Pre 1960's
1960's
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
2010's
1860-1910 Arts and Crafts Movement
R. Buckminster Fuller
1895-1983
R. Buckminster Fuller was a 20th century inventor and visionary who did not limit himself to one field but worked as a 'comprehensive anticipatory design scientist' to solve global problems. Fuller's ideas and work continue to influence new generations of designers, architects, scientists and artists working to create a sustainable planet.
(Bio from Buckminster Fuller Institute, www.bfi.org, Home page)
1930 Buckminster Fuller develops the Dymaxion house
1933 Buckminster Fuller develops the Dymaxion car, displays at the Chicago World’s Fair
1954 R. Buckminster Fuller's presents cardboard model of the Geodesic Dome at the Milan Triennale, theme Life Between Artifact and Nature: Design and the Environmental Challenge
1968 Buckminster Fuller, Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth
2007 The Buckminster Fuller Challenge
The Buckminster Fuller Institute
R. Buckminster Fuller Collection, Standford University
Image Credit:
Buckminster Fuller, 1972-3 tour at UC Santa Barbara.This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
1933 Schindler Shelters
WOBO (World Bottle Project) by Heineken Brewery
1964
Alfred Heineken’s interest in recycling led to the development of the WOBO, World Bottle Project. He approached architect John Habraken, director of the Foundation for Architects’ Research (SAR), with the idea of designing a re-usable bottle that could serve as a building block after use. The second design is the WOBO bottle which has flat sides, with relief and a concave bottom. In 1964, a total of 100,000 of the bottles were manufactured and this design patented world-wide.
(Text edited from The Heineken Collection Foundation, “The story behind the WOBO”)
The Heineken Collection
Koos Bosma, et al. Housing for the Millions, John Habraken and the SAR (1960-2000), NAi Publishers, 2001.
Image Credit:
https://www.heinekencollection.com/
Drop City community,
southern Colorado, US
1965
In 1962, Gene Bernofsky, Jo Ann Bernofsky and Clark Richert were students at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Gene and Clark developed a concept they called “Drop Art” (coining the term well before the era-branding slogan, “Turn on, tune in, drop out”). "Dropping" artworks from the rooftop of a loft space in Lawrence, they were making art a spontaneous part of everyday life in the face of a society they saw as increasingly materialistic and war-mongering.
In 1965, they bought a small piece of land near Trinidad, Colorado and called their settlement Drop City. They were soon joined by other artists, writers and inventors,and they started building a community that celebrated creative work.
Drop City's dazzling structures were based on Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes and the crystalline designs of Steve Baer, a pioneer in geometric structure and solar energy.
Text from: Drop City, a documentary, https://www.dropcitydoc.com/about
Image Credit:Clark Richert, Drop City: a documentary, “About,
1966-1978 Superstudio founded in Florence, Italy
1968-1998 "The Whole Earth Catalog", Stewart Brand
1970-1991 Grapus founded in Paris, France
1970 First Earth Day
The Chicago Women’s Graphics Collective
1970-1983
The Chicago Women's Graphics Collective was first organized in 1970 to provide high quality feminist posters for the growing women's liberation movement. The Collective originally used silkscreen to create their large brilliantly colored prints because it was inexpensive and in the early days, posters could actually be produced in members' apartments.
As their distribution grew, the Collective moved to a series of studios and began using offset printing for their most popular posters. Graphics Collective posters reflected the broad diversity of the women's movement. The Collective produced posters on abortion, women's health, lesbianism, women's labor, sisterhood, women's sports, women's spirituality, rape and other clearly feminist issues, but also created posters on the United Farmworkers struggle, African liberation, anti-war themes and highly personal visions that defy easy categorization.
Thousands of posters were distributed worldwide during the Collective's 13 year history.
(Text excerpt Estelle Carol, CWLU HerStory Project “The Chicago Women’s Graphics Collective)
CWLU Herstory Project
Estelle Carol. “The Chicago Women's Graphics Collective: A Memoir.” Feminist Studies, vol. 44, no. 1, 2018, pp. 104–124. JSTOR
Center for the Study of Political Graphics
Image Credit: “Don’t Call Me Girl”, CWLU Herstory Project, “Poster Gallery”
1980's Rise of ‘green design’ and ecodesign
1980 "The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces", William Whyte
1981-1992 UN Decade of Disabled Persons is declared
1981 Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibilit
1981-2013 Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)
1981-1986 UTOPIA
1982 Founding of the Rocky Mountain Institute by Amory and Hunter Lovins
1983 "Design for Human Scale", Victor Papanek
1983 "Social Design: Creating Buildings with People in Mind. Englewood Cliffs", Robert Sommer, N.J.: Prentice-Hal
1984 "Redesigning the American Dream: Gender, Housing, and Family Life", Dolores Hayden
1984 Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access, School of Architecture and Planning, University of Buffalo founded
1985 "Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change", Victor Papanek
