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The xDX Project

The xDX Project is a SSHRC-funded initiative to promote and preserve the unique history of post-war design in Canada by digitally reconstituting the former Design Exchange (DX) collection. The DX was established in 1994 and the collection was initiated in 1996. By acquiring, preserving and showcasing historic examples of design in Canada, the DX collection played a pivotal role in provoking debates about what constituted Canadian design and what role the acquisition and display of the country’s design heritage might have in advancing historical understanding and contemporary design initiatives. In 2019, the DX ceased museum operations and deaccessioned its entire collection. The dismantling of the Design Exchange’s operations and collection represented a critical blow to the collective culture and mission of public education about Canadian material life and culture. Fortunately, several public institutions, such as the Royal Ontario Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, Archives of Ontario, Carleton University and York University were able to acquire these artefacts. The xDX Project, led by York University and Carleton University, was conceived to reconstitute and digitize xDX collection as a resource for documenting the unique history of design in Canada and its importance to Canadian culture, economy and society. The xDX dataset represents the digital reconstitution of Toronto’s Design Exchange (DX) collection and is made up of several archival fonds and more than 600 artefacts designed between 1940 and 2010.

xDX and LINCS​

Coming soon!

Project Leads​

  • Jan Hadlaw, Principal Investigator and Co-Director, York University
  • Michael Windover, Co-Director, Carleton University
  • Aviva Weizman, Project Manager, York University
  • York University, Partner
  • Carleton University, Partner
  • Canadian Museum of History, Partner
  • Archives of Ontario, Partner
  • LINCS, Partner
  • Canadian Heritage Information Network, Partner
  • Royal Ontario Museum, Contributor
  • Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University Libraries, Contributor
  • Audio-Visual Resource Centre, School for Studies in Art and Culture, Carleton University, Contributor

Funders​

Coming soon!

Dataset Details​