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Decolonising Design History

Affiliated Society or Committee Name: Design History Society
Over the past two decades, the geographical spread of design history has become more inclusive of design from various parts of the world and practitioners beyond Europe and North America. While this represents some progress, it is only part of the promise of decolonial histories. The other part is a reassessment of historical methods and themes. Recent thinking on decolonising design has argued for a shift from the production of universalising narratives towards pluriversality (Arturo Escobar and Tony Fry) and the promise of a more inclusive and decolonial practice. For design historians, this challenge entails how to reframe the discipline, not only in its geographical reach but in its assumptions and foundations.

This panel calls for papers that examine alternative approaches and critical perspectives towards canonisation, periodisation and designer-biographical work that have been the dominant frameworks for research and teaching in design history to date. We are interested in papers that explore new design historical methodologies and forms of knowledge that might create a more inclusive practice. In what ways can design history research and teaching undertake this task without being trapped in a traditional/modern binary framework? Does a decolonised design history require new periodisations, new artefacts, or new designers, or does it require challenging the core principles of design that are anchored to industrial modernity? We welcome critical and engaging papers that address these questions.


Field of Study:
Design History
Design Theory/Criticism
Historiography
Material Culture
Design History

Chairs:
Daniel J. Huppatz,Swinburne University - dhuppatz@swin.edu.au and Megha Rajguru,University of Brighton - M.Rajguru@brighton.ac.uk

Deep Encounters with the Design History archives, from 1968 Brazil to now
Livia Rezende, University of New South Wales. Sydney
Towards a Translocal Graphic Design History: Beirut in the Global Sixties
Zeina Maasri, University of Brighton
AGI as canon: professional distinction and the question of difference
John-Patrick Hartnett, University of Brighton
Rethinking the Teaching of Design History
Shehnaz Suterwalla, Royal College of Art
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