1987 Soy-based ink tested in first practical printing run
1988 The Fair Housing Act
1989 "The Ethical Consumer" magazine
1988 Herbert Simon, “The Science of Design: Creating the Artificial”. Design Issues, 4(1/2), 67–82.
1989 North Carolina State University’s Center for Universal Design is founded by Ronald L. Mace, coined the term “universal design”
1989 The Adbusters Media Foundation is founded by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz
1990 “Politics of the Artificial”, Victor Margolin
1990-2000 Scandinavian Design conference, Malmo, Sweden
1990 A Scandinavian Design Council Manifesto on Nature, Ecology and Human Needs for the Future
1990 American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment is founded
1990 Cumulus (International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media)
1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is passed
1991 "The Social Role of the Graphic Designer", Pierre Bernard
1991 The Munich Design Charter
1991 The Riot Grrrl Manifesto in "BikiniKill Zine 2", Kathleen Hanna
1991 Design Corps founded
1991-1998 DesignAge action research program
1991 EcoDesign Foundation in Sydney, Australia
1992 "The Hannover Principles", William McDonough and Michael Braungart"
1992 The Media Foundation
1992 “Buy Nothing Day” – Ted Dave
1992 EcoDesign Foundation presents ‘Green Desires’
1992 Manzini, E., & Cullars, J. “Prometheus of the Everyday: The Ecology of the Artificial and the Designer's Responsibility”. Design Issues, 9(1), 5–20.
1992 Disability Discrimination Act, Australia
1992 “Enough” Anti-Consumerism Campaign, UK
1992 "Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World", David W. Orr
1993 Women in Design section founded at IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America)
1993 "Design for Society", Nigel Whitely, critique of consumerist design
1993 US Green Building Council is founded
1993 Congress for the New Urbanism
1993 The Rural Studio program, Auburn University, AL, established i D.K. Ruth and Samuel Mockbee
1993 "What is Socially Responsible Design?", Stephan Klein, ed., Pratt Institute
1993 Doors of Perception
1993 The Declaration of Interdependence for a Sustainable Future established at the (International Union of Architects) UIA World Congress
1993 European Institute for Design and Disability (EIDD)
1994 "Remakings: Ecology, Design, Philosophy", Tony Fry
1994 Design Futures Council is formed
1995 "The Green Imperative", Victor Papanek
1995 "Graphic Agitation", Liz McQuiston, catalogs protest graphics
1995 Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act, India
1995 Disability Discrimination Act, UK
1995 Dodo founded, Helsinki, Finland
1996-1997 Exhibitions of recycled material such as “Re- Materialize” and “Hello Again”
1996 "Architecture and Feminism", Debra Coleman, Elizabeth Danze and Carol Henderson, eds.
1996 "Ecological Design", Van der Ryn, Sim and Stuart Cowan. Washington, DC: Island Press
1996 "Challenging Codes: Collective Action in the Information Age", A. Melucci. New York: Cambridge University Press
1997 "A Guide to EcoReDesign", John Gertsakis, Helen Lewis, and Chris Ryan
1997 "Ecodesign: A Promising Approach to Sustainable Production and Consumption", Han Brezet and C. van Hemel
1997 "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature", Janine Benyeus
1997 Celery Design Collaborative founded by Brian Dougherty and Rod DeWeese
1997 Pauline, Madge, ‘Ecological Design: A New Critique’ Design Issues, 13(2): 44-54
1997 The Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD, Boston, MA is founded (formerly The Adaptive Environments Center)
1997 Ron Mace, architect, spearheaded the development in the U.S. of the Principles of Universal Design
1997 The World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) launches the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
1998 The AIGA “Design for Democracy” initiative is launched to make interactions between the U.S. government and its citizens more understandable, efficient and trustworthy
