DESIGN 212 will theoretically position and discursively explore local making within the fluid categories of craft, art and design. Localisation will be examined at the interconnection of technology, economy, society, and the environment, in tension with Globalisation. Making will be explored as a creative phenomenon that is present throughout human history and more recently celebrated in the Maker Movement, which places value on individuals becoming creators of products or services rather than just consuming them.
Students will practically explore contemporary making in Tāmaki Makaurau and how it is inspired by the past. During the course, students will have the opportunity to learn about the making practices of skilled designers and craftspeople but will also be challenged to explore their own familial making histories - the various tradespeople/crafters/makers/designers in their own genealogies.
Various localised approaches to making, many of them indigenous, autonomous and peripheral, will be contrasted with more globalised and homogenous approaches to production. The course will challenge students to reconsider contemporary hierarchies of making and the role that technology plays in this. Furthermore, from a position of localisation and sustainability, students will need to be considerate of the source of the resources used for their own making.
DESIGN 212 will equip students with tools to critically explore and examine various approaches to local making around Aotearoa, as well as their own personal contexts. The students' design skills and critical thinking will also be enhanced through the iterative realisation of their own made outcome.
DESIGN 212 is an opportunity for design students to develop contemporary making skills that are inspired by the past, with an eye to the future.