Originally published in 1944, The Missing Technician shows how Industrial Design must begin at the very first stages of planning a product. The procedure of a design research committee is outlined – a type of practical co-ordination of the work of industrial designers and production technicians which proved highly effective. The value of materials like aluminium and plastic are emphasized, but equally the importance of glass and cast iron is stressed, especially when handled in new ways that 20th Century techniques made possible.
Biography
An author of almost sixty books, with topics ranging from interiors to furniture history, from industrial design to the use of plastics, Gloag was a member of an elite design culture that was highly visible throughout the 1930s and 40s.
Reviews of the original edition of The Missing Technician:
‘The book is a reminder of the practical importance of good design in manufacture.’ The Time, Trade and Engineering Supplement
‘The book has left us with the impression that the success of some well-known British and American enterprises is due in no small measure to the employment of industrial designers.’ The Foundry Trades Journal
‘Mr. Gloag’s proposition is that industrial design is…a business operation, and as such can be costed: controlled, and aligned with sales policy, directed to home and foreign markets.’ The Sheffield Telegraph.
