Through lectures, documentaries, readings, tutorial debates and critical writing, students will debate and personally reflect on these paradoxes, in their own disciplines and the wider historical and contemporary designed world. It is anticipated that these decisions will have relevance and will advance students? theoretical perspective in their simultaneous studio practice.Lecture series will include : the history of consumer culture, historical and contemporary design and consumer meaning, the fashion system and inherent obsolescence, design and communication, design and protest, design and sustainability and critical design writing. The module will include a lecture series, a relevant documentary series, indicative readings and tutorial debates.The module will explore ways in which ideas and opinions on the conflicting relationships between consumerism and design can be expressed, through personally reflective and critically objective essay writing and presentation assignments within the module. The module will include group presentations, individually written essays and peer assessment.