The purpose of this paper is inquiring the meaning and necessity of design history education, and also trying to present the new viewpoint of direction of education for design history by analyzing the curriculums of major domestic universities.
Hist...
The purpose of this paper is inquiring the meaning and necessity of design history education, and also trying to present the new viewpoint of direction of education for design history by analyzing the curriculums of major domestic universities.
History of design is a necessary field to practice design. It helps to reflects and choose the concrete practices with the name of current design. However, the design history education is not highly estimated , and the study of contents are also very inadequate.
Due to the necessity of this project, I, researcher carefully selected five major universities ([Konkuk University], [Kookmin University], [Seoul National University], [Ewha Woman's Univeristy], [Hongik University]). I decided to take the syllabi of classes of design history those were given at universities in 2008 and 2009. I analyzed two classified fields, 'formality of class' and 'content of class'. Analyzation of formality of class contains four domains, 'text', 'style of class', 'course of study', 'lecturer', and content of class contains two domains, 'how to look at history', 'analyzing the content of class'.
I suggest the direction content of education of design history based on the analyzation. First, I decided to construct the education of design history from the relation with current. Because, not just remaining in the past as a story, living history education is necessary in order to influence current's practice. The lecture was constructed based on these basic directions. Firstly, six important key words were selected from the coherency of design. They are [history], [technology], [style], [designer], [user], and [social role]. Secondly, topics those are suitable to each key words were also selected. Then lastly, contents those are related to the topic were arranged to the fields.
In [history] field, I thought the meaning, necessity of history, and basic design history should be mentioned. Because it is important for students to recognize the necessity of design history education before they actually attend classes. In [technology] filed, through 'industrial revolution and mass production', 'Utopia by technology and movement of anti-mechanic', 'methodology of science;, 'digital', the relationship between technology and design was discussed. It is also a way for design to think about how the meaning of technology means to it and understand how to use technology with what kind of attitude. [style] field contains 'style of historicism', 'art nouveau', 'authentic of functionalism', 'style of internationalism', 'authentic of machine', and 'style of post modernism'. It is necessary to take a look at the background of society and culture along as understanding the characteristics of each style. [designer] part deals with three topics, 'creation and settlement of designer', 'designer of reformation society', 'designer in capitalism'. Comparing designer's each different roles, lives, and practices will give a designer a opportunity to think what kinds of role one can does. [user] puts 'bourgeoisie', 'consuming masses', and 'user as a designer' together. It will help narrow-minded designer to overcome as a user by understanding the type of user who was existed in history. [social role] includes not only 'revolution of society', 'business', 'politic', 'public' etc., but also social roles in society. Not just staying at the vague goals such as 'satisfying users', or 'making better world', it will help planning the concrete action that can influence the society. I constructed two proposals based on this content. First version is proper syllabus for seminar, and second version is suitable syllabus for a lecture.
We usually think there is an inevitable connection among historical events. We think there must be resonable evidences to connect happenings. However, not all happenings around us fit perfectly. There are even more contradictions and some events are hard to understand with rationality. History is making a smooth story by choosing certain contents from inconstant real world happenings. We call this process of making a history, 'analysis'. Thus, analysis is not just copying the exact happening, making a new story as a creative work. As following this logic, this process of studying the historical contents by current design's important key words is a work of creating a new history. It is suggesting a new perspective to see the design history that was harden in many people's mind.
This analysis is based on the relation between current and contents of design history. The significance of this study is suggesting influencing direction and contents of design history that can be practiced, not only delivering the old story of history.