Institute of Design (ID) at the
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
(Illinois Tech), founded as the New Bauhaus, is a graduate school teaching systemic, human-centered design.
History
The Institute of Design at Illinois Tech is a school of design founded in 1937 in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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by
László Moholy-Nagy
László Moholy-Nagy (; ; born László Weisz; July 20, 1895 – November 24, 1946) was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as a professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism and a strong advocate of the i ...
, a
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
teacher (1923–1928).
After a spell in London, Bauhaus master Moholy-Nagy, at the invitation of Chicago's Association of Art and Industry, moved to Chicago in 1937 to start a new design school, which he named the
New Bauhaus
Institute of Design (ID) at the Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), founded as the New Bauhaus, is a graduate school teaching systemic, human-centered design.
History
The Institute of Design at Illinois Tech is a school of design ...
. The philosophy of the school was basically unchanged from that of the original, and its first headquarters was the Prairie Avenue mansion that architect
Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt (October 31, 1827 – July 31, 1895) was an American architect of the nineteenth century and an eminent figure in the history of American architecture. He helped shape New York City with his designs for the 1902 entrance fa ...
, designed for department store magnate
Marshall Field
Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of quality and customer ...
.
Due to financial problems the school briefly closed in 1938. However, Walter Paepcke, Chairman of the
Container Corporation of America
Container Corporation of America (CCA) was founded in 1926 and manufactured corrugated boxes. In 1968 CCA merged with Montgomery Ward & Company, Inc., becoming MARCOR. MARCOR maintained separate management for the operations of each company, but ...
and an early champion of industrial design in America, soon offered his personal support, and in 1939, Moholy-Nagy re-opened the school as the Chicago School of Design. In 1944, this became the Institute of Design, and in 1949 it became part of the new
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
university system and also the first institution in the United States to offer a PhD in design.
Moholy authored an account of his efforts to develop the curriculum of the School of Design in his book ''Vision in Motion''.
Archival materials are held by the
Ryerson & Burnham Libraries
The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries are the art and architecture research collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The libraries cover all periods with extensive holdings in the areas of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century architecture and 19th-century ...
at the
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
. The Institute of Design Collection includes articles, letters, photographs, and other materials documenting the institute's history and works by faculty and students. Select archival film materials are held at
Chicago Film Archives
Chicago Film Archives (CFA) is a regional moving image archive located in Chicago, Illinois. CFA is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying, collecting, preserving and providing access to films that reflect Chicago and the M ...
, who store and provide access to a handful of Institute of Design films.
Educational programs
The Institute of Design offers two professional degrees, the Master of Design (MDes) and the Master of Design Methods (MDM), as well as a research degree, the PhD, which was the first doctoral program in design in the United States, a MDes/MPA program, and a dual MDes/MBA degree program, also the first of its kind, with th
IIT Stuart School of Business
At one time, the Institute of Design offered a Bachelor of Science in Design degree, with specialties in Photography, Product Design and Communication Design. The Bachelor's program was halted in 1998.
Conferences
The Institute of Design annually organizes two large design conferences in the Chicago area: The Strategy Conference for international executives and designers who come together to address how businesses can use design to explore emerging opportunities, and the Design Research Conference, organized by students, exploring emerging trends in design research.
Directors
*1937–1945,
László Moholy-Nagy
László Moholy-Nagy (; ; born László Weisz; July 20, 1895 – November 24, 1946) was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as a professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism and a strong advocate of the i ...
*1946–1951,
Serge Chermayeff
Serge Ivan Chermayeff (born Sergei Ivanovich Issakovich; russian: link=no, Сергей Ива́нович Иссако́вич; 8 October 1900 – 8 May 1996) was a Russian-born British architect, industrial designer, writer, and co-founder of ...
*1951–1955, Crombie Taylor (acting)
*1955–1969,
Jay Doblin
Jay Doblin (December 10, 1920 – May 11, 1989) was an American industrial designer and educator, best known for his contribution to the field of design in particular his work related to systems thinking, design methods and design theory in general ...
*1969–1974, James S. Montague (acting)
*1974–1982, various
*1982–1986, Dale Fahnstrom
*1986–2017, Patrick Whitney
*2017–2022, Denis Weil
Prominent former faculty
*
George Anselevicius
George Anselevicius (June 5, 1923 – October 2, 2008) was a Lithuanian-born American architect.
