73471 - History of Industrial Design T-II

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of the history of design culture at the object level and, from a historical and critical perspective, the main themes of design culture linked to the production of objects, covering a period from the middle of the last century to the present day, with particular attention to the relationship with the history of design techniques, the history of contemporary architecture and its languages, and the history of art.

Course contents

Introduction to the course - From History of Industrial Design I to History of Industrial Design II

After the Bauhaus between Europe and the United States _ the migration of European architects and designers to America, Asia, and Africa; the dissemination of modern ideas around the world and their fusion with local cultures. The birth of new schools of design and architecture around the world

Contribution and legacy of the great masters of the 20th century _ Walter Gropius and German industry; Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the elitist choice; Le Corbusier and the mechanization of the city, architecture, and design; Frank Lloyd Wright and the Gesamtkunstwerk.

The United States between the 19th and 20th centuries _ the process of mechanization and industrialization in the United States in the first half of the 19th century; Henry Ford and the evolution of Taylorism into Fordism; the Art Deco phase and the Great Depression of 1929; the International Style and Streamline; ergonomics, anthropometry, and the concept of comfort; war design; Case Study Houses; Raymond Loewy and Henry Dreyfuss; the design of Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Harry Bertoia.

 The birth of Italian design. From its origins to the post-avant-garde _ the contribution of exhibitions: the Triennials of Monza and Milan; Giovanni Caproni and aeronautics; Fiat and the Lingotto factory; Luciano Baldessari and the early works of designer Gio Ponti.

 From the people's car to the post-war automotive industry in Europe and the United States _ France and Citroën; Volkswagen and Porsche in Germany; Italy: the transition from the Fiat Topolino to the 500 and industrial and design experiments; Italy and two wheels: Vespa VS Lambretta; Saab, Mini, and other European examples; the automobile in the United States: Buick, Cadillac, and Borax.

 Design in Scandinavia _ production and design up to the 1930 Stockholm exhibition; design in Sweden before and after Erik Gunnar Asplund; the Ergonomi Design Group; Denmark and Poul Henningsen's lamps; the contribution of Hans Wegner; Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton; Norway and the organic design.

 Design in Finland _ Alvar Aalto and the relationship between architecture and design; the contribution of Kaj Franck, Timo Sarpaneva, Eero Arnio and Tapio Wirkkala.

 Italian design from the "boom" years to today _ the debate on reconstruction and the role of the architect-designer; the brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni; Gio Ponti between the 1950s and 1960s; the Milanese school: Vico Magistretti, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ettore Sottsass, Marco Zanuso, Enzo Mari, Joe Colombo, and Bruno Munari; the research of the De Pas-D'Urbino-Lomazzi studio; the architecture and design of Franco Albini and Carlo Mollino; Superstudio and Archizoom; Alchymia and Memphis; Italy the New Domestic Landscape.

 Companies and design _ Olivetti VS IBM: from typewriters to personal computers; Alvar Aalto's Artek; Ikea from Sweden to the world; the Braun case in Germany; Corporate Image; the strategic function of packaging; advertising through publishing: Domus, Stile, Stile Industria, and Art & Architecture.

 European design in the second half of the 20th century _ the work of the Independent Group in England in relation to Neo-Brutalism; Jean Prouvè from the workshop to the home; the Ulm School in Germany; hi-tech and green design.

 21st-century design _ design and graphics in the 2000s; stararchitects and design: Norman Foster, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, Philippe Stark, Marc Newson, Karim Rashid, Ron Arad, and Toyo Ito.

Readings/Bibliography

Renato De Fusco, Storia del design, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1985

Charlotte Fiell, Peter Fiell, Design of the 20 century, Taschen, Köln 2001

Domitilla Dardi, Vanni Pasca, Manuale di storia del design, Silvana Editoriale, Cinisello Balsamo 2019

Teaching methods

The course consists of lectures with a focus on image projections and, to a lesser extent, videos. For each lesson, in addition to the reference bibliography, further reference material (articles, essays and books) will be provided.

Assessment methods

The final examination consists of an oral interview on the programme covered and a discussion of the annual assignment. The following skills will be assessed: the ability to express oneself using appropriate vocabulary, to refer to the suggested bibliography, and to critically link the topics covered in the programme.

The annual group exercise focuses on the historical and critical analysis of a company or production line/design chosen by the group of students (2 to 3 maximum) and agreed in advance with the teaching staff. The content within the chosen theme may freely explore a particular product, designer, production technique or material.

Teaching tools

All course materials will be available on the ‘virtuale.unibo’ platform.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Bellucci