The Missing Technician in Industrial Production
John Gloag on Industrial Design Series

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.

Introduction Charles Tennyson 1. Why Missing? 2. Industrial Design as a Technical Operation 3. Design Research Committees 4. Design Research Committees in Operation 5. Costs, Royalties and Patent Rights 6. Selecting Designers 7. Examples of Work by Design Committees 8. The Effect of New Materials on Design 9. Old Materials with New Properties 10. National Character in Industrial Design.