The desk is a place of work and of action, but it also serves as a place to exhibit personal things and preferences. Thus it always characterizes in two ways a material and symbolic unity. The desk is not only very informative in itself, but also must always be studied and understood in the context of its cultural, gender-specific, and field-related surroundings. The focus of this study is a comparative analysis of the use of desks. Desks in insurance companies, banks, administrative authorities, call centers, and design studios in twelve countries on all continents were studied. This publication presents the results in the form of extensive visual material, empirical analyses, and critical essays. The study was carried out by the Koeln International School of Design (KISD) in collaboration with universities in Hong Kong; New York; Seoul; Taipei; Curitiba, Brazil; Pune, India; Auckland; Milan; and Fukuoka, Japan.

A talented artist since childhood, Karim's sketches are bursting with vitality and optimism. His drawings all exhibit a visual consistency and confidence of line that is impressive in its visual form and its communicative power. In his global design practice, Karim's sketches are the conceptual reference point for all project development work. Karim's award-winning designs include objects such as the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh Chair for Umbra, and interiors such as the Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia and the Prizeotel in Bremen. Karim has collaborated with clients to create designs for Method and Dirt Devil, furniture for Artemide and Magis, brand identities for Citibank and Hyundai, high-tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Swarovski - all of which are featured in this book.

Innovative designers are creating compelling atmospheres and interactive experiences by merging hardware and software with architecture and design.

Today’s designers are creating compelling atmospheres and interactive experiences by merging hardware and software with architecture and design. This book is a collection of this innovative work produced where virtual realms meet the real world and where dataflow confronts the human senses. It presents an international spectrum of interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of laboratory, trade show, and urban space that play with the new frontiers of perception, interaction, and staging created by current technology. The work reveals how technology is fundamentally changing and expanding strategies for the targeted use of architecture, art, communication, and design for the future.