1998 U.S. Congress amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
1998 People's Communication Charter
1998 "Design beyond design : critical reflection and the practice of visual communication", ed. Jan van Toorn
1998 Incomplete Manifesto for Growth, Bruce Mau
1999 Design Corps, US community focus, often rural or migrant groups
1999 The Glass-House Trust begins evolving into The Glass-House Community Led Design in 2006, UK
1999 "Design and Feminism", ed. Joan Rothschild
1999 Architecture for Humanity, closed in 2015, became the Open Architecture Collaborative
1999 The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design was founded by Roger Coleman and Jeremy Myerson
1999 "A New Design Philosophy: an Introduction to Defuturing", Tony Fry
2000 Ecosa Institute is founded, ecological design education
2000 "The Manifesto of January 3, 2000", Bruce Sterling
2000 "First Things First" manifesto update, published by Emigré
2000 Conference: Structures for Inclusion 1, organized by Design Corps
2000 Icograda Design Education Manifesto
2001 Designers without Borders, Norway
2001 Diseno etica e comunicazione, AIAP
2001 Socialist Designer's Manifesto - a series of ideologically driven limitations along the lines of Dogme 95
2001 "Designers Against Monoculture", Noah Scalin
2001 The ASID Sustainable Design Council founded (American Society of Interior Designers)
2002 Designmatters curriculum developed at Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA
2002 Architecture 2030: getting to zero carbon emission buildings by 2030
2002 "Triangular Design Manifesto", Conceptual Devices
2002 William McDonough and Michael Braungart, Crade-to-Cradle, North Point Press
2002 Victor Margolin and Sylvia Margolin. “ A ‘Social Model’ of Design: Issues of Practice and Research”. Design Issues, Volume 18 | Issue 4 | Autumn 2002, p.24-30
2002 Social Design Notes founded by John Emerson
2002 The European Design for All eAccessibility Network (EDeAN) is launched
2003 Design that Matters
2003 UK Design Council begins work on design-led solutions to social problems
2003 John Bielenberg launches Project M
2003 "Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility", Heller, Steven, and Véronique Vienne
2003 AIGA publish “Print Design and Environmental Responsibility”
2004 "The Philosophy of Sustainable Design", Jason McLennan
2004 AIGA first Compostmodern conference focused on sustainable design
2004 "The Future of Competition: Co-Creating Unique Value with Customers", C. K. Prahalad and Venkat Ramaswamy
2004 "The Nature of Design: Ecology, Culture, and Human Intention", David W. Orr
2005 Goldsmiths, University of London: Center for Architectural Research–design and politics/spatial politics focus
2005 Design Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University Design Leeds, founded by Guy Julier, specializing in design for social and environmental benefit
2005 The 1%, Public Architecture’s initiative to professionalize pro bono work
2005 SEED (Social Economic Environmental Design), US
2005 Design Against Crime Research Centre established by the University of the Arts London, UK
2005 American Institute of Architects (AIA) sustainable architectural practice position statement
2005 Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) founded
2005 Utrect Manifest 1 - Bienniale
2005 Disability Act, Ireland
2005 Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Ontario, Canada
2005 The Ahmedabad Declaration, Education for a Sustainable Future Conference, Ahmedabad, India
2005 Emerging Futures Lab founded by Niti Bhan
2006 Biomimicry Institute founded by Janine Benyus and Bryony Schwan
2006 EcoLabs founded by Dr. Joanna Boehnert in Brixton, London, England
2006 “Ecodesign” category is added to IDSA / BusinessWeek IDEA awards program
2006 "The Public Role of the Graphic Designer", Annalys de Vet, et al.
2006 "Design like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises", Murphy, Diana, Cameron Sinclair, and Kate Stohr, eds.
