8th Conference of the International Committee for Design History and Design Studies

Following many suggestions and requests, we would like to announce that ICDHS 2012 is now accepting paper proposals in the form of abstracts.

All proposals must be submitted through EasyChair submission system by 29 February 2012.

- Abstracts to be submitted should have a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 500 words and be accompanied by least three keywords.

- Abstracts will be blind reviewed by at least 2 members of the Program Committee, that includes ICDHS board members, conference convenors, track chairs and members of the organizing committee.

- Authors of abstracts that are accepted for presentation will be required to provide a full version of the paper containing from 2,000 to 3,000 words through EasyChair submission system, using the guidelines document, already distributed and available in the conference website, as a template.

- Only authors who already submitted abstracts, and whose abstracts have been accepted by the Program Committee, will be able to submit full papers.

- Only authors who have their abstract accepted, provide the full paper version by the deadline, and are registered in the conference by the deadline for author registration will be included in the conference program.

Papers are expected to address one of the conference tracks, and to make an original contribution to the field of design history and design studies.

Official language for submissions is English only.

Papers selected might be indicated to be presented orally or in poster format.

All selected papers will be published in the conference proceedings.

Authors of the best papers will be invited to submit extended versions for publication in a book of selected papers to be published by Editorial Designio.

important dates29 February 2012 - Deadline for paper proposals (abstracts)
02 April 2012 - Notification of acceptance
01 May 2012 - Deadline for full paper version of accepted proposals
15 May 2012 - Announcement of the first version of the program
01 July 2012 - Deadline for author registration
03 September 2012 - Conference opens
conference tracksTrack 1
History of Design Education - This track welcomes historical studies of design education, particularly comparative studies of design education in different countries, cultures, periods, in its relationship with art and technology education.

Track 2
Identities and Territories - In this track we expect participants to contribute with discussions on topics such as micro history, collective identities, gender, internationalization, marginalization, globalization, and other studies that focus on design from the perspective of identity and territorial issues.

Track 3
National Policies on Design - This track invites submissions that study totally or partially state-funded plans and institutions for the promotion of design. Plans and institutions must be studied as signifying practices in both their economic and their cultural dimensions.

Track 4
Techniques and Technologies - Papers submitted to this track may be concerned with various methodologies and different models of process and practice (for example user centered design, codesign or open design); new territories of practice emerging from cross disciplinary or interdisciplinary collaborations; or histories of technique and practice. Papers may also develop discourse around emerging and enabling technologies that have impacted or will impact on the production, reception and consumption of design; or describe different histories of technologies.

Track 5
The New Imperialism: the international face of design and design history - Papers submitted to this track should draw attention to the nature of design practice and history in the wider world, beyond the orthodox mapping of activity in the mainstream industrialized nations of the west, therefore helping to redraw the world map of design activity, history and politics in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Track 6
Open Strand - This track welcomes papers that relate to the general topic of the Conference, but that do not fit the other tracks.