* Reminder CFP - deadline 12th January 2009 *
Writing Design: Object, Process, Discourse, Translation. The Design History
Society Annual Conference, Hosted by the tVAD Research Group at the
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK, 3-5 September 2009.
How do we find out about design, as both practice and object, including the
processes of designing, crafting and manufacture, marketing and consumption?
Students, scholars, critics and commentators use words, whether written or
spoken, both to research design through observation, participation,
interview and oral history, object analysis and documentary and visual
interpretation, and in preparing resultant outcomes. Writing Design invites
papers, panels and posters (see below) in which participants reflect on
their sources, historiography and methodology, research, dissemination and
teaching processes to examine the issues mobilised by articulating design
and material culture with language and the ways in which writing about
objects has conditioned our understanding of design. Keynote speakers are
Jeffrey L. Meikle, Professor of American Studies and Art History at the
University of Texas and Dr Paul Jobling, Senior Lecturer, History of Art and
Design at the University of Brighton. Writing Design is inclusive in its
interests, and will attract designers, design historians, practitioners of
design studies, material culture studies, popular culture studies and
literary studies among others. The following list of indicative themes is
not intended to be prescriptive:
. What is at stake in the translation of objects into words, written or
spoken, for research, communication and understanding?
. How does the design of words and writing impact upon their interpretation,
within studies of typography and book design and more broadly?
. How can the haptic and tacit knowledge be discussed and written about?
. What has been the value of designers' writings?
. How have designers attempted to shape their personae/biographies?
. What does writing on design, from popular and specialist design journalism
and trade journals to academic studies, tell us?
. How have design and designers been represented in literature and mass
media such as magazines and television?
. How have discourses of lifestyle expertise shaped taste and consumption?
. How do we, as students, scholars and practitioners of design, write
ourselves into an evolving historiography?
. How have archival holdings, documentary sources and curatorial practices
shaped our understanding of design?
. How have curators in design exhibitions, museums and galleries used
selection and synthesis, labels and catalogues, objects, words and images to
tell stories and histories about design?
. How do we understand design practice in a period when documentary and
object analysis are the primary sources through which we know design, using
probate records, diaries, broadsheets, designer's archives etc.?
. What impact has an existing design historical bias towards Western
industrialised nations had on the understanding of design?
. How have interview and oral history practices functioned to enlarge
understanding of design?
. What pedagogical issues are raised by learning about designed objects
through lectures, seminars and written assignments?
. What is the role and value of the written assignment in design education?
Writing Design aims to showcase papers which will enhance the practice of
design history in the future and to publish double-blind peer-reviewed
outcomes from the conference. Therefore all proposals must represent
original research, not previously published. Proposals from postgraduate
researchers are encouraged and the Design History Society offers bursaries
to support student members' conference attendance. Proposals are invited in
three formats, each containing an anonymised abstract and accompanied by a
separate 50-word biography:
(a) Papers: A 400-word abstract proposing a presentation of 25 minutes.
(b) Panels: Three 400-word abstracts plus a rationale for the panel (max 300
words, stating common research questions, links between the papers and
contribution to the conference theme).
(c) Posters: A 400-word abstract, for presentation as an illustrated A1
poster (594 x 841mm).
All proposals will be subject to double-blind peer review, based on
contribution to the conference theme and clarity of question, context,
method and outcome. Proposals must be without formatting and sent in the
body of an email, or as a Word document, to Jessica Kelly,
[log in to unmask] by 5 pm GMT Monday 12th January 2009. Proposals which
are late or do not fit these formats will be returned. The results of peer
review will be issued in March and full papers are required for circulation
to panel participants by August 3rd 2009.
The co-convenors are Dr Grace Lees-Maffei and Jessica Kelly. Based in the
Faculty for the Creative and Cultural Industries at the University of
Hertfordshire, the tVAD research group examines relationships between text,
narrative and image. See
http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/artdes_research/tvad/event030909.html for more
information about tVAD and the excellent air, road and rail transport links
UH enjoys, being only 20 minutes from central London. We look forward to
welcoming you to Writing Design
Dr Grace Lees-Maffei MA RCA FHEA
Senior Lecturer in the History and Theory of Design and Applied Arts
University of Hertfordshire
College Lane
Hatfield AL10 9AB
UK
Direct Line: 0 44 (0)1707 285369
Fax: 0 44 (0)1707 285350
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/artdes_research/tvad/lees-maffei1.html
Coordinator, tVAD Research Group
http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/artdes_research/tvad/index.html
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