Design in Industry
THE problem of how to make industry pay is becoming an acute one in these times, and anything which is likely or even possible to make salesmanship an easier task or to add to the inherent attractiveness of any object must necessarily be a matter of the keenest interest to the manufacturer. This being so, it is a little difficult to understand why they have not explored the most obvious and hopeful avenue of development—that of design as applied to industry. The scientific inventions of modern times, wireless, talkies, films generally, have brought within the reach of everybody things which otherwise they would probably never have come across, foreign countries, architecture, scenery, fashion, new ideas and suggestions which undoubtedly stimulate the mental appetite, jaded and discouraged by the sordid surroundings which are the environment of nine-tenths of at least our city populations.
All these " new " sights and ideas are likely to cause a mental craving for more. Also, I should like to suggest, a distaste for the familiar, the obvious, the hackneyed. Accustomed as we British are to " put up " with all sorts of difficulties and disabilities, no immediate action is forthcoming from this mental condition, but this is not to say that it has not a very real effect on things and events. It is a mass psychological position of which manufacturers should take immediate advantage. Granted that the purchasing power of the masses is small individu, ally—the whole combined makes a formidable eon, sideration, and in deciding that the old designs, the familiar shapes, degraded though they may be from decades of commercialism, arc good enough for the people, the manufacturers of household necessities arc making a serious mistake.
This is where the question of buyers enters the problem. The large distributing houses have a great influence on the standard of manufactured goods ; their buyers set the pace for the little stores and largely control the taste of the purchaser, since very few housewives will make the strenuous effort to obtain things which are not stocked by shops of the comprehensive character of Selfridges or Harrods.
But unfortunately, these buyers are, for the most part, persons of very little discrimination and no general culture. " Brought up in the Trade," they take no interest in other developments of industry or, anyhow, do not relate it to their own branch, and therefore remain unaware that progress is being made in certain directions which might, if they knew, be of immense importance to their own products. Narrowness of outlook and lack of imaginative enterprise may characterize our manufac- turers, but there is no doubt that a good deal of blame attaches to the buyers of our large stores for failing to demand a higher standard of design in the goods and, more important still, more frequent change and develop- ment along modern lines of thought and feeling. That this makes for fresh stimulus to trade and attractiveness of goods is proved conclusively by the experience of the Continental manufacturers who are, in increasing num- bers, engaging skilled artists, architects, and designers, with the most satisfactory results in sales and publicity. Anyone who visits the great Exhibitions of Paris and Leipzig, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Brussels cannot fail to be struck by the far greater vitality and interest of the wares displayed, not only due to the brilliant win- dow-dressing of the exhibitions, but also to their designs having a cleanness, strength and originality which are not characteristic of ours. If these qualities were accom- panied by higher prices, there would be some excuse for the general disapproval which is feigned (for I cannot believe it is sincere) by our English manufacturers, but this is not so. In almost every instance the prices are lower than ours, and the exceptions are some luxury lines of extreme fashion.
It pays importers to sell foreign goods, for the most part, even after paying the duty now imposed.
Now, accepting for the moment the claim that the standard of design and general attractiveness of Contin- ental products is higher than ours, to what is this due ? Are we going to sit down under the imputation of being " less artistic " as a nation, and leave it at that ? Let us examine a little the Continental conditions and see What we can derive from that. In two countries, Sweden and Germany, the organization which in England is called the Design and Industries Association is supported by the State. This means that it has become a matter of course instead of an exception, to engage trained designers from the Art Schools, or even artists who have made their reputation already ; that it is a recognised principle that art is as much a part of industry as finance, and equally important ; that, as Sir Lawrence Weaver said, " the artist should be consulted from the very inception of any act of manufacture whatsoever"; that it is the opinion of economic experts that Art is of the greatest financial value to Industry. Economists, mind you, not Principals of Art Schools, are convinced of this.
" Quality is not enough" should be the " slogan " of the next Trade Exhibition. It is certain that very little besides quality is characteristic of present-day British household goods—with the few noble exceptions which can be counted on the fingers of one hand. This was particularly evident at the latest entirely British Trade Exhibition, the British Industries Fair, at Olympia. The average middle-class householder, with a memory of the beauties seen at Heal's, and other modernist stores, goes to the Exhibition hoping to find all his requirements brought up to date in design, and perhaps with a vague hope that " by this time " they may have conic down a little in price. Alas ! he is unable to find most of the things he has so admired, and on inquiry is told with a pitying smile, " Of course, that is made abroad." The sad fact is that most of our large stores import nearly all their specially attractive material from the Continent and, thus alloyed, much of the dull, uninteresting home-manufactured goods passes will I criticism, and the glorious fresh-created work which conies from the Continent passes as part of the saint) output. This will not always wash, this method ()I' " putting it over," and is characteristic of the bluff with Which English salesmen try to make good their lack of knowledge and discrimination.
In the reorganization of industries through the Eco- nomic Council, it might be hoped that this new method of adding to the publicity and attractiveness of manufac- tured goods by employing known artists will be given a trial. The Underground Railways have employed Mr. Epstein to ornament a fine building. Why should not Mr. Roger Fry be asked to become the Organizer of a small permanent Industrial Art Exhibition ? To form a Council or Board of Censorship of Design, consisting of artists, manufacturers, retailers, who would combine all their energies for the benefit of industry, would seem a natural thing to do. On the Continent the manufacturers have found it well worth trying. Must England always
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