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Jessica Helfand
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Design: The Invention of Desire Hardcover – May 24, 2016

by Jessica Helfand (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 19
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    228 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    May 24, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    9.3 x 6.75 x 1.1 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0300205090
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300205091
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thoughtful and necessary new book."—Allison Arieff, New York Times

"[Helfand] defines designing not merely as a technical problem-solving exercise but as a way to explore deeply human subjects like compassion, melancholy, solitude and change. Her poetic book, Design: The Invention of Desire, will inspire anyone who wants to understand this elusive creative process."—Michael Bierut, Wall Street Journal

"Jessica Helfand makes the case for design not as a skill or an industry but as an exploration of our humanity. She designs in order to see, and this smart and beautiful book looks inward as well as out."—James Gleick

"In an age marked by speed, impatience, and the giddy pursuit of objects, both actual and virtual, Jessica Helfand’s Invention of Desire demands our attention. In her text she deftly explores the essences rather than surfaces of design, in particular the ethical responsibilities that attend every created thing. Punctuated by beautiful images made from histological samples of tissues, organs, bones, and nerves, this book insists on what is often forgotten: the shared human experience and its meaning for the world of design."—Siri Hustvedt

"Jessica Helfand looks at design as a deeply emotional experience, as a live wire on sensations, as an expression of what it means to be alive. This is truly intelligent writing."—Stefan Sagmeister

"In her extraordinary new paintings, Jessica Helfand finds the sweet spot between scientific certainty and formal abstraction. She invites us to consider the body, the self, and the mesmerizing biological wonders that unite us as a species. This is a remarkable body of work."—Laurie Simmons

"Compassion. Solitude. Memory. These are just a few of the topics explored in Jessica Helfand’s glorious book. Deeply philosophical and humanistic, it is a beautifully articulated meditation of what it means to design and what it means to be alive."—Maira Kalman

From the Inside Flap

Design is an intrinsically humanist discipline, tethered to the very core of why we exist. It frames our conception of power, informs our belief about personal dignity, piques our curiosity about fiction and fantasy; highlights our yearning for romance and beauty; and engages our eternal appetite for narrative. Design matters because of the why, not the what: the sentiment, not the acquisition. Design matters because people matter, and the purpose of this book is to examine precisely this proposition: to consider the conscience-driven rules of human engagement within which design must operate. This is a book about design as it relates to human beings. Because that is what matters most of all.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press (May 24, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 228 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300205090
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300205091
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.3 x 6.75 x 1.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 19

About the author

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Jessica Helfand

Jessica Helfand

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Trained as a graphic designer at Yale, where she taught for more than two decades, Jessica Helfand is an artist and writer. She grew up in Paris and New York City, and is a founding editor of Design Observer, an award-winning online platform for design journalism and practice. The first-ever recipient of the Henry Wolf Residency at the American Academy in Rome, Jessica Helfand has been a Director’s Guest at Civitella Ranieri, a fellow at The Bogliasco Foundation, and the artist in residence at CalTech. She won the AIGA medal, the design profession's highest honor, in 2013.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
19 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Eli Hernandez, Jr
5.0 out of 5 stars She provides such wonderful insight. I marvel at her observations
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2017
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One person found this helpful
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Justin Niederkorn
5.0 out of 5 stars An unexpectedly good read
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2017
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One person found this helpful
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Dean
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Premise, Does not Deliver.
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021
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Carolyn Eckert
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Look at Life and Design
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2016
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4 people found this helpful
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cumma025
5.0 out of 5 stars Great and thought provoking for a designer!
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2021
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Luis Salas
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2017
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Joe Carpenter
3.0 out of 5 stars Good for design crit
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017
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2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

William Roberto Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars Cet obscur objet du désir
Reviewed in Canada on July 19, 2017
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trine bekkersgaard
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2018
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ATSA
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2017
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