History of Design

HISTORY OF DESIGN

Return back

The Arts and Crafts movement arose in the second half of the nineteenth century as a response by makers and society to industrialization, which made objects uniform and impersonal

Its arrival marked a turn back to the human scale, to respect for materials, and to the idea that beauty and usefulness should be inseparable in everyday things.

William Morris – Strawberry theif, 1883

William Morris – Strawberry theif, 1883

William Morris – Strawberry theif, 1883

Society felt the shock of industrial change as early as the 1840s, but only by the end of the century did clear proposals appear for how to counter it in architecture and design. Thinkers and practitioners called for the return of responsibility and joy in work, for uniting design and making, and for judging an object not by a glossy finish but by the quality of form, proportion, and durability.

Many participants were inspired by the work of William Morris, who by the 1880s had become a well-known figure and a successful entrepreneur. Morris insisted on a strong link between the maker and the object and believed that the pleasure of craft should return to both the producer and the buyer. He loved medieval culture and saw the guild model as a healthy way of producing in small workshops, where the craftsperson is responsible for the whole cycle of making.

At the same time, Morris was not against machines as such. He criticised the division of labour into small operations, which weakens the designer’s connection with the final product and deprives the object of individuality. Machines are acceptable where they help skill and do not erase the character of the material or the maker’s hand.

William Morris, 1834-1896

The interior of the Red house project

The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society held its first exhibition in 1888, showing ceramics, textiles, furniture, metalwork, and books.

These exhibitions raised the status of the decorative arts, brought craft out of the shadows, and created demand for well-made objects for everyday life.

A distinctive feature of the movement was that many of its leaders had architectural training and thought in terms of a “total interior.” Designers worked broadly, from planning houses and finishing walls to furniture, lighting, textiles, and stained glass. Because of this, rooms were perceived as a single, harmonious whole.

To distance themselves from industrial standards, objects were produced in small series or made to order. Natural and noble materials were preferred: solid wood, wool and linen, glass, enamel, wrought iron, and non‑ferrous metals. Structure and texture were not hidden under heavy finishes: joints and tenons could remain visible, and ornament often repeated a structural motif.

An interior example by Arts & Crafts masters

An interior example

by Arts & Crafts masters

An interior example

by Arts & Crafts masters

In the final decade of the nineteenth century the movement expanded quickly beyond a narrow circle and reached major British centres — London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Birmingham

In the final decade of the nineteenth century the movement expanded quickly beyond a narrow circle and reached major British centres — London, Manchester, Edinburgh,

and Birmingham

Across the country, guilds and workshops appeared that followed Arts and Crafts principles, as well as schools where students learned pottery, weaving, embroidery, book arts, and joinery.

In parallel, designers collaborated with manufacturers and stores, which made the objects more accessible and more visible to the wider public. Works were sold at Morris & Co on Oxford Street, as well as in major chains such as Heal’s and Liberty. This helped secure the movement’s principles in urban culture and formed a new taste for “honest” objects.

In parallel, designers collaborated with manufacturers and stores, which made the objects more accessible and more visible

to the wider public. Works were sold

at Morris & Co on Oxford Street, as well

as in major chains such as Heal’s and Liberty. This helped secure the movement’s principles in urban culture and formed

a new taste for “honest” objects.

Showroom Morris & Co.

Showroom Morris & Co.

Showroom Morris & Co.

Over time, the ideas of Arts and Crafts moved beyond Britain and influenced other movements. Art Nouveau inherited a love of nature and ornament. The Bauhaus absorbed respect for materials and the wish to unite art, craft, and production in one educational model. Scandinavian design developed simplicity, a human scale, and a warm approach to wood and textiles. A century later these principles appear in slow design, sustainable production, and attention to the quality of hand work.

The outcome of the movement was not a refusal of technology but a rethinking of its role. It reminded us that people and materials matter more than the assembly line, that form should serve function, and that beauty grows from honest construction and good craft.

William Morris, 1834-1896

William Morris, 1834-1896

Go to top

Go to top

If you enjoy this project and want to see more, you can donate any amount. Your support helps me keep researching, designing, and publishing new chapters.

Support the project

HISTORY OF DESIGN

made by Oleg Gorokhov