Potential pasts, possible futures: Making transitional design
histories (PhD Project)
The overall research questions guiding this study are how
histories of design could be told, if we were to take a starting
point in today's practices of designing and explore the foundations
of and conceptual changes within these in relation to past, current
and future ideas and contexts of design? And further: Could such
historical inquiries allow us to broaden the perspectives on the
past in order to not only make sense of the present, but to
critically question core concepts, methods and frameworks in design
in order to open up for other possible future trajectories in
design education and practice?
In my ongoing dissertation work, I prototype transitional design
histories by tracing concepts and contexts that made possible and
shaped Scandinavian user-centered design. This is done through an
idea-focused analysis of Swedish practices and discourse
around the design and use of everyday things, based on
20th century texts and archival material.
The early 20th century ideas and practices that were influential
in forming the Swedish design discourse came to be highly present
not only in the industrial design profession, as it emerged in
Sweden, but also in state policy and goverment intitiatives aiming
to reform everyday life in different ways. There was a societal
consensus that things, homes and domestic life were crucial
elements in building a modern society with thoroughly modern
citizens. I investigate ideas and methods that today are an
integral part of a 'Scandinavian user centered design', and discuss
how these still carry with them norms, values and practices linked
to the specific historical contexts that these once emerged
in.
My supervisors are Johan Redström, UID, and Kjetil Fallan,
University of Oslo.
Areas of interest
Design history, design theory, design studies, user-centered
design, participatory design, material culture, semiotics,
aesthetics.
Publications
