The Past as Prototype: History, Ethics and Concepts for Design in the Twenty-First Century

The early decades of the twenty-first century have been marked by substantial ecological, economic, political, technological and social transformation, compelling us to ask how it is that we have arrived at this contemporary moment? As designers, what strategies can we employ to combat the grand challenges currently at stake? How have the innovations, social movements and seismic events of the past influenced our ethics, methods and ideas? This course introduces students to the historical precedents for contemporary design practice and the research and communication methodologies required to contextualise them. Students will learn how to research and analyse the objects, movements and systems of design and how these legacies have impacted design practice today. Employing written, verbal and visual communication, we will explore the cultural conditions that have historically produced innovation and change, the ethics of design history research and the analytical and critical skills to explore and communicate these ideas. This course is suitable for students of design and those with an interest in critically examining the historical conditions that have shaped the designed world in which we live.