Assessment task 3: Approaches to the historical study of design Format - Academic Essay (1500 words) - Printed ‘hard’ copy with cover sheet, and - Turnitin ‘soft’ copy submission Due: Week 13, Friday, 5pm. | Weighting: 40% Note: Both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ formats must be in before the due date otherwise late penalties will apply (see Course Outline for details). | The objectives of this task are to: • Further develop your ability to find, assess, and use a variety of quality sources that are relevant to your topic (Research). • Develop your understanding of a particular historical context (Knowledge and comprehension). • Discern a variety of significant agencies within a historical context, demonstrated through texts and visuals (Analysis). • Produce an academic style design history essay that make a well supported claim backed by your research (Synthesis). • Demonstrate a reasonable level of competency and rigour in referencing (Referencing). Your work will be assessed on how well it demonstrates these five objectives. Task description. Your task is to write an essay style response to one of the following questions: 1/. Tony Fry (1988) argues that there are various approaches to studying and representing design history. What are some of these approaches, and what effect do they have on how we understand and/or research design? To answer this question you will need to analyse (at least) two of the 7 approaches to researching design history described in the Fry reading. • One of the approaches you choose will need to be either connoisseurship or canonisation. • The other selection may be either the object in space, the common object, design as culture, design and gender, or design and economy. 2/. Discuss how Nicholas Pevsner’s text ‘Pioneers of Modern Design’ (1936) both expanded and constrained the way in which design history was initially approached. What were the advantages and disadvantages of his approach? Find and discuss at least three recent examples which illustrate your point. 3/. Cheryl Buckley (1989) maintains that until recently women were excluded from the subject matter of design history. Discuss the possible reasons for this and analyse at least three texts from either architecture and interior design which seek to redress this imbalance.

In your analysis you will need to provide your own description and analysis of each text.. Your discussion should include examples that come from the course readings and or your own research. These examples may not necessarily be books – you may also use academic readings, journalistic style articles, websites, exhibitions, documentaries etc. Throughout your essay you may present a reasoned argument on the advantages or disadvantages of the approaches that you are analysing and the way that design history in general should or should not be approached

Submission Requirements: • You must include a cover page with your written submission. • The document must be stapled or held together by a metal clip only. No plastic sleeves or folders will be accepted. • Font: Use 12 point Times New Roman or Ariel • Use 1.5 spacing and at least 3cm page margins. • Include your name and page number on each page. Notes Your assignment must be free of plagiarism and be written by yourself without assistance. (Assistance includes help with grammar and vocabulary.) Late assignments will not be accepted unless there are exceptional circumstances and/or you make arrangements in writing with the tutor/Program Manager before the due date. Always keep electronic and/or hard copies of your assignments. Things can go wrong and assignments can go missing. If they do, it is your responsibility to be able to re-submit your work when requested.

Key Texts Buckley, C. 1989, ‘Made in Patriarchy: Towards a Feminist Analysis of Women and Design’, in Design Discourse: History, Theory and Criticism (ed) V. Margolin, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Conway, H. 1987. Design History: A Student’s Handbook.: Routledge. London Dilnot, C. 1984, ‘The State of Design History, Part 1 : Mapping the Field, Design Issues, Vol1, No 1, pp 4 - 23 Fallan, K. 2010. Design history: understanding theory and method. Berg, New York Forty, A. 1992. Objects of desire: design and society, 1750-1980.: Thames & Hudson. London Fry, T. 1988. Design history Australia: a source text in methods and resources , Hale & Iremonger and the Power Institute of Fine Arts, Sydney. Lees-Maffei, G. & Houze, R. (eds). 2010, The Design History Reader, Berg, Oxford. Margolin, V. 1995, ‘Design History or Design Studies: Subject Matter and Methods’, Design Issues, Vol. 11, No 5, p. 4-15 Meggs, P. 1998. A history of graphic design.: John Wiley & Sons. New York Pevsner, N. 2005 (1936), Pioneers of Modern Design, From William Morris to Walter Gropius, 4th rev. ed.: Yale University Press. New Haven Sparke, P. 2004. An introduction to design and culture (1900 to the Present), 2nd edn. Routledge. London. Woodham, J.M. 1997. Twentieth century design,: Oxford University Press. Oxford