The definitive statement on design for the 21st century in a new mini format. A must-have for students, a handy source book for professionals and a revelation for the public. Written by the world's greatest design duo, Stephen Bayley and Terence Conran, arguably the world's leading arbiter of taste. Includes a major new appendix with Bayley and Conran assessing the leading designers at work today. "A must have, very cool interior design book"; "Great reference book, brilliant for students of design and a must for all practising designers who are continually intrigued by the origins of their art" Blueprint magazine.

Stephen Bayley is one of the world's best-known authorities on design and popular culture. He has been a design consultant working on imaginative communications projects for clients including Ford, Absolut Vodka, The Coca-Cola Company, Volkswagen Audi, Marks & Spencer, Penhaligon's, Foster Associates, Harvey Nichols, BMW, Piaggio and the V&A amongst others. He is also well-known as an outspoken commentator on art and design, contributing regularly to The Times, The Daily Mail, The Observer, The Evening Standard, The Guardian, The Spectator, The Los Angeles Times, High Life, New Statesman, The Independent and GQ. He often broadcasts and appears on various popular programmes including PM, Today, Newsnight, Start the Week, Channel 4 News, London Tonight, and Any Questions. In addition, he has lectured in universities and museums throughout Britain as well as around the world. He has also been a judge of many national and international design competitions, including Campaign Press Awards, RIBA Architectural Awards, The Building Awards, Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance at Hurlingham, Cartier Style et Luxe at Goodwood and BBC Good Food Awards. In 1989 he was made a Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France's top artistic honour, by the French Minister of Culture. Terence Conran is one of the world's leading designers, furniture-makers, restaurateurs, retailers and founder of the Habitat group of stores, which revolutionized home furnishings in the 1960s. He is Chairman of Conran Holdings, the parent company of his retail and restaurant businesses, and Chairman of Conran & Partners, his architecture and design practice. Conran & Partners is responsible for a wide range of residential and commercial buildings around the world, including airport terminals in London and New York, the Roppongi Hills project in Tokyo, Butlers Wharf in London, housing for City Lofts across the UK, and hotels such as Great Eastern Hotel and My Hotel in London, The Fitzwilliam in Dublin, Trieste in Vienna, The Park in Bangalore and Delhi, and Niki Club in Japan. There are Conran Shops in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Marunouchi, Nagaya and Fukuoka, and acclaimed restaurants across the UK and in New York, Paris and Stockholm. Terence Conran also designs furniture for Content and Benchmark. Terence Conran's books include The Essential House Book, The Essential Garden Book (co-written with Dan Pearson), Terence Conran on Design, Terence Conran on London, Terence Conran on Restaurants, Kitchens, The Ultimate House Book, Bathrooms, Storage, How to Live in Small Spaces and Eco House Book, all published by Conran Octopus.

Foreword by Terence Conran - A note on good design, Introduction by Stephen Bayley - A note on 'disegno', An industrious love of art - the beginnings of design, Lawful prey - mass consumption, A kilogram of stone or a kilogram of gold? Survival and revival of craft values, Hygiene of the optical - the romance of the machine, The cash value of art - America, La Ricostruzione - Italy since the fifties, Ugly, inefficient, depressing chaos - symbolism and consumer psychology, All that is solid melts into air - design since the eighties, A-Z of contents, A-Z of entries, Acknowledgments, Index of products and designers,