Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects

Design Noir is a 2001 book that provides an in-depth exploration of the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of Dunne & Rabys work. It consists of a manifesto, notes for an embryonic network of critical designers, and the Placebo Project, a prototype for a critical design poetics enacted around electronic furniture-objects.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 01 July 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Design Noir, the groundbreaking collaboration's inaugural book, published in 2001, stands as an indispensable primary resource for delving into the theoretical and conceptual foundations of Dunne & Rabys' work. Comprising three distinct elements, this seminal publication offers an in-depth exploration of one of the most influential design projects of the past two decades. Firstly, it serves as a manifesto on the potential of designing with and for the enigmatic "secret life of electronic objects." Secondly, it includes invaluable notes for an embryonic network of critical designers, contributing to the development of a critical design poetics centered around electronic furniture-objects. Lastly, it showcases the iconic Placebo Project, a groundbreaking prototype that enacted a critical design poetics through electronic furniture-objects.

By meticulously detailing the logic and character of the objects constructed, the evolving interaction of users with these objects over time, and the creation of new spatial and temporal distributions of moments of critique and engagement with things, Design Noir presents the Placebo project as a far more complex and nuanced endeavor than is commonly perceived. As a bold and pioneering experiment in design writing and book design, Design Noir itself exemplifies the speculative propositional design it expounds upon.

Through its comprehensive examination of the theoretical and practical aspects of Dunne & Rabys' collaboration, Design Noir serves as a valuable resource for designers, scholars, and enthusiasts alike, shedding light on the transformative power of design in shaping our contemporary world.

Weight: 644g
Dimension: 176 x 252 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350070639