- You may be asking,
"Why should I care about a college in Germany in the 1920s?
"What does that have to do with me?"
The Bauhaus was the flash point
of the beginning of what we consider modern design today.
Its revolutionary concepts radically changed how we design,
what we consider to be valuable aesthetically,
and what the public expects from all the design fields.
It was clear,
that after completing the
foundation course on graphic design history,
that the Bauhaus required a more in-depth exploration.
After this course,
you will never look at a piece of furniture,
poster, lamp, or any modern object in the same way.
By 1919, the world had been
fighting a war on many fronts, for years.
The economy faced its worst recession in decades.
All creative fields, and the way we do business,
changed with radical new technologies.
It was in this environment that the Bauhaus was created.
How they responded,
and the challenges that the students and faculty faced,
changed the 20th century.
These are images of objects and books
in my house and studio,
and a corresponding item from the Bauhaus
that led to its design.
The point is that there is very little in our life
that isn't influenced by its philosophy of
form following function.
Simplicity, truth in materials, and quality.
The idea that design can make life better for others
is an idea from the Bauhaus.
Knowing why we design, what we believe,
and why we follow certain processes
is critical for all designers.
Once this becomes clear,
we have a better sense
of where we sit on the line of history.
Without this knowledge,
we blindly stab at solutions
without an understanding of why.
Knowing this is a critical component of our success
as a designer.
This course covers the ideas, individuals,
and work from the Bauhaus.
It is less a course on history,
who was the President in 1801?,
and more an explanation of
new ways of working, thinking and creating.
We'll explore the world that led to the radical concepts,
how graphic design and typography
changed from a Victorian approach to what we know today,
and how design education made a 180 degree shift
that we follow today.
We'll see the inter-connectiveness
of all the creative fields,
how graphic design, fine art and industrial design,
architecture, and even ceramics
are linked by the same ideas, then and now.
Whether you love history or design,
this course is the path to a more clear understanding
of the world of design today.
It is filled with inspiration and surprise.
And as I said,
you will never look at anything designed the same way again.
Welcome to Fundamentals of Graphic Design, The Bauhaus.