09/10 Modern Design: Overview

A (very) short look at the emergence of modern design

this is Modernism in terms of design developments

it will be followed up in more detail next year its role today is to support your VRF research for unit 3

Preview: Modern Design

As old design faded, its single approach (called Historicism) was replaced by a variety of modern looks, many of which are listed here:
1850 1900 1950 2000

Industrial Design
The American System

A R T N O U V E A U

Historicism
Arts and Crafts Revival

M Bauhaus O D Functionalism E W R A N

Minimal Design Today

The International Style

R
A R T

Art Deco
Sreamlining

W A R New

60s Look Pop

Postmodernism
Designerism

Design Recognition
Label these examples so that they illustrate the schematic for you

Beginning: Is Design Different ?

In many respects, also, design seems to follow the evolution of both painting and architecture, from complexity/decoration to simplicity, from fixed rules to experiment, and from beauty to honesty Contrast the differences between these two, and compare them to those in the following examples:

Answer: the Cinderella Syndrome

Leaving aside its different function and materials, it is our ignorance of design that sets it apart Design is so influential but so invisible it seems

This is what makes design so different - why is this and how has it come about ?

Clues and facts first:

Consider the implications of these three facts

The first Society of Designers was formed in 1898:

One of the first people to make a living by simply designing (from home) was CA Voysey at the start of the 20th century: Kenneth Graves, a leading British industrial designer, is much more famous in Japan than in his home country: Your Conclusions ?

What you need to know

Design, or craft as it was known, was split off from Art in the 16th century as artists tried to make their work as important and intellectual as poetry & philosophy, and as different as possible to craft They established a hierarchy of importance (a canon) that has kept design in its (lower) place - while separate art and design schools maintained this separation

Division or Unity ?
For many centuries, therefore, design has been unimportant, it has had no museums, and prestigious design was done by architects and others but not by full-time, professional designers When people like Morris (1860s onwards) and the Bauhaus (1919 - 1932) attempted to bring them back together and say that they were equally creative and valuable, they were very much swimming against the tide of opinion

Twentieth Century Crossover theme

The eventual success of this unification, though, has given us the artist-craftsman and the crossover theme of our Unit 3 It has allowed people to admire, collect and display design in museums much like art It has redefined and split the craft world. ! The modern age is full of these sort of crossover examples

Warning..
This crossover process should be exciting and stimulating for you but, as ever, you will find problems and puzzles like this one

HOW MODERN DESIGN EVOLVED: 1. HISTORICISM

Good design in the past was closer to our idea of decoration, with an emphasis put on the refinement of past styles (aka Revivalism) Efficiency, good looks and coordination were hardly valued while good craft/design was handmade for the rich elite only Continuity with the past, not originality, was most valued Thus we had antiquarians and pattern books instead of designers and original ideas

2. INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Everything was changed by the inventions, the mass production techniques and the new materials of the 19th century except in design Factories could now produce Historicism cheaply: an explosion of cheap copies in every home - for everyone, but all bad
The Great Exhibition (1851) showed an exciting new world but not a new look for it -

3. DESIGN REFORMERS (L 19thC)

A few people were trying to improve things and create a modern design for a modern world - Henry Ford and the American System - The Arts & Crafts Movement lead by William Morris - Henry Coles improvements in design education - The development of the High Street and consumerism - The rise of the designer and style conscious movements such as Art Nouveau in 1900

4. BAUHAUS AND MODERNISM

Using a combination of these (*the methods of Ford, *the ideas of Morris, *the look of modern art and *the originality of the new breed of designer) came the Bauhaus in the 1920s after the Great War, a revolution in design: Modern Design Soon spreading across the world as Minimalism and Functionalism, its undecorated simplicity, its originality and its cheapness all combined to make it dominate and shape our world. The ultimate, timeless, faceless modern design style had arrived.

20th CENTURY COMPLEXITY

The success of this minimal style created the view that, like Abstract Art in 20th century, the Bauhaus style is the only modern style (a view they were keen to promote). Yet, as well seen, the story is much more complex:
1850 Industrial Design
The American System

1900
A R T N O U V E A U

1950
M Bauhaus O D Functionalism E W R A N Art Deco

2000 Minimal Design Today

The International Style

Historicism
Arts and Crafts Revival

R
A R T Sreamlining

W A New R

60s Look Pop

Postmodernism
Designerism

But: A Style for Each Age 1

In reality, the Bauhaus style has always faced competition from other styles that each reflected their age and show that there is more than one approach

Art Deco: post-war peace gives a sci-fi, exotic machine style to reflect the new optimism New Look: post-war rebuilding with an organic, plastic luxury look exploits new technologies Pop Design: consumerisms fun teenage throwaway style expresses a period of optimism Postmodernism: a troubled time questions singular orthodoxies and uses the new technologies to create a deluge of styles that overwhelm the Bauhaus look

A Style for Each Age 2

label these: can you relate them to any of our art styles?

A Style for Each Age 3

label these: can you relate these to any of our art styles?

Crossover Examples for the VRF

In modern culture ideas spread quickly, everyone knows what every one is doing - so examples from art and design can be easily connected Can you recall which art styles gave us these design examples?

Crossover Examples for the VRF

(continued)

VRF: Searching for Design Examples

For each of our six styles you need a design and a Manchester example (have you organized a Manchester photo search session yet ?) Your Brief lists which type of example you need for each course (the grid) Your Introduction Pack lists useful web addresses to search for design examples (dont rely on Google) and how to access Moodle/Online Lectures You have the Caption guidance too with keywords and examples of how to explain your choices

Unit 3:

Deadline
We finish on a warning - we work to the deadlines set down by MMU and so failure to hand in your work on time, or to not keep us up to date with your problems (and/or apply for mitigation), will lead to sanctions. So get organized now. Remember: you hand in one document: VRF + Writing on one issue at the back VRF = 6 intros, 12 images, 12 explanations, cover, contents, research and bibliography read your brief The writing at the back is on one issue from our three: min 750 words, plus title, images, research and bibliography

MOST COMMON MISTAKES

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. no name or course on the front of your work using Art images as examples (ignoring the brief ) plagiarism: quote and attribute the words of others explanations of your image choice (caption) too short missing the deadline to request mitigation for more time no good reason given (a lot of work on is not accepted)

We will be covering a number of topics to help you deliver a good assignment. These will include plagiarism, mitigation procedure, presentation and peer review. But you will find it extremely useful to note these 6 common mistakes now to try to avoid them down the line