The University of the Arts Libraries • Research Tools and Resources • Subject & Reference Guides

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN RESOURCES

All quoted material in the annotations is from American Reference Book Annual (ARBA) series, Greenfield REFERENCE 011.02 Am35, unless otherwise stated.

Industrial design is a very broad-ranging topic. We cannot list here all the material that could be relevant to a researcher. Please be sure to speak to a reference librarian about your research needs.

Reference materials | Subject Headings | Periodical Indexes | Style Manuals | Web Sites

The first place to look when beginning research on a topic is in reference material: specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias or handbooks. These allow you to check names, dates and places, find additional information, look up unknown terms, and check for the proper spelling of words. They are particularly helpful for finding basic background information on a topic, and are often the only place many students may need to look to find answers to their questions. They may include bibliographies (lists of additional materials on a topic, usually considered by the author to be the best materials on that topic) that you can use to find other materials.

Biographical and Background Information on Design and Designers
The sources listed here are useful for information on individual designers and on the history of design.

The A-Z of modern design / Bernd Polster, Claudia Neumann, Markus Schuler, Frederick Leven. London: Merrell, 2006.
Greenfield REF 745.403 A99p

"This encyclopedia is the most comprehensive guide available to international product design of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries... Each entry includes an informative profile, a biography or company history, and a product chronology, and is accompanied by colour photographs."--quoted from the front cover inside flap.

Byars, Mel. The design encyclopedia. Wiley, 1994.
Greenfield REF 745.403 B99d

"This encyclopedia provides information on designers, design firms, movements, design manufacturers, artists' groups, and design materials of the past 125 years. Designers of furniture, textiles, glass, metalware, wallpaper, and interiors, as well as ceramicists, industrial designers, and interior architects are included. … Entries for designers include a general description, birth and death dates, education, biography, exhibition activities and awards, and a brief bibliography. The bibliography includes citations that support the information provided in the entry and in many cases leads to additional information." ARBA 1995

Campbell, Alastair. The designer's lexicon : the illustrated dictionary of design, printing, and computer terms. Revised and enlarged edition. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2000.
Greenfield REF 741.603 C152d

Contemporary designers. 3rd ed. St. James Press, 1997. See also 1984 and 1990 edition.
Greenfield REF 745.4492 C767 1997

Look here first for contemporary designers! Biographical and bibliographical information on designers. Some designers submit artist's statements or design philosophies.

Pile, John. Dictionary of 20th-century design. Facts on File, 1990.
Greenfield REF 745.444203 P642d

"In the twentieth century, design has come to be regarded as a discipline with its own identity that should ultimately elevate taste and production standards for everybody. … This work covers designers, styles and periods, manufacturers, technical terms, materials, schools and other design institutions, and notable periodicals that focus squarely on design as their central theme. … The writing style is highly readable while packed with facts." ARBA 1992

Jervis, Simon. The Facts on File dictionary of design and designers. Facts on File, 1984.
Greenfield REF 745.403 J448f

"The emphasis of this dictionary is on historical design and designers, providing brief biographies of designers from 1450 to the present, including minor as well as major figures. The scope is broad, listing noted patrons and historians as well as designers; important exhibitions, especially those of the nineteenth century; schools and institutions; and major serial and periodical publications." ARBA 1985

Julier, Guy. The Thames and Hudson encyclopaedia of 20th century design and designers. Thames & Hudson, 1994.
Greenfield REF 745.4442 J944t

General information on design history and designers.

Lidwell, William. Universal principles of design : 100 ways to enhance usability, influence perception, increase appeal, make better design decisions, and teach through design. Rockport, 2003.
Greenfield REF 745.403 L619u

Definitions, with illustrations and sources cited, of broad principles of design. What, for example, is meant by "form follows function"? What is face-ism? What is iteration and how does it relate to design? Find out here.

Marcus, George H., and Kathryn B. Hiesinger. Landmarks of twentieth-century design : an illustrated handbook. Abbeville Press, 1993.
Greenfield REF 745.4442 H533L 1993

"This book is a much-needed addition to the design field. It provides a visual and narrative overview of major international design movements of the twentieth century. … It is arranged in chapters divided chronologically by decades. Each chapter begins with an excellent overview and analysis of the major design events, movements, and designers that existed during that period. The overview is followed by entries of the major objects created during that decade. … The work also includes a section of designer biographies with bibliographies, a general bibliography, and an excellent index." ARBA 1995

Webb, Pauline, and Mark Suggitt. Gadgets and necessities : an encyclopedia of household innovations. Santa Barbara, CA : ABC-CLIO, c2000.
Greenfield REF 683.803 W383g

"This entertaining and thought-provoking A-to-Z encyclopedia examines modern domestic technology and innovations during the twentieth century, exploring the social and cultural conditions that produced such devices as the electronic iron and the vacuum cleaner. The encyclopedia covers innovations and objects, inventors, organizations, institutions, manufacturers, and themes. ... [this book] includes an introduction, bibliography, extensive illustrations, references to websites, end-of-entry suggestions for further reading, and a general index." from the back cover

Noonan, Patrick and Timothy Warner. Product design management : an annotated bibliography. Aldershot ; Brookfield, USA : Avebury, c1988.
Greenfield REF 016.7452 N737p

American art directory. R. R. Bowker, 1952- .
Greenfield REF 709.73 Am3 1999-2000

Directory of art organizations, art schools, museums, libraries, and professional associations, state arts councils, magazines, newspaper art editors and critics, scholarships and fellowships.

