Research on Topics of Design History: First chair by Michele De Lucchi

The focus of your essay is to be on HOW this particular object was designed. You will examine and analyze the form and function of the object chosen. You will consider, HOW it is a visual document of the its’ time — what the object “says” about a particular time period. Your task is to hypothesize an answer to the question, “So, why does it look like that?” This focus will also allow you to investigate and discuss HOW your object is an example of a successful design, or not. Note: this is not an essay about how influential the designer of the object was / is. Nor is it a biography, either of your designer or the company she/he may have worked for or even created. Rather, you are looking more deeply into the design process by examining how designers think about their worlds and the larger societal problems they try to solve through good design, and how those solutions resonate through society. In addition to describing, analyzing, and concluding on the design of the object chosen the following are to be included:

• Identification and discussion of the designer of the object

• Identification and discussion of the design movement / style it is part of OR related to • Analysis of FOUR element and / or principles of design • Discussion of innovations / technological advancements • Socio-historical context

GUIDELINES:

• Length: Minimum 6-8 pages not counting illustrations or the Works Cited Page/image credits • The Essay needs a title that tells the reader what it’s about. • 11 or 12 point *readable* font, black ink, printed out with your name in the header of each page & pages numbered. • All illustrations should be individually labeled; charts or tables should be large enough to read easily. All of these should be at the end of your essay, NOT within the text. Also, see the Sample Illustration Page in the Resources Folder. • A minimum of 10 reputable and academic sources are required.