A native of Lithuania born in 1923, Anselevicius moved to England in 1938 to further his education. Anselevicius completed his degree at the School ...
(1949–1952)
*
Alexander Archipenko
Alexander Porfyrovych Archipenko (also referred to as Olexandr, Oleksandr, or Aleksandr; uk, Олександр Порфирович Архипенко, Romanized: Olexandr Porfyrovych Arkhypenko; February 25, 1964) was a Ukrainian and American ...
*
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
*
Harry Callahan, Photography (1947–1961)
*
Jay Doblin
Jay Doblin (December 10, 1920 – May 11, 1989) was an American industrial designer and educator, best known for his contribution to the field of design in particular his work related to systems thinking, design methods and design theory in general ...
, Director (1954–1968)
*
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster Fuller (; July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, writer, designer, inventor, philosopher, and futurist. He styled his name as R. Buckminster Fuller in his writings, publishing more t ...
*
Michael Higgins, Head of Visual Design
*
George Fred Keck
George Frederick Keck (1895-1980) was an American modernist architect based in Chicago, Illinois. He was later assisted in his practice by his brother William Keck to form the firm of Keck & Keck.
Biography
Keck was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, ...
*
György Kepes
György Kepes ɟøɾɟ ˈkɛpɛʃ(October 4, 1906 – December 29, 2001) was a Hungarian-born painter, photographer, designer, educator, and art theorist. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1937, he taught design at the New Bauhaus (later the Sc ...
*
Michael McCoy
Michael McCoy (born September 16, 1944, in Eaton Rapids, Michigan) is an American industrial designer and educator who has made significant contributions to American design and design education in the latter half of the 20th century. McCoy is b ...
and
Katherine McCoy
Katherine McCoy (born October 12, 1945) is an American graphic designer and educator, best known for her work as the co-chair of the graduate Design program for Cranbrook Academy of Art.
During her extensive career spanning education and prof ...
(1995–2003)
*
Sharon Poggenpohl Sharon Helmer Poggenpohl is a design scholar and educator. She was the editor and publisher of the interdisciplinary journal ''Visible Language''.
Education and career
Poggenpohl obtained an MS from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in ...
Professor and coordinator the PhD program (1987-2013)
*
Ralph Rapson
Ralph Rapson (September 13, 1914 – March 29, 2008) was Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota for 30 years. He was one of the world's oldest practicing architects at his death at age 93, and also one of the most ...
(1942–1946)
*
Arthur Siegel, Photography (1946–1949 and 1967–1977)
*
Aaron Siskind, Photography (1951–1971)
*
Robert Bruce Tague
Robert Bruce Tague (1910/1911–1984) was an American modernist architect and abstract artist who lived in Chicago, Illinois.
Education and military service
Tague studied architecture at the Armour Institute of Technology, receiving a Bache ...
, Architecture
*
Konrad Wachsmann
Konrad Wachsmann (May 16, 1901 in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany – November 25, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) was a German modernist architect. He is notable for his contribution to the mass production of building components.
Originally appre ...
, Advanced Building Research (Director) (1950-1964)
*
Hugo Weber (1949- 1955)
*
Massimo Vignelli
Massimo Vignelli (; January 10, 1931 – May 27, 2014) was an Italian designer who worked in a number of areas including packaging, houseware, furniture, public signage, and showroom design. He was the co-founder of Vignelli Associates, with his ...
(1958–1960)
Former names and locations
New Bauhaus - American School of Design
*1938: 1905 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago
The School of Design in Chicago
*1939–1945: 247 E. Ontario Street, Chicago
The Institute of Design
*1945–1946: 1009 N. State Street, Chicago
*1946–1956: 632 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago (now Castle nightclub)
*1956–1989:
S.R. Crown Hall
S. R. Crown Hall, designed by the German-American Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is the home of the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois.
History
Before the building of Crown Hall, t ...
IIT campus on South State Street
*1989–1996: 10 West 35th Street (ITRI on IIT campus)
*1996–2016: 350 N. LaSalle Blvd, Chicago
*2016-2018: 565 W. Adams St, Chicago
*2018–Present: Kaplan Institute, 3137 S Federal St., Chicago
Prominent alumni
*
Robert Brownjohn
Robert Brownjohn (August 8, 1925 – August 1, 1970) was an American graphic designer known for blending formal graphic design concepts with wit and 1960s pop culture. He is best known for his motion picture title sequences, especially '' From R ...
