Design between Science and Humanities: select bibliography

Design is a complex concept that defies fixed definitions: it is a notion as broad as theory or method. Even by restricting its meaning to the design of human artefacts and systems, it is common to hear expressions such as engineering design, industrial design, conceptual design, packaging design, interior design, service design, but also design management, corporate design, to name but a few compounds testifying to the breadth of its scope. Specialized literature confirms that the very definition of the word has been problematic from its emergence. The assumption is that both definitions and contents have changed, varying according to the society they belong to, and so has the profession of the people involved. For the same reasons, it is impossible to present a basic literature that defines its boundaries. The aim of this work is to offer a primer bibliography, limited to books on design, published in English and some in Italian, available at Cambridge University Library (UK). This is deemed enough to demonstrate the need for a joint humanistic and scientific approach for founding modern design methodology(-ies). Some periodicals are reported only as titles and URLs. For books on design published in German, the bibliography in the book by Pahl & Beitz (for citation, see below), remains the most authoritative source of information.