Design Association Has Public Meeting

Press, Volume C, Issue 29499, 28 April 1961, Page 15

Design Association Has Public Meeting

The Design Association of New Zealand coultf be of great service to the country by acting as a link between designers and manufacturers and by holding exhibitions that would demonstrate to the public the value of good design and workmanship to the art of living, said Mr F. A Shurrock at the association's first public meeting last evening.

Mr Shurrock was one of three speakers who gave their vietws on industrial design to the meeting Which was attended by about 60 persons. “To be realistic in society today we must raise the quality of our daily lives and this can only be done through good design," said Mr Shurrock. who said he thought schools of design could be of much more direct use to the country by providing competent designers for industry and manufacturers and so contribute to the daily welfare of the citizens of the Dominion.

“Mistaken Concept” The founder and secretary of the association (Mr R. Lascelles) said there was a mistaken concept abroad in New Zealand that designers were unnecessary. The manager of a factory was quite prepared to just “give it a go” with a

new product, he said. Since 1938 the percentage of the national income of the Dominion derived from manufacturing had risen from" 22.6 per cent, to 30.6 per cent, and all the signs indicated that it had not yet stopped, he said. “The supreme test of manufacturing lies in export, from a stable economy, of articles that can compete in design, quality and price with any in the world's markets and we believe that good design will be a major contributing factor to this end within a few years,” said Mr Lascelles. Speaking of the value that exhibitions of industrial design had on the public, Mr Lascelles said that in London, as a result of having their articles exhibited at the Design Centre, certain manufacturers. had increased their average sales by 700 per cent., and to date in some cases it was even 1100 per cent. This year in the Durham Street Art Gallery the association would hold a gallery exhibition “of limited duration and modest dimensions.” which if successful would be built up to larger things over the years, said Mr Lascelles. “Little Range” Mr M. Warren, an architect, said that often in furnishing a new home there was very little range of selection on the market. Such items as wash basins, door handles, carpets, and even wallpaper were all very much of the same design as they were in the 1930‘5, he said. He suggested there was a great room for improvement in these fields.

The chairman (Mr Paul Pascoe). when he opened the meeting, said that throughout history the minority groups had been most effective. He said' that although the association was only in its infancy, it could be a great help to the country as it became better established.

When asked how the association intended to raise the money it would evidently need, the treasurer replied that so far it had been financed out of the subscriptions from foundation members and a few generous firms which had assisted. An approach had been made to the “appropriate” Government department for financial support, and the association was hopeful that assistance would be forthcoming in the near future.