Introductory Lecture: “What Is Design? From Craft to Profession. How the Idea of Designing Objects Was Born”

Part of the course “History of Design: How Things Changed the World”

An object is not yet design.
But when it becomes useful, beautiful, and accessible to many — that’s when its design story truly begins.

How did the very idea of designing things come about?
Where did the grand styles go?
Why, in the 19th century, did furniture, textiles, and wallpaper become topics not only for craftsmen, but also for philosophers, artists, and engineers?

From the first factories and the Arts & Crafts movement to the birth of the design profession — this lecture explores the origins of modern design.