An overview of the history of design which tells the story of 80 ordinary items which gained iconic status during the course of the 20th century. The introductory essay explains how an object becomes iconic and the method the editors used to select the internationally diverse spectrum of design objects shown and discussed in the book. Raymond Loewy's streamlined pencil sharpeners, the classic Italian expresso maker, the VW bug, Lego and Ron Arad's bookworm shelf all earn their inclusion through the impact they have had on the 20th-century design. Each object is presented on a double-page with text by design historians and designers.