Modern Design and Modern Culture

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course explores key issues of modernity (industrialization, capitalism, colonialism, consumerism, mass culture, nationalism, technology, etc.) through the study of material culture. Focusing on modern design in Europe and the United States, we will examine major developments in design thinking and practice as both reactive to and generative of broader political, economic, and social concerns. The course is organized around influential exhibitions, from World's Fairs to storefront shows, where design professionals, institutions, and publics came together to reflect on topics of urgency, identify design solutions, and imagine the implications of design on everyday life.