Design Studies 2 (Furniture Design) is concerned with the relationship of technology to furniture making. By examining the interplay between crafts, art, technology and ergonomics you will come to a critical appreciation of the nature of individuality in the design and production process. Furniture design has a rich western historical tradition that is accessible to students in many ways. Technological investigations offered in these tutorial projects will focus on the construction of understandings and narratives of histories of furniture design that fall outside the dominant design discourse. A particular emphasis will be given to global furniture design by way of case studies and access to various local collections and reproduction houses.
The core aim of Design Studies 2 (Furniture Design) is to aid in the development of your critical awareness crucial to your contribution to the world as designers and as citizens. The emphasis here is not on 'designing' but coming to understand the structures and systems that make the world what it is, and by implication prescribe our ways of operating in it.
Through this course you will develop analytical and research skills, including the ordering and interpretation of information and an ability to translate information into cohesive arguments.
The key objective is to develop critical thinking abilities and encourage critical reflection. In a broader context, these skills will help you to critically challenge the status quo and provide the framework for design innovation. This may be reflected by the development of personal principles and an outlook that may champion or challenge the traditional roles of the furniture designer. You will develop a greater appreciation of the role of design in relation to other intellectual, cultural and commercial practices and will be able to conceptualize and carry out an in-depth and independent academic inquiry.
You will be expected to read academic text, write in a manner commensurate to the area of study, listen and contribute to discussions. Thinking and making time to think is privileged in the Design Studies stream.