Good Design: Scale

Semester and Year	FA 2012
Course Number	ARTS-UG1626
Section	001
Instructor	Louise Harpman
Days	Mon,Wed
Time	9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement

Description

The principles of what is considered “good design” are unique to each design discipline. And yet, by territorializing the design professions, we fail to provide a shared dialogue to engage a wider discussion that extends to the public realm. The Museum of Modern Art in New York institutionalized its support for mid-century design artifacts, through its curated Good Design shows in the early 1950s. Through those shows and the newly developed "gift shops," American consumers came to appreciate contemporary design of furniture, cheese slicers, textiles, and "branded" storage containers, like Tupperware. But, by focusing on domestic objects and consumption, it can be argued that the opportunity for a larger discourse on the value of good design for towns, cities, and regions was lost. This workshop engages and evaluates the tools and processes that are used to design objects as well as buildings and landscapes. Projects increase in scale throughout the term, as students design a thing they can hold (an object), something that can hold them (clothing, furniture), and a space they might inhabit (a room, a house). As a project-based course, students will work individually and in teams. Digital design experience is helpful but not required.

Course Type

Arts Workshops (ARTS-UG)