Design History

Undergraduate / Graduate

Design is one of the most pervasive and influential forms of human communication, shaping everything from ancient symbols carved in stone to the digital interfaces that define modern life. This course offers a survey of design's history, examining design's evolution across cultural, artistic, and technological revolutions. This course traces the ways in which design has functioned as a critical tool for information exchange, artistic expression, and ideological influence. Beginning with the origins of writing systems and illuminated manuscripts, we will progress through the development of typography and printing during the Renaissance, the industrialization of design in the 19th century, the radical experimentation of modernist movements, and the global impact of digital media in the 21st century. This course examines both the dominant cultural ideas embodied by design, as well as the counter-narratives it generates to express diverse cultural identities.