Top this and other parables of design
By: selected writings by Phil Patton ; introduction by Edward Tufte
Contributors: Tufte, Edward R., 1942- writer of introduction; Cooper-Hewitt Museum
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 296
ISBN-13: 9781942303152
Subjects: Civilization; Design; History
Work titles: Works
Description: In September 2015 the world lost Phil Patton--prolific design writer, teacher and tantalizing wordsmith. Patton's insatiable curiosity, sense of humor and keen eye made for the most compelling reads. Whether he was chronicling design minutia, quirky anecdotes or bizarre tales, Phil's hundreds of books, columns, articles and posts always delivered a new account. As his editor at I.D. magazine, Chee Pearlman, said, "His insight takes the reader beyond the object to an understanding of its broadest sociological context." No topic eluded him, and for a large part of his 40-year career he championed automobiles, technology and product design. Roger Black, designer, writer and longtime colleague and friend of Patton's wrote, "He taught The New York Times--by example--to cover design. The domino effect, the rest of the media followed." With an introduction by Edward Tufte and foreword by Caroline Baumann, this volume compiles 40 selections representing the wide range of interests and fascinations that occupied his thoughts. Punctuated by images of ideas and lists from notebooks he carried everywhere, Top This and Other Parables of Design is an intimate and portable companion for those who choose to always have a witty, informed friend around.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Foreword / Caroline Baumann; title: Introduction / Edward Tufte; title: Typologies syllabus : School of Visual Arts, New York, Fall 2010; title: In praise of possums : GEO, Jul. 1980; title: Classic American chairs : Diversion, Jun. 1989; title: Chapter one: The world in a package : Made in USA, 1992; title: Up from flatland : New York Times Magazine, Jan. 19, 1992; title: Some pig : The Village Voice, Apr. 7, 1992; title: Cyber fibers : Esquire, Sep. 1992; title: Spirals are going around : Esquire, Feb. 1993; title: User interface design: making metaphors : I.D. Magazine, Mar./Apr. 1993; title: The big book: put out to pasture : I.D. Magazine, May/Jun. 1993; title: Top this: coffee-cup lids : I.D. Magazie, May/Jun. 1996; title: Dead Eurocrats: the colorlessness of the European community's money : Slate, Feb. 27, 1997; title: Road to nowhere : Highway. America's Endless Dream, 1997; title: Time worn : I.D. Magazine, Nov. 1999; title: Technology in the office: individual power and collective standards : On the Job, 2000; title: For the frustrated carpenter : New York Times, Nov. 2, 2000; title: Home of the "potato chip" : Dwell, Oct. 2001; title: Grilles are asking to be taken at face value : New York Times, Nov. 17, 2003; title: The language of auto emblems : AIGA, Apr. 6, 2004; title: 50/50: the 50 biggest changes in the last 50 years : American Heritage, Oct. 2004; title: Futuro flashback: the prefab from another planet : New York Times, Jul. 28, 2005; title: Pixar's 'Cars' got its kicks on Route 66 : New York Times, May 21, 2006; title: Body language: how to talk the designer's talk : New York Times, Apr. 1, 2007; title: The virtues of avoiding interstates : New York Times, Aug. 5, 2007; title: In debates, the furniture is the message : New York Times, Oct. 11, 2008; title: A 100-year-old dream: a road just for cars : New York Times, Oct. 12, 2008; title: Foreword: time of the Taylors : Autodesign International, 2010; title: Secret cars kept under wraps, in public : New York Times, Nov. 7, 2010; title: Old dream, new art form : Automobile, Dec. 23, 2011; title: In Prada's spring-summer 2012 collection, shoes with tailfins : New York Times, Jan. 18, 2012; title: To be cute as a bug isn't enough anymore : New York Times, Jan. 20, 2012; title: The greatest grid: the master plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011 : The Architect's Newspaper, Feb. 10, 2012; title: Spoiler alert: 'Mad men' shifts gears : NYTimes.com, May 6, 2013; title: Wright's New York showroom, now just a memory : New York Times, Jun. 23, 2013; title: In praise of knobs : Car and Driver, Oct. 2013; title: A concept goes from paper sketch to metal reality : New York Times, Oct. 29, 2013; title: Robert Rauschenberg: BMW 635CSi, 1986 : BMW Art Cars, 2014; title: I didn't recognize you from behind : New York Times, Mar. 9, 2014; title: When cars ruled the World's Fair : New York Times, Apr. 13, 2014; title: And then my car chimed in, after it nudged me in the rear: high-tech grace notes alter the driving experience : New York Times, Sep. 21, 2014.