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Objects of Desire: Design and Society Since 1750 Paperback – June 17, 1992
"One of the most significant contributions to design history in recent years."―Financial Times
Objects of Desire looks at the appearance of consumer goods in the 200 years since the introduction of mechanized production, whether in Josiah Wedgewood's use of neo-classicism for his industrially manufactured pottery or the development of appropriate forms for wirelesses. The argument is illustrated with examples ranging from penknives to computers and from sewing machines to railway carriages. In opening up new ways of appraising the man-made world around us, Objects of Desire is required reading for anyone who has any involvement with design and a revealing document about our society. 272 black-and-white illustrations- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThames & Hudson
- Publication dateJune 17, 1992
- Dimensions6.7 x 0.7 x 9.8 inches
- ISBN-100500274126
- ISBN-13978-0500274125
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Product details
- Publisher : Thames & Hudson; Reprint edition (June 17, 1992)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0500274126
- ISBN-13 : 978-0500274125
- Item Weight : 1.4 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.7 x 0.7 x 9.8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,387,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #480 in Design History & Criticism
- #9,986 in Architecture (Books)
- #109,887 in Reference (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

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- Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2016An excellent refute to the assertion that Form Follows Function., containing example after example of consumer objects that were designed to convey specific messages rather than blindly reflecting only the function of the object. One of my "must read" recommendations.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2007I rediscovered this book after college since I was probably too young to truly appreciate it the first time around. I use it now as the textbook for my Culture of Design seminar because it is one of the rare design history books that can ground design in its social context with real depth or clarity. (And boy, have I looked!)
While it can seem long winded to some, the ideas contained within are so novel and well explained that it can make someone allergic to 18th and 19th Century Design (like myself) truly appreciate the radical innovations of that period. For example, the Industrial Revolution was not just due to the steam engine's invention but more specifically to division of labor such as implemented in Wedgewood's factory in the mid 18th century.
The chapter on "Differentiation by Design" is a gem, showing how design reinforces class, age and gender roles. In the chapter on labor saving devices, women didn't really save any labor since cleanliness standards simply rose to meet product opportunities...
It's true that the book's layout, infographics and quality of the images do not do it justice... Hopefully the next reprint will address that.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2005This is more for the reader who wants to read an economic and cultural treatise on the development of design and how it has affected culture.
If it wasn't so long-winded I would have actually enjoyed it a lot more. Forty has looked at some of the assumptions we have made about design and culture and realised that they are not quite as they seem. A classic example he uses is that the invention and high use of sewing machines coincided with the impossibly ruffled gowns and dresses of the 1860's - the assumption has always been that the sewing machine made this type of style possible. Forty points out that these dresses did indeed use up to 100yds of fabric, and the use of the sewing machine only made them possible by making them more affordable. Sweatshops paid machine sewers far less than they paid hand sewers - therefore more complex dresses made by machine could be made for cheaper cost. My only problem with Forty is that he takes nearly 2 pages to say this.
I have some other problems with this work, I don't think it is well illustrated - all illustrations are small and in black and white - a bit hard to take in things that he calls 'richly glazed' and so on when you can't even see the colours. It also means he has catalogues and so on in here printed in impossibly small form so you can barely make out the designs.
On another petty note, I was surprised to see the picture of a cauliflower tea pot - fully functional from Wedgewood on one page, and then several pages later a picture of the mould was shown - both from 1760. What suprised me was that there was no reference in the text or near either illustration alluding to the fact that these were both in here. I thought something like this would at least have a small footnote directing to the other page.
I realise that with printing you have to make compromises but I didn't feel that these essentially editing and printing details did the book and its subject full justice. This really is a great book - divided into 11 chapters from the first industrial designers, to design in the home, labour-saving in the home and design and corporate identity. It just doesn't really quite make it.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2012While there is a fair amount of interesting historical information in the book, it is spoiled by a very heavy dose of academic Marxism and class resentment, as well as an amazing lack of basic historical knowledge (or perhaps, a denial of anything which contradicts theory -- such as assertions that dress and purchase distinctions based on gender and social class were minimal until the development of capitalism). The sections on the development of radios as consumer items are about the only parts of the book not infused with political theory.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2006What is design? Is it what we make it to be, how we want it to be, or is it just designed and accepted by society? Adrian Forty writes the book in an unusual way by setting up each chapter as its own entity, yet the concepts in all the chapters somehow relate. The author enjoys jumping from topic to topic at high speed which makes the read interesting with the overwhelming examples there are in products- in one chapter it went from pocketknives to watches to childhood furniture to textiles to soap to architecture within a span of a couple pages. Ridiculous as it may be, it somehow kept my attention. Filled with pictures of antique and modern design, Forty proves that design has progressed though time according to the needs or perceived needs of society. It makes you see things more as designs than products, and inspires you to wonder why something was designed the way it was. This book was assigned to be read in one of my college classes, and I decided to keep it instead of selling it back after the semester ended.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2021This is a really good reference to have for anyone who deals with creating artifacts for public consumption. It places the concept of design on par with marketing and offers an examination of both the creation of desire and the response to demands for change in cultural tastes or technological innovation.
Top reviews from other countries
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aldo fontanaReviewed in Italy on August 10, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Artigianato ed industria, gli albori
Da leggere assolutamente, l’inizio dell’attuale Design!
- dsbReviewed in India on August 12, 2018
2.0 out of 5 stars Good book, poor condition
Good book, poor condition
- IBReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting book about everyday things
This is a very readable book about the interrelationship between material culture, design, social change and consumerism. The author goes to show how historical preoccupations with hygiene, cleanliness and efficiency all had an impact on the design and production of objects since the advent of industrialization. Our preoccupation with appearances and social status were also key factors in driving design and consumption. He also shows how designers responded to these issues of public concern and exploited them in order to create the consumer society we know today.
This was a good read. I enjoyed it and learned a lot from this book.
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GalloReviewed in France on August 26, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars parfait et rapide
je cherchais ce livre de puis longtemps mais je ne me souvenais plus du titre ni de l'auteur. Un ami m'a aidé. Et voilà, il est chez moi, vite et bien
- Melissa McneilReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Great purchase
Purchased this book for uni, delivery came day before expected and the condition of the book is great. Exactly as advertised if not better. Amazing price for the quality