Design and Industries Association
Encyclopedia
The Design and Industries Association is a United Kingdom
charity
whose object is to engage with all those who share a common interest in the contribution that design can make to the delivery of goods and services that are sustainable and enhance the quality of life for communities and the individual."
(that had originated with William Morris
and others in Britain in the late 19th century) and had successfully moved these into the age of mass, mechanised, production. The German Deutscher Werkbund
organisation's Cologne exhibition, held before the outbreak of war in 1914, had been visited by many of those designers, architects, retailers and industrialists who were later to found the Design and Industries Association.
In March 1915 an exhibition of German manufactures was held at Goldsmiths' Hall in London. Shortly afterwards a meeting under the chairmanship of Lord Aberconway
led to the foundation of the Design and Industries Association (DIA), with the express intention of raising the standard of British industrial design, under the slogan of "Fitness for Purpose".
DIA promoted its ideals through lectures, journals and exhibitions. Exhibitions included:
The journals published varied through the period and included:
In its early years there was considerable tension between the attachment of some members to the principals of the Arts and Crafts movement
and the desire to promote the clearly 20th century outlook of the Modern Movement.
Having been heavily involved with the British government's Utility Scheme
in the Second World War, DIA had campaigned for the greater involvement of government in the promotion of good design. Ironically, DIA itself was to be somewhat eclipsed by the foundation of the government funded Council for Industrial Design, now the Design Council
, in 1944.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
charity
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
whose object is to engage with all those who share a common interest in the contribution that design can make to the delivery of goods and services that are sustainable and enhance the quality of life for communities and the individual."
20th century
Shortly before the Great War there was a growing awareness, among British designers, of the extent to which German industrial design had taken the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
(that had originated with William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
and others in Britain in the late 19th century) and had successfully moved these into the age of mass, mechanised, production. The German Deutscher Werkbund
Deutscher Werkbund
The Deutscher Werkbund was a German association of artists, architects, designers, and industrialists. The Werkbund was to become an important event in the development of modern architecture and industrial design, particularly in the later creation of the Bauhaus school of design...
organisation's Cologne exhibition, held before the outbreak of war in 1914, had been visited by many of those designers, architects, retailers and industrialists who were later to found the Design and Industries Association.
In March 1915 an exhibition of German manufactures was held at Goldsmiths' Hall in London. Shortly afterwards a meeting under the chairmanship of Lord Aberconway
Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway
Henry Duncan McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway CBE was a British politician, horticulturalist and industrialist. He was the son of Charles McLaren, 1st Baron Aberconway and Laura Pochin.- Education :...
led to the foundation of the Design and Industries Association (DIA), with the express intention of raising the standard of British industrial design, under the slogan of "Fitness for Purpose".
DIA promoted its ideals through lectures, journals and exhibitions. Exhibitions included:
- 1920 Household Things - Whitechapel Gallery, London
- 1942 - 1945 Design Round The Clock - travelling
- 1953 Register your Choice - Charing Cross Underground Station
The journals published varied through the period and included:
- 1932 Design In Industry
- 1933 - 1935 Design for Today
- 1936 Trends in Everyday Life
In its early years there was considerable tension between the attachment of some members to the principals of the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
and the desire to promote the clearly 20th century outlook of the Modern Movement.
Having been heavily involved with the British government's Utility Scheme
Utility furniture
Utility furniture refers to furniture produced in the United Kingdom during and just after World War II, under a Government scheme which was designed to cope with shortages of raw materials and rationing of consumption...
in the Second World War, DIA had campaigned for the greater involvement of government in the promotion of good design. Ironically, DIA itself was to be somewhat eclipsed by the foundation of the government funded Council for Industrial Design, now the Design Council
Design Council
The Design Council is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body incorporated by Royal Charter and registered as a charity.Registered charity number 272099.- In the beginning :The Design Council started in 1944 as the Council of Industrial Design...
, in 1944.
DIA Today
Despite the predominance of the Design Council in the latter half of the 20th century, DIA continues its work today as an independent body, organising competitions, events and offering bursaries.Membership
DIA office bearers and members have included some of the most notable 20th century British designers and manufacturers:- Lord AberconwayHenry McLaren, 2nd Baron AberconwayHenry Duncan McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway CBE was a British politician, horticulturalist and industrialist. He was the son of Charles McLaren, 1st Baron Aberconway and Laura Pochin.- Education :...
- Wenman Joseph Bassett-LowkeWenman Joseph Bassett-LowkeWenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke was the son of Joseph Tom Lowke, a Northampton boilermaker and his wife, Eliza, and is noted for having founded the firm of Bassett-Lowke which specialised in producing construction sets, and model railways, boats and ships...
- Cecil Brewer
- Noel CarringtonNoel CarringtonNoel Carrington was an English book designer, editor and publisher. He was the originator of Puffin Books. His sister was the artist Dora Carrington. He was the author of books on design and on recreation and also worked for Oxford University Press and Penguin Books...
- Serge Ivan Chermayeff
- Harold Curwen
- Nanna DitzelNanna DitzelNanna Ditzel was a Danish furniture designer.She studied at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen graduating in 1946. Her works include cabinet-making, jewellery, tableware and textiles...
- Ambrose HealAmbrose HealSir Ambrose Heal was an English furniture designer, and businessman in the first half of the 20th century....
- Charles HoldenCharles HoldenCharles Henry Holden, Litt. D., FRIBA, MRTPI, RDI was a Bolton-born English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, for Bristol Central Library, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadway and for the...
- Minnie McLeish
- Harry Peach
- Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus PevsnerSir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
- Frank PickFrank PickFrank Pick LLB Hon. RIBA was a British transport administrator. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1902, he worked at the North Eastern Railway, before moving to the Underground Electric Railways Company of London in 1906...
- Jack Prichard
- Sir (Sydney) Gordon RussellSydney Gordon RussellSir Gordon Russell was an English designer, craftsman and educationist.He came under the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement from 1904 after his father had moved to Broadway in the Cotswolds to be hotelier at the Lygon Arms, through the Guild of Handicraft, the community of metalworkers,...
- George Wilson-Crowe
- Sir Lawrence Weaver