Epilogue

Abstract The Epilogue asks what a Renaissance understanding of dessein (informed both by Montaigne’s dessein and by Renaissance theories and practice of sketching and disegno) can bring to our modern understanding of design and the field of design studies, fields which are gaining traction, and require sustained scrutiny, in our increasingly designed world. Drawing out some of the conclusions of the preceding chapters for our reading of the Essais, the Epilogue argues that if dessein can offer fresh insights into the writing of the Essais, the Montaignian essai can also provide a way of ‘essaying’ design. It also reflects on the relationship between literature and design more broadly, situating the arguments of the book against wider debates in the field of literary criticism.