PhD Ceremony C. van Middelkoop (AiS), (Re)making design history - a plea for (artistic) research through design education

C. van Middelkoop will defend their doctoral thesis on Monday 17 November 2025.

(Re)making design history

a plea for (artistic) research through design education

Promotores:

• prof. dr. A.S. Lehmann
• prof. dr. A. Sick

The University Library publishes the thesis digitally after the defence ceremony

Abstract:

This dissertation examines the meaning of making within Dutch design education. In the history of design, the focus has often been on final products or on individual designers who, for various reasons, have gained recognition. This study proposes a different perspective: learning environments such as the workshop, the studio, and the classroom are at least equally important. It is there that students not only acquire skills, but also develop new ways of thinking and doing.Through archival research, practice-based artistic research, and case studies from both vocational and higher education, this dissertation demonstrates that making is more than the acquisition and refinement of technique. It is a way of producing knowledge, of asking questions, and of collectively exploring how we relate to the world. Students learn to work with materials and technologies, but are also challenged to think critically about social and cultural issues—and about their own roles and responsibilities within them.The dissertation makes three contributions. It redefines Dutch design history by placing education at its center; it develops a framework for artistic research through design education; and it argues for a pedagogical revaluation of making, not merely as a skill, but as a vital form of inquiry and reflection. In doing so, this research shows that design education can play a crucial role in how we shape—and experience—the future together.