ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that by contrast with art, design holds a unique position between theory and practice; forever on the liminal threshold, yet always in these two dimensions simultaneously. We start with understanding the essence of these two concepts, explore the historical shifts of the great “humanistic project” and consider the structure of design as a part of higher education as a practice-based and vocational discipline. The unique ethical responsibility of design as a discipline is highlighted as well as its problematic roots in capitalist ideology and its basis in commerce and consumption. We conclude with contemporary perceptions of design as research and current understandings of design through and with research.
