Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Article for Engineering

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Source: Engineering, May 1982
Editorial comments: Item listed by date of publication.
Importance ranking: Minor
Word count: 906
Themes: Arts & entertainment, Secondary education, Industry

You will have heard me say many times that whatever economic policy the Government pursues, the best hope for creating more jobs is for British firms to be more successful in selling more British goods both at home and abroad. There are many ingredients for success in the market place. But I am convinced that British industry will never compete if it forgets the importance of good design.

By ‘design’ I do not just mean ‘appearance’. I mean all the engineering and industrial design which goes into a product from the idea stage to the production stage, and which is so important in ensuring that it works, that it is reliable, that it is good value, and that it looks good. In short, it is good design which makes people buy products and which gives products a good name. It is essential to the future of our industry.

I am concerned that not enough senior managers in British industry realise this, and because of that I held a seminar on 25 January at 10 Downing Street on ‘Product Design and Market Success’. I hope that the publicity that the seminar attracted has helped to get across the importance of good design to a wider audience because that is a point that needs repeating.

But the seminar was not intended to be just another talking shop or simply a publicity exercise. The aim was to tap the thoughts of successful men and women who are committed to the idea that good design is the cornerstone of successful business. The next step will be to turn those thoughts into action.

I would like to mention the principal themes which emerged from the seminar and the way I think we should move forward.

The first theme—the one affecting all others—was education. At present, design is too often taught in secondary schools as an art subject. It is rarely taught as it should be—as a practical, problem-solving discipline that is ideal for preparing young people for work within the constraints of user needs and the market. Its status as an ‘O’ and ‘A’ level subject is [end p1] dismal. Many employers and higher-education establishments do not recognise it as a qualification. Teachers themselves are often not fully aware of the real scope of the subject. Syllabuses are arranged to give greater merit to ‘pure’ art than to the practical application of design. And we must change the all-too-widespread attitude in this country that academic achievement is more to be admired than industrial achievement.

Several proposals for Government action on these aspects of design education were put to me at the seminar. John Butcher, who has taken over from John Wakeham, at the Department of Industry, is following them up.

But industry too has a share in the responsibility for our present problems. Industry should be saying clearly what skills it needs. Unless educational establishments know these needs they are unlikely to turn out the necessary people. And some designers themselves have contributed to the problem. They have helped to perpetuate the idea that design is solely concerned with aesthetics. They should be working much harder to ensure that the full meaning of design is driven home.

The second principal theme was the need to increase top management's awareness of the importance of good design. Not enough firms recognise that design should be a part of every stage of a company's planning. It can improve productivity and the quality of the product. But it can only do so if top management is committed to the idea.

One suggestion put to me was that, to encourage greater awareness of the benefits of design, the Government should organise seminars and conferences around the country. Another suggestion was that management training in design should be part of all business management education. Both suggestions are being pursued.

There are of course a number of existing schemes which encourage product design. The Department of Industry's Product and Process Development Scheme and Microprocessor Application Project are examples. And the Design Council's Design Advisory Service plays a particularly important role.

Much can be done outside official channels. The profit potential of product design and development is considerable. Designers themselves should be more aggressive in selling themselves to industry as wealth creators. They should also be more ready to get into industry and do what they preach. Some have done so, and very successfully. More should. This will require, perhaps, more of them to understand company management and a module on this subject could well become part of design training.

The third principal theme at the seminar was the influence that major public- and private-sector purchasers could have on the design awareness of their suppliers. Government has already taken one major step here. Revised rules were issued to public-sector purchasers last year stressing that design, reliability and ease of maintenance, all affect total cost over the life of a product.

The Government is also studying the value of voluntary product-approval schemes and the role of standards in encouraging better-designed products. Action on both these fronts could provide public-sector purchasers with catalogues of approved products that meet enhanced quality, reliability and design standards. There would be substantial pressure on manufacturers to improve product standards.

Our future depends on an efficient and competitive manufacturing industry. Design provides us with the means to achieve this, and it is essential that everyone realises that. The task of encouraging a changed attitude to design is not an easy one nor can it be completed quickly. But it is very important. It is a task to which this Government is fully committed.