Top Ten PDFs on Design

Though nothing in life is free, reports, newsletters, dissertations and guides in PDF on the Web, available at no charge, come close. And as most "free" things are made available for a reason, you should be cautious. Having said that, for the cost of toner and paper the following 10 PDFs are an information bargain.

These selected PDFs focus on the design process (history, theory and education). PDFs about production (manufacturing, new materials and business management) and eco-design (sustainability) will be listed in the following issues of VCR.

(To download any item click on cover image.) 

Herman Miller:
Modern Classics

This history of Herman Miller is illustrated with magazine ads for their products from 1945 to 1963. Produced by the company in 2003, this PDF details the work of its world-famous designers George Nelson, Charles and Ray Eames and Isamu Noguchi.

Machines for Sitting

An article describing Neils Different's 50-year quest for ergonomic perfection, which by his own admission, is an impossible task, but he hasn't stopped trying.

The July 2004 reprint is from Metropolis Magazine and provided by the Humanscale website.

Competing By Design: National Design Review

This is another government publication that links design and economic development. The report is based on numerous submissions from Australian industry, designers and other stakeholders. Its recommendations include using design for strategic management, quality control, competitiveness and education/training initiatives.

Thonet: Monthly Newsletter

This series of newsletters, published by Thonet, is largely self-promotional yet includes details of Thonet classics such as the S 550 chair by Jehs and Laub and S 43 by Mart Stam (Edition 11). Editions 9 and 10 showcase new products, and Edition 7 features Thonet tables and chairs for the education and institutional market.

Alvar Aalto

This high-school-level "teachers resource" was published by the Barbiacn Art Gallery in London to accompany a major retrospective of Aalto's work in the spring of 2007. The exhibit was curated by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and includes examples of Alto's housing, furniture and glassware. The brochure concludes with a comprehensive bibliography and website list for further research.

Design and Technology (K-12): National Curriculum for England

The design curriculum outlined in this report is a compulsory subject for K-12 students in England. As a consequence, UK colleges and universities account for one-third of European design graduates. The trades-based "shop" curriculum offered by most North American secondary schools pales in comparison to this UK interdisciplinary design-based curriculum.

Design in Britain 2005-6

This study of UK business's claims that design can improve sales, turnover and growth. Almost half the companies reported that design helped them maintain a competitive edge. The survey concludes with a detailed analysis of how design is implemented in different regions of the UK.

Compasso d’Oro and Changes in the Italian Domestic Landscape

A Virginia Polytechnic Institute 2003 Masters of Science thesis that explores the relationship between selected items from the Italian industrial design award Compasso d’Oro and how they reflect the changes in technology, design, and society over five decades from 1950 to 2000.

New Tools and Methods in Furniture Design

Written by the Material and Design Studio at Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden, this report details two studies of "collaborative design" projects (involving many specialists working together). The first study investigated a design for a chair formed from one sheet of material; the second involved a chair comprised of a plywood shell on a steel frame.

Design: Potential for British Columbia's Potential Wood Products Industry

This Canadian overview of the role of design in diversifying commodity-based industries can be applied worldwide. The author surveys design development strategies in several countries and provides examples of appropriate furniture design, export initiatives, promotional exhibitions, technical research and educational programs.