Usefulness in Small Things: Items from the Under a Fiver Collection

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Kim Colin

Sam Hecht

Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 2011, English

Nonfiction, Product/Industrial Design

7.5 x 9 inches, paperback, 224 pages, 300 color illustrations

ISBN: 9780847836086

Suggested Retail Price: $29.95

From the Publisher. Everyday, low-cost, and mass-produced items gathered from around the world showcasing innovative design. This book presents a delightful collection of mass-produced objects that provide insight into the things that surround us. Common items such as nails, plugs, toothbrushes, soap, gloves, and sweets have their own function and differ in design from country to country and region to region. Some are examples of good and practical design, while others fail to fulfill their function. The collection shows an appreciation to detail by revealing how things are made and a sensitivity to the tasks people carry out, all the while keeping in mind the basic utilitarian design of these inexpensive everyday objects. The items come from a range of countries, including the United States, Japan, France, and Thailand, and were purchased from small local shops. More than design souvenirs that celebrate local culture, they all involve an idea about function—and in most cases the "designer" is unknown. The book is designed by Graphic Thought Facility and illustrated with over 150 newly commissioned photographs by Angela Moore. The objects are organized thematically, with concise captions that clarify the individual function of each item, exposing what is not always apparent from looking. With an introduction by Paul Smith.

On 2 book lists

Sam Hecht

On list of Books by Sam Hecht

Daijiro Mizuno

On Daijiro Mizuno’s Notable Books of 2011 list

The origin of this book was a personal fascination of Sam Hecht’s. For his project “Under a Fiver,” he purchased products that cost under five British pounds as he traveled around the globe. His collections of quirky products are both particular to the area where he purchased them and at the same time universal to human behavior. This book is full of inspiration not only in the context of design but also as a work of cultural anthropology.

サム・ヘクトによるこの本は、Under a Fiverと題された彼の個人的なプロジェクトに端を発する。ヘクトは、世界中を旅する間に現地で5ポンド以内で購入することができるプロダクトを収集していた。収集されたプロダクトは、購入された場所におけるコンテクストの固有性と同時に普遍性も垣間見ることができ、デザイン的観点のみならず文化人類学的な見地からも興味深い内容になっている。

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