The first assertion in the Introduction was that the designer has a key part to play in creation of wealth by manufacturing industry. A little more exploration of this theme seems justified to deal with the role of the design function and of the designer personally in industries which create goods from lower orders of materials supply. Various parts of this chapter will review how industry in turn sees the way in which design can serve its needs, and will focus on those specific contributions which the design office and the designer himself can make, provided that sufficient support facilities are offered to him. The chapter is rounded off in moving towards the central theme of this book by reviewing those aspects of design which are specifically important when selecting materials.

The role of design in product manufacturing

The prime purpose of design in industry is to maximise the value which purchasers of manufactured goods are likely to place on the finished product. Naturally, enhancement of this value is what manufacturing activity is primarily concerned with in a capitalist system. Industrial design recognises well-established customer preferences in the market place, often defined in terms of colour, texture, shape, safety features, and physical proportions, as well as less tangible manifestations of ‘joy of ownership’, such as reduction or elimination of dirt, heat, smell or noise, which might distinguish the product from competing or earlier offerings of the same kind.