In History of Design students survey the major events, objects, themes and controversies that are the foundation for contemporary practice in Industrial Design. Beginning with the late 19th century English Arts and Crafts movement students study the ideas, individuals and institutions behind the leading movements in modern design. Topics include Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art and Engineering, the Bauhaus, the emergence of American Industrial Design as a profession, design in post-war Italy, Germany, Japan and the United States, late 20th century Postmodernism, and will conclude with a survey of the state of the profession today. Examples are drawn from industrial products, architectural spaces, graphic images and information systems with a strong emphasis on the cultural context, philosophy, psychology, politics and the arts. Ultimately students will find that the history of design is not only about objects, but more importantly about ideas. Course material includes lectures, class discussion, and writing assignments. Skills reinforced: materials, manufacturing, design research, history of ID, meaning/semantics, design writing.This three-week immersive course offers students the opportunity to explore three historic sites for design in Europe: Dessau for the Bauhaus and German modernism, Amsterdam for the Dutch de Stijl movement and 1990s postmodern design, and Milan for the post WWII design boom and 1980s Memphis postmodernism. Every step of the way we situate the movements, methods, technologies, and materials within their geographic, historic, and cultural settings. We visit museum collections, manufacturers, design studios, and relevant cultural sites. Lectures, readings and discussions provide context for our activities, and students develop methods for documenting their observations and experiences and presenting their findings to others.While specifically designed for Industrial Design students, this summer travel course is also relevant to other design disciplines such as Furniture, Architecture, Interior Design, and Graduate Design, as well as Visual Studies majors interested in design. It offers immersive experiences in the history and culture of key sites where modernism flourished in the early years of the 20th century and postmodernism exploded in the 1980s and 1990s to overturn the order.May 13 Required zoom meetingMay 20-June 10, 2024

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