Designed for Life maps the current terrain of contemporary product design through 100 designers selected by an international panel of critics, curators, entrepreneurs, and gallerists — a rare cross-section of who is shaping the field right now.
About This Book
The boundaries between design, art, craft, fashion, and architecture have dissolved, and Designed for Life positions itself precisely at that intersection. Edited by Kelsey Keith, the book surveys 100 designers whose work spans furniture, lighting, glassware, limited editions, and office systems — from emerging voices such as Mac Collins and Minjae Kim to established practitioners including Jasper Morrison, India Mahdavi, and Formafantasma. What distinguishes this survey from a simple catalogue is its curatorial rigour: each designer was nominated by influential industry figures rather than self-selected. The result is an unusually candid portrait of contemporary product design — its new materials and processes, its evolving aesthetics, and the growing centrality of sustainability, diversity, and inclusivity to the discipline.
Key Features
- 232 pages of illustrated contemporary product design spanning furniture, lighting, objects, glassware, limited editions, and office systems
- Edited by Kelsey Keith, with designers nominated by an international panel of critics, curators, gallerists, journalists, and entrepreneurs
- Featured designers include Barber Osgerby, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Faye Toogood, Sabine Marcelis, GamFratesi, Martino Gamper, Formafantasma, Misha Khan, Max Lamb, Jomo Tariku, Bethan Laura Wood, and many more
- Published by Phaidon, ISBN 9781838667696
What You'll Discover
- How a new generation of designers — including Mac Collins, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, and Mimi Shodeinde — is working fluidly across design, craft, art, and architecture
- The new materials, manufacturing processes, and technologies reshaping what product design can be and look like
- How sustainability, diversity, and inclusivity have moved from peripheral concerns to central design imperatives for practitioners across the spectrum
- The full breadth of contemporary product design output, from highly functional office systems to limited-edition collectible objects and art-adjacent pieces
About the Author
Kelsey Keith serves as editor of Designed for Life, assembling contributions and nominations from an international line-up of design critics, museum curators, gallerists, journalists, and entrepreneurs to shape the book's selection of 100 designers.
Specifications
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 232
- Dimensions: 30.2 x 25.8 x 3.2 cm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781838667696
- Publisher: Phaidon
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Product designers, industrial designers, and design students seeking a curated survey of the field; collectors and gallerists tracking emerging talent; architects and interior designers sourcing makers working at the intersection of design and art.