I dont want to start another thread, so Im going to hijack! Could anyone recommend me a book that deals with product form and the perception of shapes etc.
Most of the books written by Donald Norman. They all apply to all of the categories you mention. But you may already have read them, because they really should be the first books you get in your shelf, imo.
(I received an interesting tip from this thread as well… the Universal Methods book seems very nice and I’m currently contemplating from which site to order it… but it appears to be a reference book, and not for learning.)
I have found “Making It” which was reviewed on here superb for an overview on production methods, and “Design Secrets: Products” to see some well known product’s design processes.
Naoto Fukasawa
One of my favrouite designers, he explains the process and inspiration behind his products,
nice big coffee table book with a fabric cover.
My uni’s library allows students to suggest book purchases, which they almost always buy. I got them to get this (because it is about $600 and weighs 17kg):
I find ‘molecular gastronomy’ a little bit of a wank (“you need a sous vide!, you need a thermomix!, you must deconstruct your hamburger!”) but this book is amazing, especially the photos of cooking processes in action:
I agree with the comment above, Universal Principles of Design is a great book. It touches on all aspects of design – graphic, industrial, advertising, architecture, etc. It even goes into the psychology of design and why people gravitate towards certain designs and others do not. I also enjoy how the authors include references to additional research papers and/or books on the subject at hand. http://www.amazon.ca/Universal-Principles-Design-Revised-Updated/dp/1592535879/ref=pd_sim_b_2
If you enjoy reading the business side of design, I would encourage you to check out The Design of Business by Roger L. Martin. Martin is the current Dean at Rotman School of Business in Toronto. He has some pretty influential friends and includes them in his book (high profile people from such companies as RIM, Herman Miller, IDEO, and Johnson & Johnson). The book centers on design thinking about how to approach certain problems using creativity. Good examples used in the book. A little technical at the beginning though, but nothing extreme. http://www.amazon.ca/Design-Business-Thinking-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1422177807/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354204381&sr=1-1
Fast Company Magazine: Although not a book, Fast Company is a pretty solid magazine that infuses design and business. There are some pretty engaging articles in the magazine. Check of http://www.fastcodesign.com which is the company’s design and innovation focused part of the magazine/website. Azure Magazine - http://www.azuremagazine.com is another solid magazine for interiors, architecture, and design.
Appledesign - approx. $300 new or used on Amazon (go for broke!)
documenting a lot of historic design languages utilized by Apple’s design team and also provides readers with a lot of historical insight into the early industrial design struggles internally.
Apple Design (note the difference) - aprox. $40 on Amazon
have not read this one
Defying Gravity: The Making of Newton - approx. $40 on Amazon
documents the design and development of the Newton Message Pad handheld PDA/Computer. This, in my opinion, should be mandatory reading for ANYONE who will be involved in product development in any discipline. The frantic pace, insane deadlines, unending work days, pressure-pressure-pressure, successes, failures, etc. - it’s all in here supported by great photo journalism.