In the first comprehensive book on his work, designer Tom Dixon reveals the inspiration behind his work of the last 30 years.

In his own words, and with hundreds of comparative illustrations, this self-taught designer illuminates the often surprising ideas behind his finished pieces. Dixon transforms notions of plumpness observed in a painting of an overfed pig into an overstuffed sofa; or a fishpan from a Chinese supermarket literally into the seat of a chair; gigantic concrete sea defences on the coast of Japan become the distinctive shape of his famous stacked Jack Light.

On an early 1980s chair, made from welded scrap metal and other found objects, Dixon observes:

I really didn't much like the Sex Pistols, they were aggressive and confontational. But, I do have to admit their influence. They taught a whole generation that you didn’t need a certificate to practice or a degree to be successful. I'd been a musician and I took some of that attitude into furniture.

In personal and accessible notes on each of the 150 pieces reproduced, Dixon offers insights, explanations and the occasional post-rationalisation into his unique and uninhibited design process. Works range from ephemeral handcrafted rarities incorporating salvaged materials, rubber or tissue paper, to mass-produced icons such as the S-Chair, manufactured by Cappellini and now in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art.