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

The course focuses on certain themes and key figures in Italian and international industrial design from a historical and critical perspective, through temporal, semantic, semiological and technological comparisons. Themes such as the transition from an artistic and artisanal approach to standardised industrial production, the advent of new production processes following the Industrial Revolution, the organisation of World’s Fairs between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the contribution of the avant-garde movements in various European contexts all covered in History of Industrial Design T-I, constitute the basic prerequisites for the course History of Industrial Design T-II, which aims to explore in greater depth themes and figures closely linked to, or at least influenced by, the aforementioned developments.

The course involves an in-depth study of a wide range of figures (architects, designers and industrialists) and companies spanning the period from 1930 to the start of the third millennium, prompting reflection on ideological differences, geographical distances, the diversity of cultural references, and the complexity and variety of solutions and design languages that emerge and often coexist in parallel.

The complexity and variety of solutions and languages are explored in lectures organised into distinct modules focusing on specific national contexts (Italy, the United States, Europe - with a special focus on the Nordic countries - and Japan), with continuous references and temporal parallels drawn between the different contexts, always introduced and contextualised within a comprehensive series of historical and cultural references essential for understanding the specific themes.

Finally, individual and group research will be encouraged through a series of assignments to be completed according to a timetable announced in the first lecture, covering both topics proposed by the teaching staff and others freely chosen by the student.

 

Introduction – From History of Industrial Design I to History of Industrial Design II

After the Bauhaus: Europe and the United States – The migration of European architects and designers to America, Asia and Africa; the spread of modern ideas across the world and their interaction with local cultures. The emergence of new schools of design and architecture worldwide

The United States between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries – The process of mechanisation and industrialisation in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century and its relationship with Europe; Henry Ford, Taylorism and Fordism; the Art Deco period and the Great Depression of 1929; the International Style and Streamline; ergonomics, anthropometry and the concept of comfort in the United States and Europe; wartime design; Raymond Loewy and Henry Dreyfuss; the designs of Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen and Harry Bertoia.

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

From the ‘people’s car’ to the post-war motor 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-wheelers: Vespa versus Lambretta; Saab, Mini and other European examples; the motor car 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 and his pupils, up to the contribution of the Ergonomi Design Group; Denmark and the lamps of Poul Henningsen, the contributions of Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton; Norway and the works of Jacob Jacobsen and organic design of the late 20th century.

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

Italian design from the economic boom years to the new millennium _ The debate on reconstruction and the role of the architect-designer; the brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni; Gio Ponti in the 1950s and 1960s; the Milanese school: Vico Magistretti, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ettore Sottsass, Marco Zanuso, Enzo Mari, Joe Colombo and Bruno Munari; the work of the De Pas-D’Urbino-Lomazzi studio; the architecture and design of Franco Albini and Carlo Mollino; Radical Design; Superstudio and Archizoom; Alchymia and Memphis; “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape”; design in Italy in the third millennium.

Companies and editorial communication _ Olivetti versus IBM: from the typewriter to the personal computer; Alvar Aalto’s Artek; Ikea: from Sweden to the world; the Braun case in Germany. Advertising through publishing: «Domus», «Stile», «Stile Industria» and «Art & Architecture».

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

21st-century design _ Design and graphics of the 2000s; star architects put to the design test: Norman Foster, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, Philippe Starck, Marc Newson, Karim Rashid, Ron Arad and Toyo Ito.

Readings/Bibliography

To prepare for the exam, you may refer to the book:

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

 

Equally important for the aims of the course and exam preparation are the books:

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

Vittorio Gregotti, Il design del prodotto industriale. Italia 1860-1980, Electa, Milano 1986.

 

Other publications from which content and ideas will be drawn during the course:

Gillo Dorfles, Introduzione al disegno industriale, Cappelli, Bologna 1963

Sigfried Giedion, L’era della meccanizzazione, Feltrinelli, Milano 1967

Thomas Maldonado, Disegno industriale: un riesame, Feltrinelli, Milano 1976

Adrian Forty, Objects of Desire. Design and Society since 1750, Thames & Hudson, London 1987

John Heskett, Industrial design, Rusconi, Milano 1990

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

Enrico Morteo, Grande atlante del design dal 1850 ad oggi, Electa, Milano 2008

Deyan Sudjic, Il linguaggio delle cose, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2009

Maurizio Vitta, Il progetto della bellezza. Il design tra arte e tecnica dal 1851 a oggi, Einaudi, Torino 2011

Fiorella Bulegato, Elena Dellapiana, Il design degli architetti italiani 1920-2000. Electa, Milano 2014.

Teaching methods

The course consists of lectures, with a focus on the projection of images. For each lecture, in addition to the recommended reading list, further reference materials (articles and books) will be suggested, some of which will be made available to students.

The richness and complexity of the course programme will also be illustrated through video screenings (interviews with key figures, films and short films, documentaries) deemed useful for concisely and effectively highlighting distinctive features, anachronisms and debates amongst key figures or between critics and designers.

At the end of each lesson, students are encouraged to discuss the content and themes covered, fostering a dialogue that can then be further explored through the bibliography, which refers to national and international design scholars and historians, duly cited and partly made available at the end of each teaching session.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of an oral interview with questions on the syllabus covered and a discussion of the practical exercises carried out during the course, which contribute substantially to the final assessment. One of the practical exercises involves the use of desktop publishing software (which students are free to choose based on knowledge already acquired in other courses) in order to foster skills, interdisciplinary approaches and transferable skills.

During the oral examination, consideration will be given to the student’s ability to express themselves using appropriate vocabulary, to refer to the recommended reading list or to texts read and suggested by the student during their preparation, as well as their ability to critically link the topics covered in the syllabus.

For students with specific learning difficulties (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities: it is recommended that you contact the relevant University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it); it will be the office’s responsibility to propose any necessary adjustments to the students concerned; these must, however, be submitted for the lecturer’s approval 15 days in advance, and the lecturer will assess their appropriateness, taking into account the course’s learning objectives.

As regards the use of AI, this is not prohibited outright, but in the teaching staff’s view it does not constitute a necessary or useful aid for this course; therefore, its use is recommended only in a considered manner and limited exclusively to activities that support preparation (summarising, rephrasing) for the oral examination or practical exercises.

Teaching tools

All lecturs in .pdf, a selection of the readings, and any other material deemed useful for exam preparation will be made available on the “virtuale.unibo” platform.

The libraries at the Bologna campus are a valuable source of materials for studying and exploring the course topics in greater depth.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Bellucci