The Research Of Chinese Design Theory Developing After 1980s

At the end of 1970s and the beginning of 1980s, the master line in the development of Chinese designing arts branched out two branches. The one was to inherit and develop the crafts art before 1980's, it attached importance to the traditional culture and the craft experience of China. The other one denied the crafts art before 1980s. It criticized that the crafts art was the representation of handicraft producing in agricultural economy. It established morden design based on the modernization industrial economy pattern. And it learned from the western industrial nations and introduced the modern design to China. This modern design was named industrial design finally. It hoped that the design can impel the development of industrial countries and promote the formation of modern industrial culture. The development of this two branches was the main content of Chinese design art in 1980s. Based on their names, this article calls them crafts art thoughts and industrial design thoughts.The core theory of crafts art is "the creative culture theory", its culture theory is based on native tradion. In his theory, the crafts are its performance, the art is its existenceform. The most core theory of industrial design is "design culture theory", the culture in this theory refers to the unification of culture and technology, it also is the unification of methodology and culture. It has the understanding ability and also has the practicing ability, it mainly is one kind of thought and idea.The crafts art is some kind of big art idea. On the one hand, the design subordinates to art, the goal and concept and theory of design are all give priority to art; and on the other, design is the original point of art, it pursues the most in-depth culture, its subject is "the culture". Just for crafts art is the big art idea, its culture is a wide concept, it pursues the thinking power behind the culture which lead the artificial thing-system, its subject is the thoughts. They all search straightly in respective direction. The crafts art reaches the origin of art, the demiurgic-culture theory is the origin of art and culture,. The industrial design reaches the origin of design, design logic study is the thinking direction of all design activities. In the name of design, crafts art and industrial art are all emphasized on the mordern design idea, they oppose the pure-art idea in design field; their researchment were all took the product as a center, and then expands to the entire design field. They have all established theory frames emphasized on culture, and widely launches the academic research of theory system in the end of 1990s. The common ground has also demonstrated the main characteristics in the development of design art theories in China.We can see the development vein of design theory after 1980's approximately: Design philosophy (culture, essence) - design theory frame - design system (theory content) - special topic. In the design theory development, crafts art and industrial design are the two parallel branches have the different emphasis points on design theory. The main branch of design theory also has two fundamental planes. One is the understanding of design essence and the construction of design system in design philosophy. The other one is the enrichment and the consummation of theory system and discipline frame in design knowledge. The former focused on defining, planning and developing design by the views from philosophy, history and society. The latter focused on explaining, analysing and practising design by the views from concrete categories and the logical demonstration. The subject of 1980s' design theory mainly concentrated on the culture of design, its main function consisted in the initiation of thought. In 1990s, the system of design theory was formed gradually. Many kinds of design conspectus were publiced continuously. And many corresponding series of design were publiced. The main research of theory slowly transformated from thought to knowledge. And the research was the fine, standard and precise construction of knowledge in the frame which was approximately delimited by thought. There were still different understanding in design fundamental research. But the connotation and extension of design concept and their different understanding did not constitute the main content of theory. Under the circumstances of advocating innovation and achievement transforming, how the design theory instruct, be applied into the concrete practice was to be the most important content. Therefore, design psychology, design management and design method which tightly relate to practice become the key topic of theory research. To design, perhaps the artistic inspiration can not be recounted precisely but the quantitative, sequenced and systematized analysis and operation actually can be realized. The realizing process also will be the process of design becoming modern discipline.From 1980s until now, Chinese design had great development and achievement obviously. But comparing with the development of design theory, education and discipline, the development of design practice was slow. Between technology and art, some design types which approach art and do not need technology (and even national industrial system) supports such as post and advertisement developed quicker, but industrial product design which mostly manifest the modern design significance developed slowly. Separated from science, technology and national industrial manufacture system, the so-called innovation do not truly affecting and improving modern life but only just be the scattered greenness idea and the short-lived popular style. It is unable to constitute knowledge system and has not the sustainable development and the long term vitality.The development difficulty of design theory mainly lies in the apartness of theory and practice. On the one hand, design theory is too ideal to instruct design practice. On the other hand, design practice is unable to provide abundant source for theory. On the one hand the development of nowadays design theory mainly manifests in the construction of philosophy principle and scientific principle. On the other hand it mainly manifests in the introduction of overseas mature design idea and method in context of Chinese design practice. These theories are without doubt advanced beyond design practice which develop by weak industrial foundation.The economy pattern which consuming resources, destructing environment and using inexpensive crowded labor force purely for GDP will develop to the terminus. It should inevitably be instead of the new economy pattern which take harmoniousness as whole social goal and be sustainable development. Before achieving this goal, design theory inevitably exceed design practice. And its historic task lies in providing the ideal and the goal for design practice and adjusting the development of it. When manufacturing industry gradually develops with core technology and independent brand and based on it service industry has the vigorous development, there will be the benign interaction not only in design theory, design practice and design education but also in universities, design business and enterprise. Design theory and design practice will mutually promote in the same level. And design practice which be rooted in the life will continuously provide enrich sources for design theory. Design theory will start again by following the unceasing footsteps of the life and the art. And design theory will go forward to explore the unknown boundary.