Broken up into short chapters on various topics, Design as Art by Bruno Munari feels like a quick read as you zoom through the various topics that encompass Munari’s experiences as a designer. While the pretension is palpable in certain areas, Munari will often follow up with touching allegories that justify his opinions and expertise in design.

The book loosely argues that the traditional artist is metamorphosing into the modern day designer, tasked with finding ways to delight and instruct mass audiences, and reconnect them to art. This notion is sprinkled throughout Munari’s observations and rants on form, function, color theory, useless machines, and much more. Munari asserts that any designed object should be beautiful, functional, and accessible, which are tenets that resonate with me in particular. It’s a great read that will remain on my shelf for future inspiration and guidance.