85502 Researching Design Histories
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
History is an essential part of understanding the designed world we live in today. An understanding of design histories and key design concepts enables designers to make more convincing arguments for their work and to make informed and ethical decisions about products, services, systems, practices, materials, production, and technologies. Through familiarity with historical examples and concepts, students begin to build the foundations on which to confidently understand, assess and critique their own design practice, as well as design in the wider world.
The subject particularly encourages the development of historically informed and critical understandings of design forms, objects, and practices in context. It also addresses skills in critical visual and formal analysis. In addition, it functions as a foundational subject that develops students’ academic research, writing and communication skills, which will support their academic and professional careers into the future.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Describe and analyse the relationship between form, style, material and idea across a diverse range of design artefacts. |
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| 2. | Demonstrate awareness and understand the value of Indigenous research perspectives. |
| 3. | Analyse data from a range of appropriate sources (including museum collections and academic literature), and use academic writing and referencing to acknowledge those sources. |
| 4. | Clearly communicate how design relates to historical contexts including key historical events and movements. |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and groupwork
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity.
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).
Teaching and learning strategies
Researching Design Histories will be delivered through blended learning for students studying locally. The delivery format of this subject is a one hour lecture followed by a two hour tutorial. Primary content is delivered in lectures and through modules on Canvas.
Lectures:
Lectures will be presented in person, live on Zoom, and as a recording made available on Canvas. Please see the weekly description of the lecture to find out more information for each week. Any changes to the schedule will be communicated in the Announcements section on Canvas.
Tutorials/Studios:
Tutorials will be delivered face-to-face. Tutorials are collaborative spaces for you to discuss and share ideas with your tutors and peers. Your tutor will help the group to stay on track with the subject content and assessments. They will also facilitate discussion and offer expert insight and direction as needed, but as learners you are primarily responsible for creating a dynamic class environment.
Preparation:
To make the most of the learning opportunities offered through the subject, attend the lecture and complete required readings and preparatory tasks as instructed before class. It is your responsibility to arrive at tutorials with questions and insights gleaned from engaging with the subject materials (readings, lectures, additional resources).
Skill development:
In this subject, you will be engaging with tasks that are designed to allow you to develop some basic and very important skills you will need as a designer and that will also set you up to successfully complete your degree. Through this subject you will have opportunities to develop your learning academic literacy skills, research skills, presentation skills and very important critical analysis skills.
Feedback
This subject is specifically designed to ensure students have the opportunity to respond to feedback on their work. Assessment 1 builds skills required to complete Assessment 2, allowing students to use the expert feedback from tutors for the earlier assessment task to improve their written communication in the final submission. Students will thereby be able to gauge the extent to which their work is developing in relation to the subject objectives over the course of the session. Students will receive informal, impressionistic feedback during tutorials, as well as formal feedback though the online feedback software, Canvas/SpeedGrader. In addition to formal feedback, tutors will use a range of tutorial activities that function to facilitate an in-class milieu where peers verbalise constructive advice to each other.
Changes to planned delivery
While we remain in the COVID-19 pandemic there could be changes to planned delivery necessitated by changes in public health orders, or an unplanned emergency situation (e.g. the teaching tutor is in isolation). If an emergency change to the delivery plan is needed, this will be published in the notifications and announcements section on the subject site in CANVAS.
OPELA and Language Development Tutorials
An aim of this?subject?is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills in order to succeed at university and in the workplace. To determine your current academic language proficiency, you are required to complete an online language screening task, OPELA (information available at https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/enhancing/language-and-learning/about-opela-students) [or a written diagnostic task]. If you receive a Basic grade for OPELA [or the written diagnostic task], you?must?attend additional Language Development Tutorials (each week from week [3/4] to week [11/12] in order to pass the?subject.?These tutorials are designed to support you to develop your language and communication skills. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Content (topics)
Researching Design Histories is composed of three key modules:
- Critical Histories of Technology (Week 2-4)
- Design Histories are Political (Week 5-7)
- Environmental Histories of Design (Week 8-11)
The following concepts and themes are shared across the modules:
- Design histories extend well beyond celebratory narratives about famous designers and elite products in the past. They include consideration of everyday material culture across time, places, and cultures, as well as designed systems, spaces, and practices.
- Design is an engaged social practice. It therefore cannot be understood without reference to wider historical, social, cultural, political, and economic shifts, within which it emerges and operates. Things were not always this way; things are this way because of a convergence of different histories; things can be different (re-designed); but not everything is possible – our futures are shaped by those convergent histories;
- Design history is not a single, linear story of ‘progress’ over time. It is a diverse set of histories featuring many different voices and perspectives. The legacies of the past must be taken into account (e.g. justice, truth-telling, decolonisation, etc.);
- Design most often operates in the interests of the powerful. It is therefore vital to ask: “In whose interest”, “Who benefits”? “what is this design concealing?”
- Design histories are closely intertwined with the histories of technology, and technology must be approached with a critical and contextual lens;
- Designing is always conceptual (in addition to being technical and material). It involves categories (received and transformed), arguing and persuading, identifying and naming values, trying to bring about changes in beliefs and attitudes (not just habits);
- Museum collections and archives open windows into understanding diverse design histories, and are an abundant resource for designers.
