What Happened

In a recent interview with Five Books, design experts Tiago Russo and Katia Martins shared their carefully curated selection of five essential texts on product design. The duo, who founded Craft Design studio, are in the process of building a comprehensive library that aspires to become the authoritative reference collection of design books.

Their recommendations span a wide range of design philosophies and approaches, from the democratic vision championed by legendary designers Charles and Ray Eames to the contemporary playful wit demonstrated by Japanese design studio Nendo. This selection represents decades of design thinking and practice across different cultures and eras.

Why It Matters

For designers, students, and anyone interested in understanding how products are conceived and created, having a curated reading list from industry experts provides invaluable guidance. Product design influences virtually every aspect of daily life, from the chairs we sit on to the smartphones we use, yet many people lack understanding of the principles and philosophies that drive good design.

Russo and Martins’ selections offer readers access to foundational knowledge that has shaped modern design thinking. Their expertise in building a reference collection means these recommendations have been vetted against the broader landscape of design literature, providing readers with confidence that these texts represent genuine contributions to the field.

Background

Craft Design studio has positioned itself as more than just a design practice—they’re actively working to preserve and organize design knowledge through their library project. This effort reflects a growing recognition in the design community that documenting and sharing design thinking is crucial for the field’s continued evolution.

The range of their selections—from the Eames’ mid-century American approach to contemporary Japanese design—illustrates how product design has evolved globally. Charles and Ray Eames revolutionized furniture design in the mid-20th century with their emphasis on making good design accessible to everyone, while studios like Nendo represent contemporary approaches that blend functionality with subtle humor and surprise.

What’s Next

For readers interested in product design, these recommendations provide a roadmap for deeper understanding. The books likely cover fundamental principles that remain relevant regardless of changing technologies and trends.

Craft Design’s ongoing work to build their reference library suggests that more curated recommendations may follow, potentially covering specialized areas within product design or expanding into related fields like industrial design, user experience, or design strategy.

The Broader Context

This type of expert curation becomes increasingly valuable as the volume of design-related publications continues to grow. Rather than navigating hundreds of options, readers can benefit from the distilled wisdom of practitioners who have dedicated their careers to understanding what makes design truly effective.

The international scope of the recommendations—spanning American democratic design ideals to Japanese aesthetic principles—also reflects the global nature of contemporary design practice, where the best ideas transcend cultural boundaries while remaining rooted in specific traditions and values.