, artist and graphic designer
*
Ivan Chermayeff
Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv (formerly Brownjohn, Chermayeff & Geismar and Chermayeff & Geismar) is a New York City, New York-based Branding agency, branding and graphic design firm. It is currently led by partners Tom Geismar and Sagi Haviv.
...
, Principal of
Chermayeff & Geismar
Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv (formerly Brownjohn, Chermayeff & Geismar and Chermayeff & Geismar) is a New York-based branding and graphic design firm. It is currently led by partners Tom Geismar and Sagi Haviv.
About
It was founded in 1957 ...
, son of former Institute of Design director
Serge Chermayeff
Serge Ivan Chermayeff (born Sergei Ivanovich Issakovich; russian: link=no, Сергей Ива́нович Иссако́вич; 8 October 1900 – 8 May 1996) was a Russian-born British architect, industrial designer, writer, and co-founder of ...
and designer of the
Chase Manhattan Bank
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase Bank or often as Chase, is an American national bank headquartered in New York City, that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the U.S. multinational banking and fina ...
logo among other achievements
*
Burton Kramer, graphic designer, artist, A.G.I., Order of Ontario, D.Des (Hon) O.C.A.D.U.
*
June Leaf
June Leaf (born 1929) is an American artist known for her abstract allegorical paintings and drawings; she also works in modernist kinetic sculpture. She is based in New York City and Mabou, Nova Scotia.
Biography
June Leaf was born in 1929 ...
, (attended 1947-1948, M.A. Art Education in 1954) painter, sculptor
*
Estes W. Mann
Estes Wilson Mann Sr. (September 14, 1894 – February 13, 1958) was an American architect based in Memphis, Tennessee. Several buildings he designed are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mann was originally from Marianna, Arka ...
(Armour Institute), Memphis based architect who produced numerous NRHP listed residences
*
Ray Metzker
Ray K. Metzker (September 10, 1931 – October 9, 2014) was an American photographer known chiefly for his bold, experimental B&W cityscapes and for his large "composites", assemblages of printed film strips and single frames. His work is held in ...
, photographer
*
Richard Nickel, photographer and
architectural preservationist
*
Louis Sauer
Louis Edward Sauer (born 1928) is a Americans, North American architect and design theorist of dual American and Canadian nationality. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Sauer worked with housing developers to produce low-rise high-density housing p ...
(attended 1949 to 1953), architect
*
Art Sinsabaugh
Art Sinsabaugh (1924-1983) was an American photographer.
Biography
Sinsabaugh was born in 1924 in Irvington, New Jersey. From 1949 to 1959 he worked part-time as an instructor at IIT Institute of Design. Sinsabaugh was an assistant professor at th ...
, (B.A. 1949, M.S. 1967) American photographer; founded and led the photography/cinematography department, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1959–83; founding member, Society for Photographic Education
*
Roger Sweet
Roger Sweet is an American designer. He grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and the Institute of Design in Chicago, Illinois. He served as a lead designer at Mattel throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s a ...
(MS 1960), Toy inventor and creator of
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the sword and planet ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by h ...
from Mattel
*
Madeline Tourtelot
Madeline Tourtelot (21 November 1915 – 26 May 2002 ) was an American filmmaker based out of the Chicago metropolitan area. Known for her avant-garde filmmaking style and interest in musical subjects, Tourtelot was a prominent female figure in t ...
, artist, founder of the Peninsula School of Art
*
John Henry Waddell, sculptor
*
Claire Zeisler
Claire Zeisler (April 18, 1903 – September 30, 1991) was an American fiber artist who expanded the expressive qualities of knotted and braided threads, pioneering large-scale freestanding sculptures in this medium. Throughout her career Zeisler ...
, fiber artist
See also
*
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
School of Architecture
*
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd ...
*The New Bauhaus, a documentary film about
László Moholy-Nagy
László Moholy-Nagy (; ; born László Weisz; July 20, 1895 – November 24, 1946) was a Hungarian painter and photographer as well as a professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism and a strong advocate of the i ...
, directed by
Alysa Nahmias (2019).
References
External links
Institute of Design web siteInstitute of Design's biweekly student newsletter, the New IdiomIIT's Galvin Library Institute of Design exhibitChicago New Bauhaus School Alumnis[sic]
{{authority control
Illinois Institute of Technology
Design schools in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1937
1937 establishments in Illinois