The thesis is an exploratory study of the interaction between design and its context. It takes the view that industrial design is an integral part of, and an active agent within the institutions of society and culture. It argues that the material form of any industrial product reveals the values of its context. It applies a theoretical model to the above - mentioned relationship. The objective is to explore design as an expressive system, through which concepts and meanings are signified by material forms. Product semantics is used as an analytical system for the investigation of the significative properties of design. A major theme within the thesis is the investigation of office furniture and bank interiors in the European Community from the mid -1970s onwards. This case study aims to clarify the relationship between sociocultural values and the manipulation of form, applying to contemporary office furniture production the above -mentioned theoretical issues. A survey was undertaken in order to provide evidence. It deals on the one hand with contemporary office furniture production and on the other with its use in bank interiors. Although emphasis is placed on contemporary office furniture, the wider contribution of the study lies in providing a global understanding of the effects of context on design. This may interest designers and decision makers who aim to consciously manipulate design.