Symposium The Design of History and the History of Design


London College of Communication
15 September, 2025



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SpeakerS and Abstracts:

Huda Almazroua
Alberto Atalla Filho
Russ Bestley
Kevin Biderman
Silvia Bombardini
David Cross
Dora Souza Dias
Sam Gathercole
Ian Horton and Ian Hague
Jennifer Hankin
Zarna Hart
John-Patrick Hartnett
Fenella Hitchcock
Abbie Vickress and Sakis Kyratzis
Christopher Lacy
Timothy Miller
Danah Nassief
Jesse O’Neill
Nina O’Reilly
Patrick O’Shea
David Preston
Cheryl Roberts
Rebecca Ross
Antoin Sharkey
Andrew Slatter
Kate Trant
Vanessa Vanden Berghe
Judy Willcocks
Christin Yu



A symposium for UAL’s Design History research community


The Design of History and the History of Design is a one-day symposium that maps research into, through or at the boundaries of design history at UAL. While design history may underpin our teaching across different disciplines, research in design history across UAL is somewhat hidden. This symposium aims to share and make visible the work of researchers (staff and students) at all career stages across all UAL colleges.

Exploring the intersections of historical narrative and design practice, it examines how history is constructed, represented, and mediated through design, and how the discipline of design itself is shaped by its evolving historiography.

The symposium will serve as the starting point for a Design History Network at UAL, bringing together researchers from across the university. It also lays the foundation for a welcoming research community in design history, with potential for ongoing events, collaboration, publications, and curriculum development.

If you have any questions or would like to be involved in future activities, please get in touch with the convenors:

Rujana Rebernjak
r.rebernjak@lcc.arts.ac.ukTai Cossich
t.cossich@lcc.arts.ac.uk
Please also sign up for the UAL Design Histories Newsletter




    Judy Willcocks
    Art and Design Teaching Practice in Design History


    This presentation will explore the impact of art and design teaching practice on students and their creative and production processes. Using a specific case study addressing archives relating to the Central School of Arts and Crafts, the presentation will summarise some of the concepts of Basic Design, a movement introduced to the Central School by William Johnstone, who was Head of the School from 1947 - 1960. Basic Design principals were rooted in the German Bauhaus and focused the student’s attention on the manipulation and understanding of materials. Proponents of Basic Design would abandon figuration in favour of colour, form, geometry and abstract shapes. I will trace the impact of this shift, which can be seen on both staff and students at the Central, through images of their output, from theatre design to woven textiles. Ultimately, the presentation will argue for more attention to be paid to the impact of design pedagogies on design histories. 



    — Judy Willcocks


    Judy Willcocks runs the CSM Museum & Study Collection and, as such, Judy is keeper of the history of CSM and it's constituent colleges, the Central School of Arts and Crafts and St Martins School of Art. Judy is currently undertaking a PhD by Publication titled Object-based Learning and Art and Design Pedagogy: defining the field. Judy uses designed objects to communicate design histories and design processes and practices in a learning and teaching context. Through working with these collections Judy has a wide ranging knowledge of 20th century designers from typographers and print makers to product and jewellery designers. Judy also manages contemporary collecting practices at CSM with a keen eye on diversification and decolonisation and work with various advisory panels to ensure we are collecting contemporary designed works that reflects who we are as a rich community at CSM.