#designhistory: history in the age of the 24hr news cycle

Design history, well, history in general is under interrogation. Technology is dismantling the historic status quo. The popularity of traditional chronological surveys relying on Euro-centric narratives is plummeting, as more inclusive, plural, and idiosyncratic models accelerate. The 24hr news cycle, social media and post-truth constructs diminishes the viability of an absolutist historical narrative as information comes with unyielding intensity and alacrity. When technology saturates us with media, it throws the historical record and questions of relevance off-balance. How do we define a design history in the age of the 24hr news cycle? We can use the very tools that undermine tradition as vehicles to fortify historical relevance. We can re-index design history to reveal commonalities in context and innovation. Indexing design history according to universal patterns that resulted in innovation creates the framework for understanding how ideas spread. This model transcends time and space: we can look backward, laterally and to the future to understand and predict cultural and visual trends based on prevailing archetypes. The value of reimagining historical narratives through a new system of indexing can both endure change and provide a benchmark for understanding visual and conceptual traditions. We can apply that awareness as we navigate the 24hr news cycle — using historical insights to find new ways of archiving our contemporary cultural condition while maintaining a deep connection to our past.