection in product design by Kara Johnson; Mike Ashby This renowned book by noted materials engineering author Mike Ashby and industrial designer Kara Johnson explores the role of materials and the design process in product design, with a particular emphasis on creating both desired aesthetics and functionality.
Call Number: TS171 .A84 2014
Material World 2: Innovative Materials for Architecture and Design by Tessa Blokland (Editor) Featuring over 150 materials, Material World 2: Innovative Materials for Architecture and Design, sequel to the highly successful Material World, is an even more comprehensive catalogue of resources, thanks to a global arsenal of information-crammed data banks available to Frame magazine.
Call Number: TA403.6 .M368 2005
Material World 3: Innovative Materials for Architecture and Design by Elodie Ternaux Following the smashing success of Material World 1 and Material World 2, the third edition in this series, Material World 3: Innovative Materials for Architecture and Design, offers another hundred-plus materials and semi-finished products carefully selected by matériO, the library of emerging materials.
Call Number: Wentworth: 729 .V263 2011
Glass: Materials for Inspirational Design by Christopher Lefteri This book features more than 75 examples of glass, one of the oldest and most traditional of materials, in its many applications. These range from traditional examples to the new processes created by Ozone and Fusion Glass, which enable architectural glass to be both customized and texturized.
Call Number: TS171 L495 2002
Metals: Materials for Inspirational Design by Chris Lefteri Metals continues in the tradition of the 'Materials' series by bringing to people's attention a range of inspirational products and materials that challenge the boundaries of traditional application. It will include both everyday and familiar products and those that are new, exciting and unexpected.
Call Number: TT205 .L44 2004
Wood: Materials for Inspirational Design by Chris Lefteri This book explores and illustrates the uses and types of wood and introduces new advanced materials and new methods of processing, making it a material for the future.
Call Number: TA419 .L34 2003
Plastic: Materials for Inspirational Design by Chris Lefteri Features interesting facts on 77 plastic products and materials, a table of physical and chemical properties for plastics, a website directory, and key properties of each featured material.
Call Number: TP1120 .L44 2001

Industrial Design Guides, Handbooks & Manuals

The Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design by Henry Dreyfuss Associates Staff; Alvin R. Tilley Featuring more than 200 anthropometric drawings, this handbook is filled with all of the essential measurements of the human body and its relationship to the designed environment. You'll also discover guidelines for designing for children and the elderly, for the digital workplace, and for ADA compliance.
Call Number: TA166 .M393 2002
The Industrial Design Reference and Specification Book: All the Details Industrial Designers Need to Know But Can Never Find by Dan Cuffaro; Isaac Zaksenberg The Industrial Design Reference & Specification Book provides designers with a comprehensive handbook they can turn to over and over again.
Call Number: TS171 .P725 2013
Making It: Manufacturing Techniques for Product Design by Jessica Spencer (Editor); Chris Lefteri Using contemporary design as a vehicle to describe production processes, this book covers a broad range of almost 90 production methods with descriptive text, specially commissioned diagrams, product shots, and photographs of the manufacturing process.
Call Number: TS183 .L44 2007
Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals by Rob Thompson A directory of more than fifty materials includes a detailed technical profile, images of typical applications and finishes, and an overview of each material's design characteristics. With some 1,200 color photographs and technical illustrations, specially commissioned for this book, this is the definitive reference for product designers, 3D designers, engineers, and architects who need a convenient, highly accessible, and practical reference.
Call Number: TS183 .T44 2007
Human-Centered Design Toolkit by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Staff; IDEO Staff IDEO, in collaboration with nonprofit groups ICRW and Heifer International, developed the HCD Toolkit to help international staff and volunteers understand a community's needs in new ways, find innovative solutions to meet those needs, and deliver solutions with financial sustainability in mind.
Call Number: HN981.C6 H85 2011
Universal Principles of Design: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design by William Lidwell; Kritina Holden; Jill Butler Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated is a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary encyclopedia of design. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, it pairs clear explanations of every design concept with visual examples of the concepts applied in practice.
Call Number: NK1165 .L53 2010
Make. Sell. Repeat: The Ultimate Business Guide for Artists, Crafters, and Makers by Emily Worden Make money doing what you love. If you’re an Artist, Crafter, or Maker who wants to grow a creative business, this book is for you. It’s packed with strategic business advice that’s jargon-free and tailored to creative entrepreneurs.
Call Number: HF5439.H27 W67 2014

