Design Movemets

Arts and Crafts Period

1850-1900

Arts and Crafts Philosophy

A reaction to the Industrial Revolution that preferred traditional skills and natural materials over machine-made products

Key Figure: Arts and Crafts

William Morris (1834-1896)

Arts and Crafts Features

Honest handmade construction, pegged mortise and tenon joints, and the beauty of timber grain like oak

William Morris's Famous Quote

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Art Nouveau Period

1890-1905

Art Nouveau Style

Features natural, sinuous forms and seeks to unify arts and crafts through new materials like iron, steel, and glass

Key Figure: Art Nouveau

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928)

Art Nouveau Inspirations

Organic forms of plant life, languid female forms, and Japanese art

Difference: Art Nouveau vs. Art Deco

Art Nouveau uses natural forms (flowers, tendrils), while Art Deco is generally more geometric

Bauhaus Modernist Period

1919-1933

Bauhaus Core Principle

'Form follows function'—aesthetics are dictated by how a product works, rejecting liberal decoration

Key Figure: Bauhaus (Founder)

Walter Gropius

Key Figure: Bauhaus (Metalwork)

Marianne Brandt, who developed geometrically pure kitchenware

Bauhaus Materials & Approach

Embraced mass production and modern materials like tubular steel with a "machine aesthetic"

Art Deco Period

1925-1939

Art Deco Influences

Tutankhamun's tomb (1922), the Paris Exhibition (1925), and international styles like Aztec motifs and Egyptian temples

Art Deco Features

Ziggurats, sunburst motifs, bold colors, black and chrome, and stylised geometric forms

Key Figure: Art Deco

Eileen Gray (1878-1976), who created opulent products based on geometric forms

Streamlining Period

1935-1955

Streamlining Philosophy

Using aerodynamic "teardrop" curves to reduce wind resistance or as cosmetic modifications for consumer appeal

Key Figure: Streamlining

Raymond Loewy, often called the 'Father of Industrial Design'

Raymond Loewy's Achievements

Redesigned the Coldspot refrigerator, the Lucky Strike package, the Coca-Cola bottle, and Greyhound buses

Post Modernism Period

1975-now

Post Modernism Philosophy

'Less is a bore'

Key Figure: Post Modernism

Philippe Starck, a French designer who prioritises form over function

The "Juicy Salif"

A Philippe Starck juicer made from aluminium

Post Modernism Features

Humour, personality, and "anthropomorphic" (human-like) or "zoomorphic" (animal-like) designs