How to See. A Visual Journey Through the Man-Made World

A new edition of the classic guide by George Nelson, released on the fortieth anniversary of its original publication.
Originally published in 1977 by the renowned American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, George Nelson's critical manifesto on how to recognize, evaluate, and understand objects and landscapes of visual objects, as well as how design has influenced generations of professionals, students, and enthusiasts. Forty years later, this iconic book has been brought back to life with a fresh, new perspective and feeling. At a time when collective fascination with design has become global, one of the most important design thinkers of the 20th century continues to enlighten and inspire readers around the world.
At the core of Nelson's worldview is a belief that design, regardless of its scale of application, remains a form of communication for society, and that, as he expressed, "what matters is not so much the significance of the object — as a rule, the designer cannot influence this — but the degree of emotional expressiveness of its core elements."
Today, just as in Nelson's time, the designer's work is perceived primarily as creating something material, but for him, the focus was on the connection between the product of the designer's creativity and the observer who encountered that product. As Nelson notes in his preface, "the awakening of awareness generally leads to the expansion of its boundaries."
"How to See" — his call to action, to which we are yet to respond.