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Prototype: design and craft in the twenty first century

Prototype is an edited collection of 11 essays by a diverse, cross-disciplinary body of international scholars and practitioners, which for the first time, brings together critical and speculative thinking on the role the prototype can, and should, play within design, craft and beyond. The range of authors and pioneers was carefully selected by Valentine and purposefully diverse so as to reflect, extend and lead current debates on the subject. Prototype draws on expertise from the contexts of Craft, Design, Ecology, Management, Medical Engineering, History and Space Architecture. The authors share insight into prototypes (products) and prototyping (process) with projects as ambitious as the NASA mission to Mars and, as diverse as management strategies to interactive textiles to philosophy. In doing so, the book offers an unfamiliar perspective on a familiar subject by learning from people who are not traditionally associated with the subject of Design and Craft.

Authors in the book include the NASA Space Architect Constance Adams, the world leading management expert Michael Schrage, historian Frederic Schwartz and pioneering co-design methods guru Liz Sanders. Preface written by Dr Glenn Adamson, Research Director, Victoria and Albert Museum, London with Valentine contributing an extended, critical introductory chapter (5000 words) and conclusion (6000 words).