Iconic Product Design: An Illustrated History of the World's Most Innovative Devices

Wolfgang Joensson

Oct 2020 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

You will undoubtedly recognize quite a few of the products featured in this book—the Coca-Cola bottle, the Wester & Co pocket knife, the Kitchen Aid mixer, the Le Creuset Dutch oven, the Weber grill, the Bic cristal pen, the Rolodex address file, Kikkoman soy sauce bottles, the Kodak Instamatic, the Polaroid SX-70, the SONY Walkman, the Apple MacIntosh, and the Dyson air-multiplier.

Maybe they were part of your childhood or represent your ideal in design; certainly, they will evoke a sense of the familiar. Iconic Product Design is an engaging and accessible presentation of the history of product design, providing an extensive catalog of the most memorable product designs of the past 150 years.

More than 130 remarkable product designs from all areas, including household appliances, everyday objects, furniture, entertainment technology and office equipment, are presented in this collection. Accompanying the images are well-researched and charming vignettes about each product, with amusing insights and fun tidbits of information about its time and place. Each one informs how design has been influenced by changes in technology, science, and society. While these products were considered innovative at their inception, all have withstood the test of time and many are still, remarkably, in use today.

​Iconic Product Design is a comprehensive collection of iconic product design objects, chronologically organized from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to the present. Each spread of this richly illustrated book showcases the author’s representation of the chosen design, expressing its essence and capturing its spirit. In the introductory text, he shares his concept of the term iconicity to help the reader understand what makes these products stand out and why they are considered icons today.

Ratings and reviews

AAA

About the author

Wolfgang Joensson is a South African–born German industrial designer and educator. Throughout his career, he has worked with international clients ranging from small startup companies to industrial giants, creating award-winning product, graphic, interface, and package design that can be found in shops and museums worldwide. He likes cocktails, cooking, culture, and conversation with clever people. He lives in Paris, France, and Corona del Mar, California.