Program Overview

Introduction to the History of Design

The evolution of design from its origins to the present day (1750-today)

Course Description

The course aims to provide a historical outline of the development of design, considering its theoretical foundations and the projects that have marked its evolution and impact on society, from the first industrial revolution to the present day. The lectures will address the main authors in chronological order, framing them in their historical and productive context through their projects.

Course Details

• Format: Single course
• Language: Italian
• Target: MOOCs for Design Test
• Subject: Design
• Duration: 4 weeks
• EQF Level: EQF 5
• Disciplinary Area (ISCED-F Classification): [02 Arts and Humanities], [0212 Fashion, interiors, and industrial design]
• License: This course is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license, except where otherwise specified.

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this History of Design course in 12 synthetic lessons is to learn about the evolution of design in modern history, closely linked to historical and geographical contexts.

Course Structure

• Week 1: From the Industrial Revolution to the Deutsche Werkbund: transformation of craftsmanship and new languages with the Industrial Revolution.
• Week 2: The European and Italian context from the 1910s to the 1940s: European artistic avant-gardes constitute the premise for the modern movement, marked by functionalism, rationalism, Scandinavian design, and Italian Novecento; from the analysis of Italy in the 1930s to the International Style.
• Week 3: From the post-war period to the 1970s: USA and Germany in comparison, economic boom, and the advent of made in Italy.
• Week 4: 1990-today: Towards today's design: new radical languages of made in Italy and the affirmation of the Milan Design System.

Prerequisites

No specific prior knowledge is required to follow the course. However, prerequisites for the design discipline include chronological orientation, knowledge of the main events in history from the second half of the 17th century to the present, with particular attention to the most relevant historical events of the 20th century.

Activities

In addition to accessing course content, consisting of videos and other types of online resources, you can discuss and exchange ideas on MOOC topics with other participants through the Forum.

Assessment

The course provides for the issuance of an Open Badge, obtainable based on the score achieved by responding to evaluated quizzes. You have unlimited attempts to respond to each quiz, but you must wait 15 minutes. The course is considered completed adequately for obtaining the certificate if you reach at least 60% of the overall score in each of the evaluated quizzes.

Certificate

The course provides for the issuance of an Open Badge by correctly responding to at least 60% of the questions in each of the evaluated quizzes and responding to the final questionnaire.

Access to the Course and Availability of Materials

The course is delivered online and is free.

Course Instructors

• Anna Santi: Teacher. She obtained her Ph.D. in Design for Cultural Heritage from the Department of Design at the Politecnico di Milano (2014). She pursues teaching activities and curates editorial and exhibition projects, both in academic and institutional contexts.
• Antonio Aiello: Teacher. He is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Design at the Politecnico di Milano with a research thesis on the cultured professionalism of the polytechnic area. His research focuses on the study of Italian design as a cultural phenomenon in relation to architecture and technical culture.