Design History and Theory is offered at introductory and advanced levels to students across design disciplines. The courses are designed to engage with and reflect upon emergent practices and discourses in contemporary design.
Introduction to Theory and History of Design II
The Making and Shaping of Design: Modernism Then and Now
Lecture series
Against the backdrop of the pressing social demands in a world in upheaval, the interwar to the post-war period saw the consolidation of the core ideas of modernist design. Characterised by principles such as Eames’ famous motto “make the best for the most for the least”, the pioneers of modernism strived to tackle material scarcity and social inequality by creating new, functional forms made accessible for the mass through industrialised production process. Today, modernism still has a strong influence on the way we design our built environment and products. What has become of the endeavour to democratise and transform society through functionality, machine aesthetic, and cost reduction? This lecture series examines some prevailing mass products of the contemporary world such as the monobloc chair and Ikea furniture, and traces their initial conception in design history by demonstrating their roots in post-war modernism and the social-democratic tradition. This course also shows that the notion of modernist design has been constantly challenged, modified, and reinterpreted through the past decades by offering insights into design movements such as Radical Design, Droog Design, and Critical Design.
Course language: German
Theory and History of Design II
Design and Crisis
Pro-seminar
According to design historian Jonathan Woodham, design’s significance increases “in the political agenda and on the world stage” during economic crisis. What is then design’s political, social, and environmental impact in times of multiple crises like in the contemporary world? On the one hand, this seminar examines historical examples on how design was employed as political and economic means in situations of crisis during the period of post-war reconstruction and various economic crises. On the other hand, it explores design’s role and capacity in the change of values within society, accessing both design practices that emerged against the background of the environmental crisis in 1970s, and examples of contemporary design addressing topics of the current crises such as the climate emergency, the decline in wealth, and the intensifying social inequality
Course language: German
Material Culture II
Designing the Child
Seminar
Today, children are targeted by different fields of design, from toys, furniture, apps through to fashion, interior and urban spaces. While legal, social, and parental guardians mainly control children’s monetary issues, the design world imposes the non-adult gender, socio-cultural and economical ideas for consumerism that mirror modes of adult life. This seminar focuses on the domain of childhood and design. Through museum visits, interdisciplinary texts, and video and film sources, the course introduces students to academic discussion on the archeology of childhood, childhood histories and theories, teen consumerism, inclusive design, leisure and play and food design. It asks how ‘children’, and the various stages of childhood, have been invented, appropriated and challenged by design and designers, ultimately questioning what the consequences of design’s interventions might be.
Course language: English
Design in Social and Political Context
Lecture series
‘Design in Social and Political Context’ introduces students across the design disciplines to international ideas and voices in the field of anthropology, curation, design pedagogy, and design practice exploring “the politics of design” in contemporary context through an online lecture series. The focus of the ‘Ringvorlesung’ is design and material culture in post-colonial and transnational contexts, exploring the global imbalance of the dissemination of design ideas in the post-colonial structure, and how designers, curators, and cultural producers are engaged in challenging the traditional models of design. Guest speakers will join us from India, Morocco, the USA, and Europe discussing contemporary and historical design strategies and ideas for diversity, equity, and social justice.
The SS2023 series of speakers forms the foundation of Q&A discussion, and the potential reflection on students’ own projects in relation to the emerging ideas.
Course language: English
Kolloquium für Master- und Doktoratsstudierende
Course language: English