The Research On Design Theory Of Kaogongji

Kaogongji is a important literature about craft technology of Chinese Chunqiu and Zhanguo times. There had already been lots of researches about the book, yet most of them considered it as a classical Confucian material. At the same time, modern scholars especially those who study design history are also keeping high interests in this book, but because of the ignorance of it location, times and identity many research can not get a great progress. As a result, we must pay more attention to discuss the question and make it be our research foundation.There are thousands of difficulties about studying one issue of history because the truth usually is obscured and distorted as the time past. Kaogongji is just the example, it had been distorted and obscured even from the East Han times. Analyzing the previous studies, and then I come to the conclusion that Kaogongji which was directed by theories of Qi legist was the production of social resolution in Qi country of Zhanguo times, and it was embodiment in crafts field of Qi legist policies. Because of the recognition, we can identify the specific historical and social circumstance, and then we have a basement for the study; because design is a practical activity, and have intimate relation with times and society, as a result, the study of design theory can not get progress without the connection to society.This article is made up of 6 parts; the 1^st chapter is introduction, display the situation, the method and purpose about Kaogongji research; the 2^nd chapter is identify the country, the times and the identity from the discussion between Kaogongji and Guanzi; the 3^rd chapter is discuss the system of "law- harmony" in Kaogongji, analysis the difference between "law" and "harmony" principle, the 2 principles work together and one behaves strict and another behaves tolerant, both of the principles are manifest of theories of Qi legist. The "law" is formed by selecting materials with law, producing with law and examining with law, and control the quality of production from the control of process; the 4^th chapter is about the origin of design in Kaogongji, we primary discuss 2 questions: Who created design? And how to design? About the 2 questions, we begin with "saint created thousand of thing", "produced by images", "climate and geography" and "qualified materials and perfect technique", and we will employ the method of interpretation to discuss the origin of design in materials; the 5^th chapter is the object of design in Kaogongji, which is composed 2 parts: function of function, function of moral. These are primary aimed at the differences between weapons and ceremonial utensils, the former aimed at function but the later aimed at social moral. However, they can be concluded into fineness of design; the 6^th chapter is about the scientific methods used in design in Kaogongji, we discuss the use of module, the recognition about tribology and anti-tribology design and the use of Futu, Dangtu in design.From the analysis above, we come to the recognition that Kaogongji was the production of revolution in Qi country. As a result, it primary focused on usability and function, and started the beginning of functional design and developed the tradition that government control craft fields. This functional theory was based on theories of legist, so it emphasized the "law" in material selection, production, and examination without any fail; However, because of the special environment in Qi country, legists in there could not apply their theories completely, so they concinnated many other schools' theories which we can find in Kaogongji. Such as emphasized function in one hand, while insisted ceremony system in other hand; emphasized strict "law" in one hand, while insisted obscure "harmony" in other hand. All of these contributed the origin of Chinese design theory.