DESIGN HISTORY AND THEORY

Catalog description

This course is a chronological overview of design history and theory. Together we will examine design history and schools of thought, with a strong focus on the impact of the industrial revolution. We will explore aesthetics and theory and how art, architecture, and craft guilds shaped the modern design profession. Topics include the early alphabet, print, processes, illustration, photography, corporate design, modern design, and the advent of the GUI interface and modern digital design. Students will look at design history starting with the eighteenth century and working our way through the industrial revolution, Dadaism, World War I and II, Postmodernism, the rise of consumerism, social responsibility and the evolving role of the designer. This course has an inclusive perspective of design history, researching beyond the Bauhaus and Swiss perspective, looking at influences from Japan, Brazil, Morocco and Turkey. We will study various design heroes from minority communities and how religion has influenced design. This course also introduces students to female design leaders and their unique contributions to the design profession.