ART 110 - History of Western Design

Unit(s): 4

This course presents an interdisciplinary historical study of the material world, focusing on designed objects of the western world. It challenges students to think critically about the rhetoric of design and examine the ways objects are both reflective of the culture that produced them and serve as devices for cultural change. Looking at case studies in industrial design, decorative arts, graphic design, fashion, and architecture, the course equips students with an understanding of how design practices, technologies, and cultural meaning have changed through time. Beyond the chronological focus, topical themes include gender, luxury and excess, revival styles, production and consumption, and user experience.

College of Arts and Sciences