The main question link to lecture is ‘What is a good design?’
In my opinion, good design is innovative and a tool to promote the progress of human civilization.
The
development
of
technology
always
provide
opportunities for innovative design, they are closely linked. Thus, proving that good design requires innovative technology to achieve it. This essay examines how technology and innovative design changes history and design history.
From the perspective of the three Industrial Revolutions, emerging technologies and design impact on people and society.
There is no doubt that technology had deep influences on design history and human activities. According to Kline, the definition of technology runs the gamut from manufacturing efficiencies to develop new processes of production and to cutting transactional costs. In short, there is a method to business, into technology fits in all its various and expanded forms (1985, p.215-216).
Progress of modern human society relies on the development of technology, especially the purposeful innovation by human, which improve the functioning and opened up a broader space for development of social productivity and human civilization. It also promotes economic and social development effectively (Kline1985, p.217). Innovation technology throughout the modern age to the postmodern age, the three industrial revolutions are proof of technology’s development; they motivated the development of design history, from handicraft to steam, electricity and technology.
From the 19th century to the early 20th century, the Art and Craft Movement can be thought of as 'bringing the designer and the manufacturer together, creating in the process a new vanguard in modern design' (Powell2007, p.46). Limited handicraftsmen made limited handcrafts, it is a reason why art works in the Art and Craft Movement has low yield but high prices (Powell2007, p.47). In addition, studying art was difficult and only two masters taught art students,
one of them is an artist and the other one is a craftsman (Ferebee 1970, p.95).
In this period (the 19th century to the early 20th century), not everyone could afford luxurious arts or to be an artist. After the First Industrial Revolution, people produced machines and used them widely.
Machines replaced
handcraft men at work, as a result, productivity was improved and the cost of production reduced, which meant craft production shifted to mass production.
Machines and new techniques developed fast in the First Industrial Revolution.
Gray defined the Industrial Revolution as a radical change, which made society change thoroughly. It caused fundamental change not only in how people worked, but also in how people lived, and even in how people think
(1984, p.84).
From the 1870s to the early 20th century, in America and Europe, society changed from an agricultural society to one dominated by manufacturing. For art, it provided new subjects and a new art style, some new themes and movements appeared based on technology, like Formalism and Machine
Aesthetic are based on photography. The second Industrial Revolution, was based on electricity, oil, new materials and new techniques and some powered machines were made in this period. According to Bennett, James and Karen, the Birmingham Iron and Steel District are important iron-producing centers in
UK in the period of Second Industrial Revolution (2010, p.14). Also some creative design, like the telephone and telegraph. In 1876, Alexander Graham
Bell invented the telephone (fig.1.) (David 2013). Thomas Edison finally perfected the design of the light bulb in 1879 and rise of incandescent cystoscopies by 1883 (fig.2.) (Moran2010, p.1396). In 1879, the first electric train (fig.3.) appeared in Berlin, Germany. The electric streetcars replace the horse-drawn carriages in major European cities in 1900 (Anton1995, p.323).
Moreover, the industrial workforce grew, which offered more working opportunities to people (McMullen 2006,
