Iconix : Exceptional Product Design (Hardcover)

A reflection on our personal relationships with objects and the impact designed objects can have on us as a society.

Iconix 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.

More than one hundred 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.

Whether you are drawn to this book because of an interest in design or a penchant for nostalgia and the objects that trigger memories—or both—you will undoubtedly recognize quite a few of these products, such as 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. Iconix 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.