Design History Society

The Design History Society is one of the leading organisations that promotes and supports the study of design histories, both in the UK and internationally. Through its journal, annual conference and programme of events it brings together all those engaged in the subject – students, researchers, educators, designers, designer-makers, critics and curators among them. It also acts as an advocate for the subject in a number of different contexts.

Conferences
Border Control: Excursion, Incursion and Exclusion
5 September - 7 September

University for the Creative Arts, Canterbury, UK

Borders are an ever more pressing issue in the 2020s. Whether geopolitical, human and non-human, or digital...

Blog
Report: Bibliographic Performances and Surrogate Readings by Janelle Rebel (recipient of the Research Publication Grant)
19 December 2024 -

Janelle Rebel, Seymour Adelman Director of Special Collections at Bryn Mawr College, reports on the publication of her monograph titled Bibliographic Performances and Surrogate Readings, which was partly funded by the DHS Research Publication Grant.

Blog
Report: Research Access Grant Professional | Pre-Raphaelite illustrations by Carey Gibbons
6 December 2024 -

Carey Gibbons reports on a research trip to Vancouver as recipient of the Research Access Grant

Want to contribute to the DHS Newsletter?

We love to hear what our members are getting up to. If you'd like to contribute to the DHS Newsletter and get published on our website, just drop us an e-mail.

More details >

News
2024 Member Survey Results
6 December 2024

Thanks to all members who completed our 2024 survey. We are delighted to share the results of the survey below...

Blog
Crafting a National Identity in an International Market: The India Report
27 November 2024 -

In this article, Dr Rukmini Chaturvedi discusses the 1958 'India Report', which set the foundation for design in India and its impact on design pedagogy today.

Blog
Report: Outreach and Event Grant | Latino Design Histories Webinar Series
22 November 2024 -

Raquel Castedo reports on the Latino Design Histories Webinar Series (recipient of the Outreach and Event Grant)

News
Trustee vacancy - the DHS seeks a Treasurer
18 November 2024

The DHS is looking to appoint a new Treasurer - please visit our vacancies page below for more...

Blog
Provocative Objects: Smart Caption Glasses
13 November 2024 -

Welcome to the next in our Provocative Places and Objects series, where we look at places and spaces that challenge and confront us as design historians. This time, Zhixin Zhang, PhD candidate in Design at the Edinburgh College of Art and hearing-impaired designer and researcher, discusses how smart caption glasses expose gaps in inclusive design.

Blog
Crafting a National Identity in an International Market: The Beginning of Indian Design
23 October 2024 -

This blog series so far has discussed the contemporary Indian design market which has been posited against the global one. In this article, Dr Rukmini Chaturvedi discusses the beginning of ‘design’ in India, since the contemporary era cannot be entirely understood without a critical knowledge of understanding the nuances of the past.

Blog
Report: Ecological by Design: A History from Scandinavia by Kjetil Fallan (recipient of the Research Publication Grant)
21 October 2024 -

Kjetil Fallan reports on the publication of Ecological by Design: A History from Scandinavia, which was partly funded by the DHS Research Publication Grant.

Join the Design History Society

Design History Society members include all those interested in design: students, designers, lecturers, historians, researchers, craftspeople, manufacturers, archivists, curators, librarians and collectors. New members are always welcomed and actively encouraged to contribute to events and publications.

More details >