Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-219) and index

Preface: A firearm with a moustache -- Part 1: The nature of man-made artifacts -- Introduction. What we read between the lines -- The mind's eye -- Reviewing the designed form -- In context 1: Aesthetics of form -- Part 2: Concepts of product form -- A conjectural framework -- Temporal aspects of form evolution -- Spatial aspects of form evolution -- External catalysts of form evolution -- In context 2: Technology leaders -- Part 3: Product form in practice -- Introduction to the case studies -- Case study 1: The camera family -- Case study 2: Personal media communications -- Case study 3: Faxes, copiers, and printers -- Case study 4: Television screens -- Case study 5: Home entertainment -- Case study 6: The automobile -- Case study 7: Two-wheel transportation -- Case study 8: Vacuum cleaners -- Case study 9: Home air-blowing devices -- Case study 10: Major home appliances -- Case study 11: Food preparation appliances -- Case study 12: Hand power tools -- Case study 13: Chairs -- Case study 14: Coffee and tea preparations -- Postscript: ...but what is it?

Why, in spite of widespread designers' obsession with amazing bicycle concepts, do bicycles still essentially adhere to traditional classic form? Why, in spite of countless car makes and models, is the underlying car meta form basically the same? On the other hand, why does our understanding of the word "chair" allow an extreme latitude of form variety? Why do kitchen appliances such as mixers and toasters insist on retaining a specific form for each assigned function? These are some of the questions this book answers. The Form of Design is the first all-encompassing book about the visual language of man-made products