Course detail

Design, Culture and Society

FSI-YDKAcad. year: 2025/2026

The student will gain an overview of the development of fine arts, applied arts, design and architecture from the early 20th century to the present. Emphasis is placed on knowledge of basic developmental milestones, personalities and institutions, knowledge of important developmental tendencies and interdisciplinary contexts. The course follows the history of art and the history of design courses and complements and develops them.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

3

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Jiří Tauber, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Machine and Industrial Design (ÚK)

Entry knowledge

Knowledge of the development of fine arts, crafts, design and architecture in the context of social development until the beginning of the 20th century in the scope of the curriculum of the bachelor's study program focused on design is assumed.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

The exam examines the overall orientation in the issue and knowledge of the development of fine arts, applied arts, design and architecture of the 20th and 21st centuries in the context of historical and social events.
The exam is combined: written test (max. 30 points) and oral exam (max. 70 points). In order to pass the exam, it is necessary to always obtain at least half of the maximum number of points (15 + 35) in each part.
The resulting classification is determined according to the ECTS scale.

Attendance at lectures is recommended.

Aims

After completing the course, students will be able to orient themselves in the development of culture from the beginning of the 20th century to the present, especially in the field of applied arts and design, in relation to major social events. They will know important historical milestones, personalities, companies and organizations.

The student acquires:
- knowledge of the development of fine arts from the beginning of the 20th century to the present,
- knowledge of the development of applied arts from the beginning of the 20th century to the present,
- knowledge of the development of design from the beginning of the 20th century to the present,
- knowledge of the development of architecture from the beginning of the 20th century to the present,
- knowledge of the main styles and personalities of contemporary applied arts and design,
- knowledge of the latest trends in art and culture,
- knowledge of broader social and interdisciplinary contexts in the field of culture and design.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

KNOBLOCH, Iva a Radim VONDRÁČEK (eds.) Design v českých zemích 1900–2000. Praha: Academia, 2016. ISBN 978-80-200-2612-5. (CS)
KOLESÁR, Zdeno. Kapitoly z dějin designu. V českém jazyce vyd. 2., Praha: VŠUP, 2009. 172 s. ISBN 978-80-86863-28-3. (CS)
PAULY, Jana a Jiří HULÁK. Design pro: Český průmyslový design 1990–2010. Praha: Jindřich Dušek – Signum, 2010. ISBN 978-80-903531-0-7. (CS)

Recommended reading

BRUTHANSOVÁ, Tereza a Jan KRÁLÍČEK. Czech 100 design Icons. Praha: CzechMania, 2005. ISBN 9788023948172. (CS)
HUBATOVÁ – VACKOVÁ, Lada, Martina PACHMANOVÁ a Jitka RESSOVÁ (eds.). Zlínská umprumka (1959–2011): Od průmyslového výtvarnictví po design. Praha: VŠUP, 2012. ISBN 978-80-86863-65-8. (CS)
MICHL, Jan. Tak nám prý forma sleduje funkci. Praha: VŠUP, 2003. 237 s. ISBN 80-901982-7-9. (CS)
PELCL, Jiří a kol. Design: Od myšlenky k realizaci / From Idea to Realization. Praha: VŠUP, 2013. ISBN 978-80-86863-45-0. (CS)
SPARKE, Penny. Století designu: průkopníci designu 20. století. 1. vyd. Praha: Slovart, 1999. 272 s. ISBN 80-7209-142-5. (CS)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme N-PDS-P Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

39 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jiří Tauber, Ph.D.

Syllabus

- The culture of the Czech lands at the beginning of the 20th century in connection with foreign events: Art Nouveau as the last universal style, modernism of the first decade and Cubism - the Czech phenomenon of the second decade.
- Art, design and culture after the First World War: social aspects, housing changes, minimal housing.
- Bauhaus as inspiration for interwar design; functionalism in architecture and housing culture.
- Organic morphology of post-war design, foreign inspiration, new materials.
- Design institutions - schools, museums.
- World exhibitions - a magnificent presentation of Czechoslovak culture.
- Studio work and everyday art: author's work and industrial design as two ways of post-war development.
- Personalities of post-war Czechoslovak applied arts and design.
- Personalities of post-war Czechoslovak industrial design.
- Post-revolutionary changes in the society of Czechoslovakia: privatization, transformation, the emergence of new subjects, the importance of domestic tradition for the development of society and culture at the end of the 20th century.
- Changes in the understanding of design and its role in contemporary society and the latest trends in relation to the development of art and culture.
- Personalities of contemporary design and their role in society.
- New media in relation to art and design and their significance for contemporary culture.