Books on Rendering for Designers

Drawing for Product Designers by Kevin Henry With its tutorial-based approach, this is a practical guide to both hand-and computer-drawn design. Readers will learn to think three-dimensionally and build complex design ideas that are structurally sound and visually clear.
Call Number: TS171.4 .H46 2012
Sketching: Drawing Techniques for Product Designers by Koos Eissen; Roselien Steur A guide to design sketching for product designers also looks at the significance of sketching and drawing in design studios and analyzes the effectiveness of drawings in relation to their intended purpose.
Call Number: Wentworth 745.2 .E56 2007
CAD and Rapid Prototyping for Product Design by Douglas Bryden This book provides students with all the tools needed to get to grips with the range of both CAD software and RP processes used in the industry.
Call Number: E-Book

Recommended Books on Design Thinking & Innovation

Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work by Nigel Cross Focusing on what designers do when they design, Design Thinking is structured around a series of in-depth case studies of outstanding and expert designers at work, interwoven with overviews and analyses.
Call Number: NK1510 .C83 2013
Design Thinking: Integrating Innovation, Customer Experience and Brand Value by Thomas Lockwood This thought-provoking and inspirational book covers such topics as: developing a solid creative process through "Visual Reflection Notebooks” and "Bring Play to Work."
Call Number: TS171.4 .D4865 2010
Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation by Idris Mootee Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation presents a framework for design thinking that is relevant to business management, marketing, and design strategies and also provides a toolkit to apply concepts for immediate use in everyday work.
Call Number: HD53 .M665 2013
Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change by Victor Papanek Design for the Real World has, since its first appearance twenty-five years ago, become a classic. Victor Papanek examines the attempts by designers to combat the tawdry, the unsafe, the frivolous, the useless product, once again providing a blueprint for sensible, responsible design in this world which is deficient in resources and energy.
Call Number: TS171.4 .P37 1985
Change by Design by Tim Brown Shows how the techniques and strategies of design belong at every level of business, in the first book to detail IDEO's internationally recognized Design Thinking process.
Call Number: TS171.4 .B772 2009
Living with Complexity by Donald A. Norman In this provocative and informative book, Don Norman writes that the complexity of our technology must mirror the complexity and richness of our lives.
Call Number: T14.5 .N673 2011
Storytelling for User Experience by Whitney Quesenbery; Kevin Brooks; Ginny Redish (Foreword by) We all tell stories. It's one of the most natural ways to share information, as old as the human race. This book is not about a new technique, but how to use something we already know in a new way. Stories help us gather and communicate user research, put a human face on analytic data, communicate design ideas, encourage collaboration and innovation, and create a sense of shared history and purpose.
Call Number: P96.S78 Q47 2010
This Is Service Design Thinking by Marc Stickdorn; Jakob Schneider Twenty-three authors from the global service design community invested their knowledge, experience and passion to create this ... book. It introduces service design thinking to beginners and students, and will be a valuable resource for consultants, marketers, innovators and design professionals.
Call Number: HF5415.5 .T65 2011
Product Design and Development by Karl Ulrich; Steven Eppinger Treating such contemporary design and development issues as identifying customer needs, design for manufacturing, prototyping, and industrial design, Product Design and Development by Ulrich and Eppinger presents in a clear and detailed way a set of product development techniques aimed at bringing together the marketing, design, and manufacturing functions of the enterprise.
Call Number: HD31 .U47 2008
A Fine Line: How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business by Hartmut Esslinger A breath of turbo-charged fresh air that doesn't regurgitate the ego-maniac CEO's selective memory or an outside expert's misinterpretations. Hartmut explains innovation through the lens of design, and it's about time we gained his valuable perspective." —Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist, Apple and co-founder of Alltop.com
Call Number: TS171 .E85 2009
The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley; Jonathan Littman IDEO, through its work on over 3,000 new product programs, has developed a system for staying on the creative cutting edge while keeping clients happy. Kelley handily parses the components of this system--understanding the market, observing real-life users, brainstorming new concepts and developing and refining prototypes on a tight schedule to come up with a commercial product--with examples from the development of such pathbreaking products as the original Apple mouse and the Palm Pilot V.
Call Number: HD53 .K454 2001
The Ten Faces of Innovation by Jonathan Littman; Tom Kelley Over the years, IDEO has developed ten roles people can play in an organization to foster innovation and new ideas while offering an effective counter to naysayers.
Call Number: HD58.9 .K43 2005
Design of Business: Why Design Thinking Is the Next Competitive Advantage by Roger L. Martin Most companies today have innovation envy. They yearn to come up with a game--changing innovation like Apple's iPod. But they get disappointing results. Why? In The Design of Business, Roger Martin offers a compelling and provocative answer: we rely far too exclusively on analytical thinking, which merely refines current knowledge, producing small improvements to the status quo.
Call Number: HD53 .M3644 2009
Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want by Alexander Osterwalder; Gregory Bernarda; Trish Papadakos (Designed by); Yves Pigneur; Alan Smith Value Proposition Design helps you tackle a core challenge of every business — creating compelling products and services customers want to buy. This practical book, paired with its online companion, will teach you the processes and tools you need to succeed.
Call Number: HF5415.5 .O83 2014
Just Enough Research by Erika Hall In Just Enough Research, co-founder of Mule Design Erika Hall distills her experience into a brief cookbook of research methods. Learn how to discover your competitive advantages, spot your own blind spots and biases, understand and harness your findings, and why you should never, ever hold a focus group.
Call Number: TK5105.888 .B66

