Design: The Invention Of Desire
by Jessica Helfand /
2016 / English / PDF
38.2 MB Download
A compelling defense for the importance of design and how it
shapes our behavior, our emotions, and our lives
A compelling defense for the importance of design and how it
shapes our behavior, our emotions, and our lives
Design has always prided itself on being relevant to the world it
serves, but interest in design was once limited to a small
community of design professionals. Today, books on “design
thinking” are best sellers, and computer and Web-based tools have
expanded the definition of who practices design. Looking at
objects, letterforms, experiences, and even theatrical
performances, award-winning author Jessica Helfand asserts that
understanding design's purpose is more crucial than ever. Design
is meaningful not because it is pretty but because it is an
intrinsically humanist discipline, tethered to the very core of
why we exist. For example, as designers collaborate with
developing nations on everything from more affordable lawn mowers
to cleaner drinking water, they must take into consideration the
full range of a given community’s complex social needs. Advancing
a conversation that is unfolding around the globe, Helfand offers
an eye-opening look at how designed things make us feel as well
as how—and why—they motivate our behavior.
Design has always prided itself on being relevant to the world it
serves, but interest in design was once limited to a small
community of design professionals. Today, books on “design
thinking” are best sellers, and computer and Web-based tools have
expanded the definition of who practices design. Looking at
objects, letterforms, experiences, and even theatrical
performances, award-winning author Jessica Helfand asserts that
understanding design's purpose is more crucial than ever. Design
is meaningful not because it is pretty but because it is an
intrinsically humanist discipline, tethered to the very core of
why we exist. For example, as designers collaborate with
developing nations on everything from more affordable lawn mowers
to cleaner drinking water, they must take into consideration the
full range of a given community’s complex social needs. Advancing
a conversation that is unfolding around the globe, Helfand offers
an eye-opening look at how designed things make us feel as well
as how—and why—they motivate our behavior.