Bloomsbury Design, History and Time: New Temporalities in a Digital Age

About the Author Zoë Hendon is Head of Collections at the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, UK.Anne Massey is Professor of Design and Culture at London College of Communication, UK. Product Description Design, History and Time reflects on the nature of time in relation to design, in both past and contemporary contexts. In contrast to a traditional design historical approach which emphasises schools and movements, this volume addresses time as a continuum and considers the importance of temporality for design practice and history. Contributors address how designers, design historians and design thinkers might respond to the global challenges of time, the rhythms of work, and the increasing speed of life and communication between different communities. They consider how the past informs the present and the future in terms of design; the importance of time-based design practices such as rapid prototyping and slow design, time in relation to memory and forgetting, and artefacts such as the archive for which time is key, and ponder the design of time itself. Showcasing the work of fifteen design scholars from a range of international contexts, the book provides an essential text for thinking about changing attitudes to the temporal. Review "Design, History & Time offers a challenge to design historians. It asks them to consider how assumptions about time as a measure of social value are 'baked in' to our thinking about design. It also offers ways to work through these assumptions and fixed representations, by putting a critical analysis of time at the forefront of design history." - Journal of Design History"Part history, part travelogue, part meditation on the meaning of time, Design, History and Time offers challenging thoughts on the nature of time and playful reflections on popular culture." --Elizabeth Guffey, Professor of Art and Design History at the State University of New York at Purchase, USA"From the permanence of cathedrals whose very construction spanned centuries to the inherent obsolescence of digital communication devices, this fascinating collection forces reconsideration of society's changing relationship with time over time." --Paul Atkinson, Professor of Design History at Sheffield Hallam University, UK