Syllabus

Objectives

The goal for this course is to have students acquire a familiarity with historical and stylistic periods in the history of design. Social, philosophical and technical factors contributed to the rise of design stlyes within Europe and America. The roles of craft and industry were important influences within major design industries. This course will look at historical and technical development in the areas of graphic, wood, metal, textile, ceramic and glass design. We will examine the appearance of design objects in an historical setting. We will also consider both similarities and differences that an object of one era and type has with those of another era. Understanding why the object looks the way it does as well as the role of ornament, materials and styling will be discussed as well.

This course will also explore the relationship between the designer and the object of design, and how the relationship may have evolved within different industries and media over time. We will look at the professional designer in the early twentieth century as well as examples of design criticism. Students should become aware of the variety of perspectives in the design history discipline. The materials/technical approach, the comparative method, content analysis, and the typological approach combined with the context of social history contribute to the character of design objects. By using these approaches the meaning of design objects in the context of their original environment is understood.

Requirements

Examinations

• Four take-home examinations due: February 7, March 7, April 4 and May 2.


• Each exam will only cover material from the previous quarter of the course.


• Each exam will consist of ten fill-in-the-blank questions and five short essay questions.


• You will have one week to complete the questions.


• Exams are available in the Exams section for this course.

The fill-in-the-blank and the essay questions will be concerned with names, places, issues, concepts, historical developments or commercial objects. You can use course reading material, virtual lectures and internet links to help answer the questions. You should write approximately 125 words or about one-half typed page for each essay answer.

• You should email your typewritten answers to me at a< href=mailto:duffym@mail.ecu.edu> duffym@mail.ecu.edu.


• Each of the four examinations will count 20% of the course grade totaling of 80% of the grade.

Writing Assignment

Each student will be required to write a short critical review of a recent book dealing with:

• a designer or manufacturer


• a specific design movement


• specific works of design that may be defined by type, model or medium



The topic of the book must fall within the historical period covered in the course. It must also be concerned with applied arts and crafts or industrial designs that usually have commercial, utilitarian and aesthetic value.

Your review should describe:

• the contents and organization of the book


• identify the author's thesis


• identify the author's arguments used to form an interpretation of the material being presented

You must state your own opinions about the author's interpretation and use of primary or secondary source material and tell how you think the book might be improved. Your paper should be no less than four fully typed pages or approximately 1000 words in length. 10, 11 or 12 cpi should be used.

• Your book review is due on April 24


• The book review will count the remaining 20% of your grade.

Reading List

These books constitute a valuable visual library of design history since about 1890.
The textbooks assigned for the course are:

• Elizabeth Cumming and Wendy Kaplan, The Arts and Crafts Movement, London: Thames and Hudson, 1991
  
• Alastair Duncan, Art Nouveau, London: Thames and Hudson, 1994
  
• Alastair Duncan, Art Deco, London: Thames and Hudson, 1988
  
• Peter Dormer, Design Since 1945, London: Thames and Hudson, 1993
  
• Richard Hollis, Graphic Design. A Concise History, London: Thames and Hudson, 1994

Supplemental Reading

This material will help to explain in detail both concepts and historical developments that are dealt with in lectures and textbook reading assignments.They are on reserve at Joyner Library as well as available electronically as a PDF download in the Related Resources area. The books for supplemental reading are:

• Hiesinger and Marcus, Landmarks of Twentieth-Century Design
  
• Meggs, History of Graphic Design
  
• de Noblet, ed., Industrial Design. Reflections of a Century.
  

Even though the supplemental reading material is listed on the calendar, this reading is not required but only recommended if you wish to know more about a topic.

Students with Disabilities

East Carolina University seeks to fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accomodations based on a covered disability must call the Department for Disability Support Services to verify the disability before any accommodations can occur. The telephone number is 252-328-6799. The Department for Disability Support Services is located on the ECU campus in Brewster A-114.