Ikone industrijskega oblikovanja

Povzetek

An icon of industrial design is a product characterized by its usability and good permanent design and that simultaneously functions as a bearer of a cultural meaning. These meanings do not originate from the product itself, or its aesthetics, shape, or function, but are formed in the context of wider social and cultural processes. Stuart Hall’s “Circuit of Culture” concept is a model for explaining the cultural processes that form a product’s meaning. These processes are representation, identity, production, consumption, and regulation. Design discourses—for example, discourse about the design profession and good design discourse—need to be taken into consideration in order to understand some of the icons of industrial design. A product can have a special meaning merely because it is signed by a famous designer or because it is declared to be an example of good design. This is also a reason why an item can be included in a museum collection. This is a framework to research and to understand icons of industrial design, such as the Thonet chair no. 14, Savoy vase, Vespa, Rex chair, Braun SK 4, Juicy Salif, and design artifacts in general.