Abstract
Our vision of the future depends on the one we have about the past. In this paper, the prevailing stances in the study of design history are analysed to clarify their influence on the shaping of our concept about design: what it is and could be. The traditional thread in the study of design history has its roots in Pevsner’s work, who purports a vision of design as heir to the architectural tradition, and in Geidion’s texts, that emphasize the notion of technological evolution. As a result, the vision of design that is taught (therefore directing most of our professional practice) favours the notion of this profession as “art” and the figure of individual designers as cultural heroes, leaving out other postures that could be more akin to our needs and possibilities. Therefore a critical reflection about design history is fundamental in order to imagine different futures and other models of professional practice. From this analysis, the proposal to explore other perspectives than those of the dominant approaches emerges, in order to stimulate the required reflection that could help formulate innovative scenarios and thus shape future products and services. Keywords: Design history, Art history, Design education.
Highlights
Design history plays an important role in the construction of discourses that help professional bodies and society in general analyse and understand the issues that affect the design processes and their results in terms of designed objects
The historical study of design faces different problems arising from the multiple versions that emerge on the definition of design itself (Buchanan and Margolin, 1995)
The work of Read (1967, 1970) places design as heir of Fine Arts, and moves away from architecture. This perspective has nurtured especially graphic design, the same orientation can be observed in both authors in the sense that design history focuses on objects and individual creators
Summary
Design history plays an important role in the construction of discourses that help professional bodies and society in general analyse and understand the issues that affect the design processes and their results in terms of designed objects. History as a discipline faces its own problems due to the diversity of approaches to specific histories like women’s, micro history, economical thinking, technological developments or the human body itself (Burke, 1994). Even advertising presents a different concept of design than the one recognized by professional bodies or universities.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
