Design and the avant-garde

In this unit, you will explore the history of European Modernism and its influence on visual communication, industrial design, and spatial design, recognising key movements and their ideological, political, and cultural foundations. You will develop critical frameworks to analyse Modernist design works, examining the social, cultural, and historical factors shaping them, and will practise applying these insights to your discipline. By integrating perspectives from various design fields, you will form a holistic view of Modernism’s legacy and its impact on the social role of design. You will reflect on how design can shape societal values, recognising the designer's potential as a social actor and fostering an appreciation for understanding design within its historical and cultural contexts. This unit will encourage you to value the responsibility embedded in design work and to develop strategies for ongoing learning, historical analysis, and critical thinking, equipping you with skills for both your practice and lifelong learning in the field of design.