In the 1920s, the word design referred to common objects which tended to improve daily life at a reasonable cost. True industrial design.
So how is it, asks the author Alessandra Coppa, that they have now become cult design objects, such as Philippe Starck’s orange squeezer which, in reality, is not used to squeeze oranges but has become a sculpture to be displayed in the kitchen?

This and other matters are examined through interviews and meetings with great designers. From Mendini to Starck, Mario Bellini and Patricia Urquiola.
The subject is also taken up by design critics and journalists who candidly present their personal point of view and the difficulties, at times paradoxical, that they encounter in having to write about certain products which are, to say the least, bewildering.

A funny and at times critical excursus on the great world of design which now includes everything.

The very structure of the book, through its chapters, is a clear indication:
1. Designers: paranoia and idiosyncrasies
2. Designers’ families: how designers can ruin the lives of their families
3. The relationship between designers and companies: is it possible or         not?
4. The icons, status symbols to have at all costs: despite everything...
5. Magazine directors: but why do I have to publish this?
6. Design critics: now what can I say about this thing?
7. Design collectors: the search for the unfindable object
8. The relationship between clients and designers: it doesn’t matter if           it’s uncomfortable... its design!

As the author explains: “The concept of form-function loses meaning and the concept of design widens, generating a world of eccentric characters, uninhabitable homes, circus-like trade fairs and objects which often last just long enough to say “damned design!”.