I was lucky enough to attend the Design and Technology Association Awards in London not so long ago – as the TES National Design & Technology advisor, though not lucky enough to win a prize. At the end of the evening Dame Ellen MacArthur (her father was a D&T teacher) gave a speech about […]
How do you define an Iconic Design?
Tough one! Especially if teaching Product Design at A-Level, this is one of those omni present questions which has a tendancy to make an appearance at exam time. I came up with this recently along with my A level students studying product design in relation to Iconic design. You know how much I love anagrams and acronyms! We […]
100 of the World’s Best Houses
This one does what it says on the cover and with text at a premium it’s a real visual aid and essential if studying architecture in the classroom. Useful for all key stages but I have found it particularly useful at A Level. Don’t just take my word for it – Check out this review […]
Concorde
A book devoted to possibly the most beautiful machine of our times. Detailed photographs throughout, a simply stunning book, its applications in the classroom are endless Buy Now
Cult Watches: The World’s Enduring Classics
A fantastic piece of reference material featuring the most famous and important watches ever made. Excellent resource which encourages the study of detail and the appreciation of tradition within design. Buy Now
Cartier: The Tank Watch
A very specific publication only really for the connoisseur. The book looks in detail at one of the finest watches of our time. Still produced today the “tank” is a master class in design and illustrates perfectly the ethos behind the Bauhaus principal that being the love of machine art. The watch itself is based […]
Gucci by Gucci: 85 Years of Gucci by Aldo Gucci
The title kind of sells the book, this one is pretty important if studying textiles and or graphics. Iconic designs displayed as they should be, flawlessly. Buy Now
Chanel: Collections and Creations
If you are studying textiles in any form then I would suggest this publication is a must, how could it not be? If you want your pupils to design well, then surely showing them the best is a good start? Buy Now
Marc Newson
Without doubt my favourite designer. Ex Surfer Marc Newson literally burst onto the design scene with his fantastic loungers that were made using the very same technology implemented in surfboard manufacture. I went to his exhibition at the Design Museum and was simply blown away by his products, his small car for Ford was stunning […]
British Auto Legends: Classics of Style and Design
This is the same deal as the Italian Auto Legends but with all British Marques. Just as beautiful to study and fantastically presented. A real must for future budding car designers. Particularly useful for spotting design influences on modern British cars. Buy Now