The design firm directory. Product design edition. Wefler & Associates, [c1986- ]. Annual.
Greenfield REF 745.2025 D46pd

The design firm directory. Graphic and industrial design edition. Wefler & Associates, [c1986- ]. Annual.
Greenfield REF 745.2025 D46

Kliment, Stephen A. Writing for design professionals : a guide to writing successful proposals, letters, brochures, portfolios, reports, presentations, and job applications for architects, engineers, and interior designers. W.W. Norton, c1998.
Greenfield Open Stacks 808.0667 K683w 1998

Woodson, Wesley E.Human factors design handbook: information and guidelines for the design of systems, facilities, equipment, and products for human use. McGraw-Hill, 1981.
Greenfield REF 620.82 W868h 1981

Coffel, Steve. Encyclopedia of garbage. New York : Facts On File, c1996.
Greenfield REF 628.44 C654e

Good for information on recycling, in a dictionary format. List of sources and index. Use the index and then look for cross-references within each entry. If you look at the entry for CARDBOARD, for example, you will be directed to separate entries for PAPER. The entry on PAPER will direct you to entries on PACKAGING, BUILDING MATERIALS, DISPOSABLE DIAPERS, LANDFILL, PAPER RECYCLING, WASTEWATER, WATER POLLUTION, etc. There are several paragraphs on making paper. The entry for PAPER is followed by PAPER OR PLASTIC? and addresses which shopping bag choice is more environmentally sound and why. Interesting!

Encyclopedia of smart materials. Edited by Mel Schwartz. New York : J. Wiley, c2002.
Greenfield REF 620.1103 En19s v.1-2

"The Encyclopedia of Smart Materials (ESM) contains the writings, thoughts, and work of many of the world's foremost people ... who work in the field of smart materials. The authors discuss theory, fundamentals, fabrication, processing, application, applications and uses of these very special, and in some instances rare, materials." --Preface, page v.

The McGraw-Hill recycling handbook. Herbert F. Lund, editor in chief. 2nd ed. New York : McGraw-Hill, 2001.
Greenfield REF 363.7282 M459Lu 2001

Contains sections on the basics of recycling, recycling materials (paper, cans, glass, textiles, etc.), recycling facilities and equipment, recycling operations, case histories, and recyling in other countries; appendices include a glossary and list of recycling information and sources.

Marks' standard handbook for mechanical engineers. 11th ed. Edited by Eugene A. Avallone, Theodore Baumeister III, Ali M. Sadegh. New York : McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Greenfield REF 621 M342s 2007

Chapters include strength of materials, materials of engineering, materials handling, manufacturing processes, and emerging technologies.

Todd, Robert H. et al. Manufacturing processes reference guide. 1st ed. New York : Industrial Press, 1994.
Greenfield REF 671.023 T566m 1994

"This is a reference book that fills a real need: it describes more than 130 manufacturing processes used in industry today. Some of the processes described are sputtering, sandblasting, extrusion molding, and vertical boring. While not exhaustive, this work does describe the most common processes. Each entry is heavily illustrated and includes process characteristics, process schematics, and workpiece geometry. Where relevant, time calculations, cost elements, and safety factors are also provided. Illustrations are clear with parts well-marked, and the text is well-laid out." ARBA 1996, entry 1670.

Brady, George S., Henry R. Clauser and John A. Vaccari. Materials handbook : an encyclopedia for managers, technical professionals, purchasing and production managers, technicians and supervisors. 14th ed. New York : McGraw-Hill, c1997.
Greenfield REF 620.1103 B729m

"First published in 1929, this handbook has been a standard for many years. During this time it has served libraries well; it covers a variety of materials from molybdenum steels and statuary bronze to gutta-percha and ginger. Its strength has always been that it has covered not only engineering materials but pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and historical materials such as bath metals. ... Each material is described in prose with related products or subdivisions in boldface type. ... This is the place to look first for the specific gravity of ivory, to learn where menhaden oil comes from, and to find the properties of incoloy." ARBA 1992, entry 1617. Use the index to find your material.

Handbook of plastics, elastomers, and composites. Charles A. Harper, editor in chief. 3rd ed. New York : McGraw-Hill, c1996.
Greenfield REF 668.4 H191h 1996

"This ... has been prepared as a thorough sourcebook of practical data for all ranges of interests. It contains an extensive array of property and performance data, presented as a function of the most important product variables. Further, it presents all important aspects of application guidelines, fabrication-method trade-offs, design finishing, performance limits, and other basic polymer properties. The handbook's other major features include thorough lists of standards and specifications sources, a completely referenced and easy-to-use index, a comprehensive glossary, useful end-of-chapter reference lists, and several appendixes containing invaluable data and information for product engineers." From the preface, p. xi.

Oberg, Erik et al. Machinery's handbook : a reference book for the mechanical engineer, designer, manufacturing engineer, draftsman, toolmaker, and machinist. 7th ed. New York : McGraw-Hill, c1992.
Greenfield REF 621.80212 Ob2m

"This engineering handbook covers machine shop practice and other aspects of practical mechanical engineering in an exemplary manner, and has done so for seventy-five years. It is another example of a 'mature' reference tool that remains dependable and predictable." ARBA 1989, entry 1503.

McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science and technology. 9th ed. New York : McGraw-Hill, c2002.
Greenfield REF 503 M17 volumes 1-20 [see volume 20 for index]

Always a good place to start for materials or processes. Use the index, Volume 20, to find your material.

Weingartner, C., with Jim Effner. Machinists' ready reference. 8th ed. Ann Arbor, Mich: Prakken Publications, c1994.
Greenfield REF 621.80212 W431m 1994

"This book compacts a large amount of useful information in a very small package. ... The information applies mainly to conventional metalworking tools and techniques (lathes, drill presses, milling machines, and so forth). Numerical control, CAD/CAM, and other more modern approaches are not treated." ARBA 1996, entry 1675.

The cutting edge : an encyclopedia of advanced technologies. Oxford University Press, 2000.
Greenfield REF 603 C982t