A Closer Look at Abstracta a Construction System
The Abstracta Low Bookcase, designed by Poul Cadovius in the 1960s, features a modular system for constructing versatile metal structures for display and storage.Read More →
January 31, 2025

The design dictionary is an essential tool for any serious discussion on design. It provides a comprehensive and structured foundation for understanding the language of design and its many nuances. With its categorical approach, the dictionary allows designers to communicate their ideas with clarity and precision, facilitating a more effective international discourse on design.
Moreover, the design dictionary serves as a source of inspiration for designers looking to expand their vocabulary and explore new concepts. By offering definitions, examples, and historical context, the dictionary encourages designers to think critically about their work and its place in the broader design landscape. Ultimately, the dictionary is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in design, providing a rich tapestry of ideas and insights that can inform and inspire creative endeavours across all disciplines.
The Abstracta Low Bookcase, designed by Poul Cadovius in the 1960s, features a modular system for constructing versatile metal structures for display and storage.Read More →
Fall Front Desk – Section of the front face of cabinet, desk or drawer that is hinged at the bottom and can open by falling forward.Read More →
Monograms are personalized symbols from letters, emphasizing unity, balance, and symmetry. They have evolved from traditional applications to bespoke home logos, enhancing decor uniquely.Read More →
This 19th-century Colonnese vase, inspired by classical Apulian pottery, exemplifies the era’s admiration for ancient designs through reinterpreted forms and decorations.Read More →
The Achilles Shield, a silver-gilt convex shield with a central medallion of the sun in a chariot, was designed by John Flaxman II between 1809 and 1818.Read More →
Danish Modern From the 1950s onwards, this term, along with its Scandinavian and Swedish counterparts, was widely used to describe those aspects of Danish design that acknowledged some of the characteristics of Modernism but were distinguished by the use of more traditional materials, natural finishes, organic shapes, sculptural form, and a respect for craftsmanship.Read More →
When a glass cane is cut into thin cross-sections, coloured patterns or images created in the cane are revealed as murrine. One well-known design is the flower or star shape, which is known as millefiori when used in large quantities.Read More →
The synthetic plastic Bakelite, patented in 1907, revolutionized product design. Its impact on industrial design and jewelry made it a significant material in the 1930s.Read More →
Act of Parliament clocks emerged due to Pitt’s 1797 tax on clocks, featuring large, readable dials and striking mechanisms, commonly found in public spaces like taverns.Read More →
Nottingham earthenware is English pottery from the thirteenth to the late eighteenth centuries. (The last authenticated piece was created in 1799.) Usually brown, with a faint metallic lustre. Often decorated with lines incised around the piece. Read More →