ARTH 300 – History of Italian Design

Formerly ARCH/AAH 330 – History of Italian Design

Description
This course will focus on the history of design and production in Italy from the industrial revolution to the present, ranging from industrial, to product, to furniture design; giving attention to the extraordinary blend of imagination and exactitude that characterizes Italy.

The course will discuss Italy and Italian designers in their cultural and productive context and together with the technical and semantic background behind their success with particular attention to the world of fashion and automobile design as well as the parallel production of visual arts, cinema, literature and other fields of culture.

Objectives and Outcomes
After completing this course, students should be able to:
– understand the role of “design” within Italian culture;
– explain and contextualize the work of a designer through a presentation, in which they will develop criteria and create links and comparisons between different works;
– analyze similar product types through a comparison of innovative features, function, aesthetic and visual appeal, as well as economic, social and environmental benefits and costs.

Course descriptions may be subject to occasional minor modifications at the discretion of the instructor.

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