- Design histories require ethical research practice and academic integrity, as well as clarity in written, spoken, and visual communication, using particular design vocabularies and concept mapping.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Weekly Responses (Weeks 2 - 4)
| Intent: | This assessment task engages with Module 1: Critical Histories of Technology. It asks you to synthesise ideas from a range of sources (particularly the lectures and weekly set readings) and apply academic writing principles, such as academic referencing and academic integrity protocols. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 3 and 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Exercises | ||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 35% | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: | Length: 3 x 300 - 400 word responses (900 - 1200 words in total) | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria: | 1. Comprehension and engagement: evidence of a comprehensive understanding of subject content, including lectures, tutorials, topics, and readings, and demonstrating an ability to establish connections between different perspectives. 2. Written communication and referencing: Quality, clarity, and coherence in writing, with in-text citations and appropriate referencing following APA7 format. 4. Attendance: Attendance for lectures and tutorials and demonstration of active participation in class discussions, activities, and exercises.
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| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Research Project
| Intent: | In this assessment, students conduct a focused research project reflecting on the relationships between three design artefacts, and the historical findings and connections that emerge through research. This assessment task encourages students to develop independent research skills, as well as written, spoken, and visual communication skills. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 65% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | Written Submission 1800 - 2000 words. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.
Records of lecture attendance will be kept.
Tutorial Attendance
Students are expected to come to tutorials adequately prepared. This means doing the readings and being ready to discuss them. If students are not adequately prepared for tutorials, they will be marked as absent. The readings, lectures and tutorials are an interconnected system designed to optimise your opportunities to learn. The high degree of continuity across the subject's program means that missing one week can leave you ill-equipped to participate in the following week’s discussion.
Additional Writing Support
Students are advised that this subject involves a significant reading and writing component. If students are concerned about their literacy skills they are encouraged to contact the UTS Higher Education Language and Presentation Support (HELPS) service as early as possible.
OPELA and Language Development Tutorials
It is a requirement of this subject that all students complete OPELA [or a written diagnostic task] if they have not done so in a previous subject. Students who received a Basic grade in the OPELA [or the written diagnostic task] are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Required texts
All Required readings can be accessed online through the Reading List tab on Canvas. See the week-by-week lecture schedule for details.
* Students must complete each week’s activities before the lecture and tutorial on Monday.
Recommended texts
Adamson, G., Riello, G., & Teasley, S. (2011). Global Design History. London: Routledge.
Archibald, J., Xiiem, Q., Lee-Morgan, J., Santolo, J., & Smith, L. (2019). Decolonizing research: Indigenous storywork as methodology. London, United Kingdom: ZED Books Ltd.
Attfield, J. (2020). Wild things: The material culture of everyday life. Bloomsbury.
Clark, H., & Brody, D. E. (2009). Design studies: A reader. Oxford and New York: Berg.
Doordan, D. P. (Ed.). (1996). Design History: An Anthology. The MIT Press.
Drazin, A., & Kuchler, S. (2015). The Social Life of Materials. London: Routledge.
Fallan, K. (2010). Design history: Understanding theory and method. Oxford and New York: Berg.
Fallan, K. (Ed.). (2019). The Culture of Nature in the History of Design. London: Routledge.
Fallan, K. (2022). Ecological by Design: A History from Scandinavia. The MIT Press.
Fry, T. (1988). Design History Australia: A Source Text in Methods and Resources. Sydney: Hale & Iremonger: Power Institute of Fine Arts.
Fry, T., Dilnot, C., & Stewart, S. (2015). Design and the question of history. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Hayden, D. (1982). The Grand Domestic Revolution: A History of Feminist Designs For American Homes, Neighborhoods, and Cities. MIT Press.
Highmore, B. (Ed.) (2008). The Design Culture Reader. London: Routledge.
Julier, G., Folkmann, M. N., Skou, N. P., & Jensen, H.-C. (Eds.). (2019). Design culture: Objects and approaches. Bloomsbury.
Julier, G. (2017). Economies of design. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Kaufmann-Buhler, J., Pass, V., & Wilson, C. (2019). Design history beyond the canon. Bloomsbury.
Lees-Maffei, G., & Houze, R. (2010). The design history reader. Berg.
Lupton, E. (1993). Mechanical Brides: Women and Machines from Home to Office. Cooper-Hewitt, National Museum of Design, Smithsonian Institution.
MacKenzie, D. A., & Wajcman, J. (Eds.). (1999). The Social Shaping of Technology. Open University Press.
Meikle, J. L. (2001). Twentieth Century Limited: Industrial Design in America, 1925-1939 (2nd ed.). Temple University Press.
Meikle, J. L. (2005). Design in the USA. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mercer, L. E., & Moses, T. (2023). Racism Untaught: Revealing and Unlearning Racialized Design. The MIT Press. (not available until October 2023)
Place, A. (Ed.). (2023). Feminist Designer: On the Personal and the Political in Design. The MIT Press.
Riello, G., & McNeil, P. (2010). The fashion history reader: Global perspectives. Routledge.
Smith, L. (2012). Decolonizing Methodologies Research and Indigenous Peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
Slack, J. D., & Wise, J. M. (2015). Culture + Technology: A Primer (2nd ed.). Peter Lang.
Sparke, P. (2013). An introduction to design and culture: 1900 to the present. London: Routledge.
Stephen, A., Goad, P., & McNamara, A. (2008). Modern times: The untold story of modernism in Australia. Miegunyah Press in association with Powerhouse Publishing.
Tunstall, E. (2023). Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook. The MIT Press.
Williamson, B. (2019). Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design. New York University Press.