Design and the Design Museums' Role in Culture and Society - Three Distinguished Case Study as the Exemplars of the Design Museums -

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine design and the design museums' role in culture and society. The primary emphasis will be a relationship between art and design in the twentieth century and to explore why and how design museums have shaped and been shaped by cultural and political knowledge in Europe and America (Anderson & Milbrandt, 2005; Bennett, 1995; Doordan, 1995; Hooper-Greenhill, 1992; Margolin, 2002; Morrison & Twyford, 1994; Woodham, 1997). The research question posed at the start of this study is: What are the best practices of the design museums as seen by selected stakeholders in relation to its: (a) collection strategies, (b) the function of social space, (c) public support and collaboration, and (d) the type of exhibition in culture and society? As a literature review the author investigates how to define design and design museums, history of design museums, and social theories of the design museum as social institutions. The methodological approach to this study is qualitative and uses grounded theory. The Design Museum in London, the Victoria & Albert Museum (National Museum of Art and Design of United Kingdom), the Vitra Design Museum in Germany served as the location for the collection of on-site data. The author conducted observation and in-depth interview for generating results design museums take on added importance when they consider the social and cultural functions they perform. Their goal is better to have exhibitions that expand the design community’s own knowledge and understanding of itself and that also speak to the general public about the role and value of design in their lives. The authors provide useful guidelines that can be applied in the actual execution of a national design museum in Korea for culturally and socially well reflected design organization.