Product Design in British Manufacturing—New Processes from Old Practices

Abstract

Despite the publicity given nowadays to Britain's troubled economic condition, the roots of the demise of British manufacturing can be traced back to the mid-nineteenth century, a time when Britain reached its peak of industrialization and market dominance. However, complacency, mistrust and a general lack of nerve by Victorian society led the workshop of the world down a path that would lead to ongoing industrial decay and stagnation, reflected in Britain's current poor position in the global market-place. During this decline in industrial status modern design processes emerged within a general approach to manufacturing that was incapable of meeting the market demands that were to grow as the twentieth century progressed. This paper, by taking a backward look at product design from the industrial revolution, will show that salutary lessons can be learned from examining past performance. British manufacturing must profit from that experience if it wants to take its place among the leading industrialized nations of the future.