New Chairs: Design, Technology, and Materials by Mel Byars

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by James Novak

Overview:

The chair is the ultimate design object, and the ultimate challenge in order to bring something new and unseen to the market. This book details nearly 70 contemporary chairs by leading designers like Tom Dixon, the Campana Brothers, Frank O. Gehry, as well as young up-and-coming designers with fresh ideas. Like the book “Design Secrets: Furniture: 50 Real-Life Projects Uncovered,” this book features concept sketches, CAD models and manufacturing sequence photos along-side the final photos of the chair, giving you a rare insight into how the project was developed. Each chair features different materials and manufacturing methods, so there is plenty to inspire and learn in this book.

About the author:

At the time of publishing, Mel Byars was a professor at the Holon Academic Institute of Technology, Israel. He has published numerous books on design, as well as lecturing and writing around the world.

Relevance to product design: 10/10

Every designer at some point in their career seems to feel compelled to design at least one chair that not only defines them, but is in some way different from all other chairs that exist. Thus, this book dedicated to the chair is of value to any product designer, as no doubt you have already designed, or will design, a chair. The variety of manufacturing methods, combined with rarely seen concept sketches and ‘behind the scenes’ photography, makes this a useful resource written for designers, not potential customers.

Is the book informative?:  5/10

Unfortunately, this book must be discussed in comparison to the book “Design Secrets: Furniture: 50 Real-Life Projects Uncovered,” due to their similar styles and presentation of information. I call this unfortunate because the “New Chairs” book simply doesn’t provide as much written or graphical information on each project as in the “Design Secrets” book. Written information is often around 100 words in length, and many of the projects presented across only 2 pages. On the positive side, this book gives you a taste for a whole variety of designers and manufacturing techniques, giving you a foundation to get onto the web and find out more about the projects that you find inspiring.

Is the book easy to read?: 10/10

This is definitely an enjoyable book to read; the majority of pages are filled with large colourful photos and sketches, allowing you to quickly flick through the pages until something catches your eye. In this regard, the lack of written information has been substituted with ‘eye-candy,’ and everyone loves a bit of ‘eye-candy!’

Is it aesthetically pleasing?: 9/10

Page after page of photos and sketches definitely make this book visually appealing. Each project follows the same layout, beginning with a simple table to list the designer/s, manufacturer, date of design, materials and dimensions. This makes finding information quick and easy, so the book can become a quick-reference guide for your own work.

Is it a favourite book?: YES

While in my eyes this book is not quite as informative as “Design Secrets: Furniture: 50 Real-Life Projects Uncovered,” this book is still extremely valuable as it is one of the few books around that shows you behind-the-scenes photos of chairs being designed and manufactured by some of the greats of the industry. With a focus on chairs, it is specific and does not waste pages on unrelated furniture or products. If chairs are your thing, whether now or in the future, this is a great addition to your collection.