20th Century Style and Design

Author: Stephen Bayley & Philip Gaynor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: The authors of 20th Century Style and Design attribute modern design to "new technology." The authors believe, "The concept of 'design' is fundamentally a modern concept—it is the result of the Industrial Revolution that separated the manufacturer, the seller, and the user. Industrial design now incorporates elements of engineering, materials science, innovation, art, business, ergonomics, human factors, and social sciences. The concept of 'good design' emerged in the 1930s. In the 1950s, when people tried to unify industrial production under existing taste values by attributing it to a certain style, particularly a moral attitude, it became prominent." The authors of 20th Century Style and Design list art as only one of the many factors constituting modern design. However, when reviewing the history of 20th-century design, it becomes evident that art actually plays a nearly soulful role in modern design. From architecture and urban design to decorative arts and industrial design, they became experimental grounds for various forms of modern art in the 20th century.