Technology + Progress

After reading this weeks reading "The Werkbund Debate" and Technology and "Technology and Progress at the Bauhaus" many similarities in the philosophy and methods of modern design education between the first year design program and the Bauhaus became apparent. I did all my first year design papers last year except for this one and I learnt that one of the most important similarities is the importance placed on workshop learning, trail and era. We learn while using our hands and brains together in trailing ideas and crafts in different designs.

Maholy-Nagy said in the "Technology and Progress at the Bauhaus" that versatility and open-ended experimentation with materials and technology led to greater creativity in design. I agree with this idea, as have found it particularly relevant to the First Year Design course that i took last year. In those courses we had to experiment and explore different materials and use them in abstract compositions; finishing with visually creative and interesting work, that showed knowledge of past designers and that we have really explored the materials properties.

I also believe the Vorkurs is similar to the first year design programme as well. The Vorkurs pedagogical focuses on "abstract compositions, drawings from real life that exaggerate a sense of rhythm in nature and relationships among geometric shapes," i believe this is relative to the different design courses i took last year. In Design 104 we had to pick a structure that had a nature feeling about it and turn it into a 3D computer model and from there we explored the different angles it had and then changed in multiple times, so we ended up with 81 very different models. Although this brief was conceptual, there was a strong emphasis on the relationship between each individual model and between design practise and the context. There are many similarities in this particular methodology with that of Vorkurs, whereby making connections between artistic activity and the unconscious reality.

In conclusion i believe that the first year design programme has used methods and philosophies from the Bauhaus to create a first year programme that covers everything and also in which we can fully explore and experiment with materials. This also gives us the chance to find our potential in the different design courses.