Utilising resources: Product design in 1940s Britain

This lecture was only one of the many fruitful outcomes of the invaluable time I spent with Pli Design earlier this year. It is about the 'Utility Scheme's; legislations that put design, manufacturing and trade of certain products under the strict control of the British government during and just after World War II. (You may click here to read a review on this lecture, by Christopher Pett from Pli)

It was first delivered on 18 June 2008, in Rich Mix venue London, during 'Green and Thrifty' event hosted by London Remade as part of the 'Love London' festival. Now this lecture is here for everyone to enjoy. Any thoughts and comments are welcome.

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Green dictatorship

It was exactly a week ago today that I was trying to make a point at London Remade's 'Green and Thrifty' seminar, about a political-economic pendulum swinging back and forth between two polar opposites: A no-holds-barred free market; and total state intervention. Trying to derive a lesson from the Utility Scheme, one of my main arguements was that no matter how benign the intentions of an authoritarian action are, history shows us that the public never fully abides by what has been put forward as mandatory. It is very interesting to see that this argument can in fact strike a chord in today's current affairs.

A recent piece of news talks about a decision by the German civic authorities to make solar panels mandatory in the town of Marburg. This legislation sets a rule for "every new house or those whose roofs or heating systems are being renovated to install solar panels".

Looks like killing two birds with one stone: Battling climate change and surviving at a time when energy prices are soaring. Nothing wrong up to this point? Don't be so quick to judge.


Just like its predecessors from history has shown us, this legislation too, has not been greeted with a warm welcome by some townspeople, if not many.

"We are facing a green dictatorship but nobody dares to say anything," said opposition politican Hermann Uchtmann.

"It's not by force that one gets people to comply," said Haus und Grund, an association of property owners.

In the talk about the Utility Scheme, I was calling such government intervention paternalistic, very similar to the initiative a father would take for his children, with positive intentions but without asking their opinion. (pater=father)

An important question arises from this metaphor: As the children of Mother Earth, can we save our mother—and, of course, ourselves—on our own? Or will we have to wait for our father to take control and abide by what he thinks is best?

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A world under bombardment

While Londoners were fleeing the city during the long Easter weekend, this was actually a good time for a foreigner like me to check out what’s hot in the capital’s museums. Victoria and Albert was, of course, in the top of my list. This was where I happened to see two pieces of furniture that belonged to a period which I think is very much worth looking furhter into—a period that witnessed a movement called the Utility Furniture Scheme.

Starting in the UK, during the harsh conditions of mid-WWII and lasting for a decade, this scheme was basically a reaction to the material shortages (specifically timber) experienced in furniture production. The main objective was to bring about a more responsible approach to furniture design, so that scarce available resources were used in a sensible way. The reach of its precautions went as far as restricting furniture purchase only to newly-weds and people who had been bombed out.

As arid as this period of British design history might seem to be, I think there lays an inspirational experience for us designers of the 21st century. As the designers of a nation under heavy bombardment and siege—therefore extremely severe conditions—how would you design and develop products that will not bring further destruction to the resources of your country, and which are still beautiful, durable and functional? (Here, I think the designs being beautiful is exceptionally important, since this will help people hold on to life).

Frankly, it is not so difficult to make a comparison between that period of recent history and today. As nonsense as it would be to impose the oppressive restrictions of that time, it is fair to request from today’s designers to ask themselves this question while doing their job: Does the world need a table, a chair, etc. made of “x material”?

And some further questions arise:
Do we have to wait for wartime conditions to act?
If wartime is what urgently requires the sensible and responsible usage of resources of a nation then, in terms of resource usage, are we not in wartime?

Just think of the whole world as a single nation.

Link to the Wikipedia article about the Utility Furniture Scheme

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