2006 John Thakara, In the Bubble: Designing in a Complex World
2006 Alex Steffen and Sagmeister Inc., "Worldchanging"
2006 AIGA Living Principles for Design are established
2006 Thomas, Angharad, ‘Design, Poverty, and Sustainable Development’ Design Issues, 22(4): 54-65.
2006 An Inconvenient Truth documentary is released (Al Gore, Davis Guggenheim)
2006 The Design Studio for Social Intervention is launched
2006 Manchester Architecture Research Center, University of Manchester–design and politics/spatial politics focus
2007 The Designer’s Dilemma and subsequent Designers Accord
2007 Designers Accord originally climate driven, now expanded
2007 The Buckminster Fuller Challenge
2007 “1000 Words: A Manifesto for Sustainability in Design”, Allan Chochinov
2007 Smith, Cynthia E, and Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Design for the Other 90%.
2007 re-nourish website is launched
2007 Tomorrow’s Partners, sustainability-focused strategy firm is founded
2007 Design Can Change is launched
2007 Social Innovation and New Industrial Contexts: Can Designers “Industrialize” Socially Responsible Solutions?’ Design Issues, 23(4): 3-21
2007 Utrect Manifesto 2 - Bienniale for Social Design
2007 The Agency group at Sheffield School of Architecture is formed
2007 Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Center for Social Design and MA Social Design program are launched
2007 "The Story of Stuff" film is released
2007 The Service Design Network is founded
2008 Public: Architecture + Communication is founded
2008-2017 Curry Stone Prize, Curry Stone foundation, awarded for innovative excellence in humanitarian design
2008 "Better World by Design" conference is founded by Brown University and RISD students, Providence, RI
2008 Project H Design founded by Emily Pilloton
2008 Project H Design (Anti)Manifesto: A Call To Action For Humanitarian (Product) Design
2008 Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact Workshop at the Bellagio Conference Center
2008 Change Observer blog launched
2008 Changing the Change: the Role and Potential of Design Research towards Sustainability, Turin, Italy
2008 Kyoto Design Declaration, signed by members of Cumulus
2008 Conditional Design Manifesto, Luna Maurer, Edo Paulus, Jonathan Puckey, Roel Wouters
2008 Brian Dougherty, Green Graphic Design
2008 Declaration on Sustainability and Cultural Diversity approved by the International Union of Architects (UIA) World Congress
2008 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2009 Helsinki Design Lab (HDL): Finnish Fund for Innovation Sitra launched unit to develop design-inspired ways of addressing global problems
2009 Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg)
2009 The Repair Manifesto from Platform21, Netherlands
2009 Charter for Innovation, Creativity and Access to Knowledge, Barcelona Culture Forum for Human Rights in the digital age
2009 This is Not Manifesto — towards an alternative design practice, Garbage Collective
2009 "Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World", Alastair Fuad-Luke
2009 AIGA and Winterhouse Institute host the Aspen Design Summit
2009 "Design is The Problem: The Future of Design Must be Sustainable", Nathan Shedroff
2009 IDEO’s Human Centered Design Toolkit is launched
2009 DESIS Network Design for Social Innovation towards Sustainability is co-founded by Ezio Manzini
2009 Discrimination and Accessibility Act is enacted, Norway
2009 Living Building Challenge launched by Cascadia Chapter of US Green Building Council
2009 Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Chair in Design as Politics is founded, Delft, NL
2009 “The Living Principles for Design,” a framework which distills four streams of sustainability (environment, people, economy, and culture) is launched at the AIGA Design Conference in Memphis
2009 The Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design is launched
2010 Austin Center for Design founded by John Kolko, focused on education in interaction design and social entrepreneurship
2010 IDEO.org is launched, social design branch of IDEO
2010 Equality Act, UK
2010 National Law on Persons with Disability, Vietnam
2010 AIGA, The Living Principles website is launched
2010 "The Role of Design in the 21st Century", Danish Designers Manifesto: A Vision for the Future of Danish Design
2010 Learning Network on Sustainability, LeNS Project Manifesto, sustainable development and the role of design (and design thinking) in promoting system innovation
2010 Anti-Design Festival Manifesto
2010 Bierut, Michael, Thomas Friedman, Edward Morris and Dimitri Siegel. Green Patriot Posters Los Angeles: Metropolis Books.
2011 Icograda Design Education Manifesto, upgraded
2011 Awan, Nishat, Tatjana Schneider, and Jeremy Till, eds. Spatial Agency: Other Ways of Doing Architecture. Routledge.
2011 Cameron Tonkinwise. ‘I Heart Sustainability (Because Necessity No Longer Has Agency)’ Design Philosophy Papers, 2(2011)
2011 Tony Fry, Design as Politics (Oxford: Berg)
2011 AIGA launches the “Design for Good” initiative, a movement for design-driven social change
2012 Open Internet of Things (IOT) Design Manifesto 1.0
2012 "Architecture & Design versus Consumerism: How Design Activism Confronts Growth", Ann Thorpe. Routledge
2012 "Living as Form: Socially Engaged Art from 1991-2011", Nato Thompson ed.,. New York, N.Y.; Cambridge, Mass.; London: Creative Time; MIT Press.
2012 William McDonough collaborates with Stanford University Libraries to create a “living archive” of sustainability with real-time collection of his work and communications
2014 First Things First 2014, an update to 2000 manifesto addressing design in the Digital Age
2014 School of Visual Arts, MFA Design and Social Innovation launched
2015 Victor Margolin, Nynke Tro,p, Bert van Meggelen, Max Bruinsma. Design for the Good Society: Utrecht Manifest 2005-2015
2015 National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, United States Department of Education
2016 David W. Orr, Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward Publisher: Yale University Press