contemporary design

History has always organized art and design into periods, from Industrial to Modernist, Constructivism to Deconstructivism to Post- Modern. But where are we now? What is contemporary design?

The Designetwork posed this question to many designers at a recent conference held in Washington DC. We focused on four renowned designers, Pat Taylor, Burkey Belser, Ken Garland and Beth Singer, and discussed their views on contemporary design, history's role and where we might be headed in the future. TDN conducted individual interviews, however, they are presented here by topic area for a greater opportunity to compare responses.

Pat Taylor is owner of Pat Taylor Inc. and a professor at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Information Designer, Burkey Belser is responsible for the nutrition labels on over 6 billion domestic products reviewed daily. Ken Garland is a designer and writer from Great Britain and Beth Singer owns Beth Singer Design in Arlington, VA.