DESIGN, Building a Global, Interdisciplinary Community

This paper reviews the development of the design research community over the thirty-seven years since the first scientific and professional meeting on “The Science of Design and Computer Aided Design” was held in Zagreb in 1981. It does this in the light of the Zeitgeist of the times, considering the developments broadly in four separate decades. For each decade, observations are made on the Zeitgeist, on the key defining events and characteristics of the era, and then the development at the time of the design research community is considered, exploring how it responded to the Zeitgeist, and picking out some key achievements. Key milestones in the development of that community will be examined, and reflections will include the impacts of different disciplines, theoretical perspectives and cultural influences that have arisen in the development of a worldwide community.