De+Sign = Design thinking or thinking design? A brief overview from the Industrial Revolution to nowadays

The Industrial Revolution (IR) was the most important single development in human history over the past three centuries and since then; it has continued to shape the contemporary world. From its beginning, it has been a global process that resulted from changes happening in global economic relationships that further redefine them, a process that has persisted until today. Industrialization was the primary force in world history in the 19th and 20th centuries, and still powerfully continues to share the 21st century. During the IR, the industrial design (ID) journey began, and today, designers are being called more often to intervene in large and intricate systems of design. This kind of intervention involves the need to understand users and their relationships with each other and their circumstances. At present, the application of a user-centered design process is considered a form of progress because it enables designers to create better products for users by considering the functionality and stylistic characteristics of the products concerning people’s physical and emotional needs. This paper summarizes the history of ID and the consequences of the designer’s figure, offering a broad overview spanning from the IR to today.