This encyclopedia is the most comprehensive guide available to international product design of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It includes more than 300 entries on influential designers and studios and the most important design-lid manufacturers worldwide, both past and present, from Frank Lloyd Wright, Raymond Loewy and Philippe Starck to Apple, lkea and BMW. The products featured range from classic cars, furniture and ceramics to the latest MP3 players. Each entry includes an informative profile, a biography history, and a produch chronology, and is accompanied by colour photographs.

• More than 300entries, profusely illustrated with over 2800 colour photographs

• A-Z format, extensive cross-referencing and simple colour-coded system of entries ensure quick access to information Includes useful biographies of designers, company histories and chronological listings of products

An essential reference for students and anyone interested in modern design

Bernd Polste r is writer specializing in design and cultural history. He regularly contributes to the financial Times Deutschland and the Frankfurter Rundschau and is editor of the Designlexicon series.

Claudia Neumann is a journalist and the author of Design Calendar and Designlexicon Italy She is also co-founder of a PR agency that specializes in design, visual arts and architecture.

Markus Schuler writes about product and graphic design and fashion. He also works as a PR consultant.

Frederick Leven has contributed to several books on design. He currently works at the StadtMuseum Bonn.