History of Industrial Design - Essay Example

History of Industrial Design by Jeffrey Meikle History of Industrial design by Jeffrey Meikle A perfect and splendid plastic history is presented by an American professor Jeffrey L.Meikle. By tracing the origin of plastics back in the 19th century, He highlights the different faces the plastic technology has assumed all the way from technological inventions to product design changes and the culture of the esteemed consumers. In an instance, the professor highlights the attitude changes after the world war in the 1960s.

He acknowledges the fact that the reputation of plastics had been severely damaged despite its pivotal place as a resource in the earlier years. As a result of these negative impacts, major players such as Germany made great improvements to secure the future of plastics. Some of these changes were around things such as an assumption that the consumers would willingly and eagerly purchase the new and advanced plastic (Venturi & Rauch, 1978). Secondly, there was also the aspect of an emerging mass-culture.

Mass media completely changed the culture of the plastic consumers. Also intensified new communication forms that never existed before made a cultural climate change inevitable. This plastic influence on culture emanating from the earlier motives of innovation and substitution drastically conditions the people’s perception on plastics and lifestyles. As a result of these changes, plastics continue to exist in the present world. High tech plastics are been applied in a world of places. The absolute dominance of plastics has to the world that it is not a bad thing as it was once thought.

Robert Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction. The American architect wrote his Complexity and contradiction in architecture to verify a fact in the theory of architecture and practice. Venturi tries to reinforce the principles of architecture back a mainstream that is always established under the popular culture. In his work, Venturi privileged some issues in an attempt to underscore his objective. Venturi privileged the non-straightforward Architecture. He clearly puts it clear the he appreciate and likes elements that are hybrid as opposed to pure, He also puts it openly that he likes elements that are distorted as opposed to straight forward ones (Venturi & Rauch, 1978).

Secondly, on contradiction and simplification, he puts out clearly that the modern architects have opted for the primitive methods of solving problems while ignoring the most diverse and sophisticated ones. Venturi believes that for perfect work then the architects must establish a balance between these two sides of the coin. And lastly, venture also touches on the ambiguity. Since architecture is both a form and substance then there is need for those involved to always appreciate a fact that ambiguities will always emanate.

There is good and bad ambiguity when dealing with different forms of architecture.ReferencesVenturi, R., & Rauch, J. (1978). Venturi and Rauch. London: Academy Editions.