![[Image: Misha Black]](/database/images/display/sb4c49b41731347.jpg)
Sir Misha Black, Past President of Icsid (1959-1961).
27 July 2010
Icsid celebrates Sir Misha Black's contribution to design industry
Montreal (Canada) - In celebration of the 100th birthday of Sir Misha Black (1910-1977), Icsid honours his contribution to the industrial design industry.
Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sir Misha came to England when he was two years old. He began designing posters at the age of 17, having had little formal training in design. In 1928, he designed the stand for the Rio Tinto Company at the Seville Exhibition in Spain. On his return, he gained some formal art training during a few months in Paris.
In 1933, he joined Charles and Henry Bassett and Milner Gray in forming the forerunner of the Industrial Design Partnership in London. Sir Misha Black believed passionately in good design and was an able promoter of its benefits. He was a vocal member of every organisation or committee dealing with design. His interests were wide ranging, extending from work in product design, writing articles on exhibition design among other subjects, to designing the Kardomah cafés in London and Manchester. In 1943, with Milner Gray, they would found the Design Research Unit, one of the first design consultancies in Britain.
Above: Prototype of an electric bicycle displayed at the 'Britain Can Make It' exhibition, 1946.
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, Sir Misha designed the 'Britain can make it' exhibition, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The exhibition was intended to boost morale by promoting the British manufacturing industry that was decimated after the war. Industry was to play a vital part in British post-war reconstruction. Sir Misha included a section called the 'benefits of good design', where he promoted good design as a force for social change.
In 1959, he was appointed as President in Icsid's first biennial Assembly in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time, it became apparent that the meetings were too inbred. Thus it was decided it was to be divided into two parts. Today they are known as the General Assembly, which is restricted to delegates to discuss the policy and administrative affairs of Icsid, and Congress, which would be open to all who wish to attend.
Above: Icsid Executive Board in the 1961 Congress and General Assembly in Venice, Italy. L-R: Vice-President Pierre Vago, Vice-President Count Sigvard Bernadotte, Past President Peter Muller-Munk, President Misha Black, Secretary Treasurer Mia Seeger. [view high quality]
Sir Misha was a strong advocate for Design Education and became one of the first professors of industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London in 1959, a position he held until his retirement in 1975.
As such, discussions on design education during the Icsid Congresses in Stockholm, Venice (1961) and Paris (1963) has led Icsid to establish an Education Commission which organised a series of seminars. These seminars would further lead into Icsid's first InterDesign workshop in 1971 at Minsk of the former USSR.
During his tenure as Icsid President (1959-1961), the first report of world condition of industrial design was published in 1960. A second report was published in 1968, containing reports from 42 countries, making it the first comprehensive survey of the world situation.
In 1963, Sir Misha resumed his relationship with London Transport (previously designing posters for them in the 1940s) and became their design consultant on their newly formed Design Committee. Between 1940 and 1960, there was a lack of cohesive design vision directing London Transport's operations. Sir Misha was concerned with 'fitness for purpose':
Above: London Tranport's moquette designed by Sir Misha Black in 1975.
It was not until he designed the Victoria Line in 1968-1971 did he incorporate a unifying design from trains to posters. He also designed the famous orange, yellow, brown and black moquette for the District Line (1975) for its train seats and buses.
In his final printed communication for Icsid, published in 1975, titled "The History of Icsid", Sir Misha's beliefs in the organisation states that Icsid still fulfills a vital role in the industrial design industry.
He was knighted in 1972.
Following his death in 1977, the Sir Misha Black Medal was created in his memory and remains the only award of its kind for distinguished Services to Design Education. The Misha Black Award was created in 1999 for Innovation in Design Education to honour a teacher, team, department, course or other groupings within or between educational establishments in the UK.