Books on Leadership, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior

The Business Model Innovation Factory by Saul Kaplan Business model innovation is the new strategic imperative for all leaders Blockbuster's executives saw Netflix coming. Yet they stuck with their bricks and mortar business model, losing billions in shareholder value. They were "netflixed." Business models don't last as long as they used to.
Call Number: HD30.28 .K3545 2012
The Art of Strategy by Avinash K. Dixit; Barry J. Nalebuff Using a diverse array of rich case studies - from pop culture, TV, movies, sports, politics and history - the author shows how nearly every business and personal interaction has a game-theory component to it.
Call Number: HD30.28 .D587 2010
Opposable Mind: Winning Through Integrative Thinking by Roger L. Martin If you want to be as successful as Jack Welch, Larry Bossidy, or Michael Dell, read their autobiographical advice books, right? Wrong, says Roger Martin in The Opposable Mind. Though following best practice can help in some ways, it also poses a danger: By emulating what a great leader did in a particular situation, you'll likely be terribly disappointed with your own results. Why?
Call Number: HD57.7 .M39248 2009
Managing Understanding in Organizations by Jorgen Sandberg; Axel Targama This volume considers how managers use ideas and visions to frame their employees' internalized understanding of the external rules and instructions that govern their work. It brings an interpretative perspective to the question of individual and group competence.
Call Number: E-Book
The Designful Company: How to Build a Culture of Nonstop Innovation by Marty Neumeier According to the author, traditional managers have relied on a two-step process to make decisions, which he calls “knowing” and “doing.” Yet in today's innovation-driven marketplace, managers need to insert a middle step, called “making.”
Call Number: HD53 .N48 2009
The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design by Marty Neumeier The Brand Gap is the first book to present a unified theory of brand-building. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a "charismatic brand"--a brand that customers feel is essential to their lives.
Call Number: HD69.B7 N4 2006
Zag: The Number-One Strategy of High-Performance Brands by Marty Neumeier "When everybody zigs, zag," says Marty Neumeier in this fresh view of brand strategy. ZAG follows the ultra-clear "whiteboard overview" style of the author's first book, THE BRAND GAP, but drills deeper into the question of how brands can harness the power of differentiation.
Call Number: HD69.B7 N415 2007
Theory U: Leading from the Future As It Emerges : The Social Technology of Presencing by C. Otto Scharmer We live in a time of massive institutional failure, one that requires a new consciousness and a new collective leadership capacity. In this groundbreaking book, Otto Scharmer invites us to see the world in new ways and in so doing discover a revolutionary approach to leadership.
Call Number: HM831 .S33 2009

Books on Sustainability in Industrial Design

Green Design, 2 vols. by Dorian Lucas Green Design encompasses products from vastly different areas of life representing different aspects of environmentally friendly and sustainable design. This book presents around 100 products that are not only Green, but also Design: beautiful and functional everyday objects that qualify through certain principles of environmental sustainability.
Call Number: TS171.4 .L82 2013
Product Design in the Sustainable Era by Dalcacio Reis; Julius Wiedemann (Editor) Featuring reusable products from water bottles and diapers to solar- and wind-powered goods; clocks that run by reacting with soil; air and water purifiers; coffins and urns for sustainable funerals; paper made from elephant and sheep dung--as well as eco-friendly chocolates, bikinis, guitars, energy efficient appliances and much more--this is a state-of-the-art update on the sustainable revolution in product design.
Call Number: TS171.4 .R453 2010
Design for a Living World by Ellen Lupton (Text by); Abbott J. Miller (Text by); Andy Grundberg (Text by); Ami Vitale (Photographer) Once merely conservationists' favorite buzzword, 'sustainability' has become the mandate of our times, and designers have taken up the challenge with a dizzying range of innovative forms and materials. 'Design for a Living World' is the companion book to a major touring exhibition that had its debut in spring 2009 at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York.
Call Number: NK1520 .D47 2009
Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World by Alastair Fuad-Luke; Fuad-Luke Alastair Design Activism reveals the power of design for positive social and environmental change, design with a central activist role in the sustainability challenge. Inspired by past design activists and set against the context of global-local tensions, expressions of design activism are mapped.
Call Number: NK1390 .F83 2009