The single most significant influence on today's manmade environment: materials innovation. Here is an indispensable resource for interior, product, graphic, and fashion designers, and anyone involved with packaging, design, or architecture.

Smart substances, intelligent interfaces, and sensory surfaces are redefining the world we live in, from self-cleaning materials based on the surface morphology of a lotus leaf to outdoor pavilions made from inflatable membrane exteriors to temperature-regulated clothing.