History of Design II is a survey of art, architecture, and design from WWI to the end of the twentieth century. This was a period of rapid technological change and of political crises with far-reaching consequences. It was also the period that witnessed the rise and consolidation of the modern design professions. By studying the origins of particular styles, approaches, forms of production, and modes of critique, students participating in this course will encounter precedents for their own practices.

In addition to covering influential designers and designed objects, our discussions will develop a broader frame of inquiry through two distinct but overlapping viewpoints. An outside-in perspective will take in the large-scale economic, political, and technical forces that have shaped the design fields. Inside-out perspectives, on the other hand, will be encountered in writings by designers who tried to make sense of their own historical moments, in their own words. It will be our task to integrate these often-conflicting viewpoints in order to arrive at the fullest possible account of design history.

This class meets three times per week. Lectures are held on Mondays and Wednesdays; smaller discussion sections meet on Fridays. Performance is evaluated through discussion participation, weekly quizzes, and a research paper.

Preliminaries

Interwar

Postwar

Postmodern