OUGD603 - Research led brief - Post war japan design

Before the war Japanese design and manufacturing had a rather bad name but during the post war years one thing changed this massively. From early research into post war Japanese innovations, one thing that constantly crops up is the Quality Control Handbook, written by the Romanian-born American management consultant and engineer Joseph M. Juran. It included a selection of rigorous testing of materials, the specialised training of a workforce, the maintenance of strict financial controls and the inspection of quality standards throughout the manufacturing process. The handbook increased customer satisfaction, production of more saleable goods, more competitive, increase market share and better income and margins. The higher quality products often cost more in the short term, they reaped a much better return on investment in the long run. And from the economic miracle the value of Japanese design, both in artistic and technology forms began to be accepted and developed in a number of forms. Thanks to the introduction of the handbook, today 'Made in Japan' is linked to exceptional design and high quality manufacturing. Since the end of the war Japan has managed to combine high aesthetics with cutting edge technology into functional everyday items.