The book examines individual and collective visions for the material world of children, from utopian dreams for the citizens of the future to the dark realities of political conflict and exploitation. Surveying more than 100 years of toys, clothing, playgrounds, schools, children's hospitals, nurseries, furniture, posters, animation and books, this richly illustrated catalogue illuminates how progressive design has enhanced the physical, intellectual, and emotional development of children and, conversely, how models of children's play have informed experimental aesthetics and imaginative design thinking.

A look at the wider issues of design and industrial culture throughout Europe, Scandinavia, North America, and the Far East. The book explores the way in which 20th-century designs such as the Coca-Cola bottle have affected our culture more than those considered true classics