For more information:
The Sir Misha Black Awards Committee
c/o Ms. Sara McMinn, Assistant Registrar
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore
London, United Kingdom
SW7 2EU
w: www.mishablackawards.org.uk
w: www.mishablackaward.com
Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sir Misha came to England when he was two years old. He began designing posters at the age of 17, having had little formal training in design. In 1928, he designed the stand for the Rio Tinto Company at the Seville Exhibition in Spain. On his return, he gained some formal art training during a few months in Paris.
In 1933, he joined Charles and Henry Bassett and Milner Gray in forming the forerunner of the Industrial Design Partnership in London. Sir Misha Black believed passionately in good design and was an able promoter of its benefits. He was a vocal member of every organisation or committee dealing with design. His interests were wide ranging, extending from work in product design, writing articles on exhibition design among other subjects, to designing the Kardomah cafés in London and Manchester. In 1943, with Milner Gray, they would found the Design Research Unit, one of the first design consultancies in Britain.
Above: Prototype of an electric bicycle displayed at the 'Britain Can Make It' exhibition, 1946.
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, Sir Misha designed the 'Britain can make it' exhibition, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The exhibition was intended to boost morale by promoting the British manufacturing industry that was decimated after the war. Industry was to play a vital part in British post-war reconstruction. Sir Misha included a section called the 'benefits of good design', where he promoted good design as a force for social change.
In 1959, he was appointed as President in Icsid's first biennial Assembly in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time, it became apparent that the meetings were too inbred. Thus it was decided it was to be divided into two parts. Today they are known as the General Assembly, which is restricted to delegates to discuss the policy and administrative affairs of Icsid, and Congress, which would be open to all who wish to attend.
Above: Icsid Executive Board in the 1961 Congress and General Assembly in Venice, Italy. L-R: Vice-President Pierre Vago, Vice-President Count Sigvard Bernadotte, Past President Peter Muller-Munk, President Misha Black, Secretary Treasurer Mia Seeger. [view high quality]
Sir Misha was a strong advocate for Design Education and became one of the first professors of industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London in 1959, a position he held until his retirement in 1975.
As such, discussions on design education during the Icsid Congresses in Stockholm, Venice (1961) and Paris (1963) has led Icsid to establish an Education Commission which organised a series of seminars. These seminars would further lead into Icsid's first InterDesign workshop in 1971 at Minsk of the former USSR.
During his tenure as Icsid President (1959-1961), the first report of world condition of industrial design was published in 1960. A second report was published in 1968, containing reports from 42 countries, making it the first comprehensive survey of the world situation.
In 1963, Sir Misha resumed his relationship with London Transport (previously designing posters for them in the 1940s) and became their design consultant on their newly formed Design Committee. Between 1940 and 1960, there was a lack of cohesive design vision directing London Transport's operations. Sir Misha was concerned with 'fitness for purpose':
'We should approach each new problem from the base of practicality - how it can most economically be made, how it will function most effectively, how can maintenance be simplified, how can use of scarce resources be minimised?'
Above: London Tranport's moquette designed by Sir Misha Black in 1975.
It was not until he designed the Victoria Line in 1968-1971 did he incorporate a unifying design from trains to posters. He also designed the famous orange, yellow, brown and black moquette for the District Line (1975) for its train seats and buses.
In his final printed communication for Icsid, published in 1975, titled "The History of Icsid", Sir Misha's beliefs in the organisation states that Icsid still fulfills a vital role in the industrial design industry.
"Icsid grows in strength because it fulfills a real need. It will continue to grow because the need remains. So as long as designers are aware of their professional and social responsibilities the need for international collaboration exists."
He was knighted in 1972.
Following his death in 1977, the Sir Misha Black Medal was created in his memory and remains the only award of its kind for distinguished Services to Design Education. The Misha Black Award was created in 1999 for Innovation in Design Education to honour a teacher, team, department, course or other groupings within or between educational establishments in the UK.
For more information:
The Sir Misha Black Awards Committee
c/o Ms. Sara McMinn, Assistant Registrar
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore
London, United Kingdom
SW7 2EU
w: www.mishablackawards.org.uk
w: www.mishablackaward.com
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