ABSTRACT
Introduction Products can be designed in one place and manufactured in another. Creativity and expertise are currently considered to be critical for corporate and national competitiveness. Design is a key strategic creative business process and plays an increasingly important role in the competitiveness of firms, regions and nations. The implication is that developed market economies no longer need to be too concerned with manufacturing, but instead should concentrate on high-valueadded creative processes. This separation between design and manufacturing is highlighted in many products that acknowledge that the thing was designed in one place and manufactured in another. Thus, Pure’s Siesta digital clock radio is emblazoned with the phrase ‘Manufactured in China Designed in the UK’, Kenwood’s hand food mixer is labelled ‘Designed and engineered in the UK. Made in China’ and Apple’s iPod proudly proclaims that it is ‘Designed in California, Made in China’. The Microsoft computer mouse that I have been using whilst working on this book is labelled ‘Designed in Redmond, WA USA, Made in China’; it is interesting to note that this product’s American association is printed in a large font with added bold whereas the Chinese connection is in a small font with no highlighting. A Norwegian bicycle manufacturer complicates the relationship between design and place of production by labelling its products: ‘Designed in Norway, Handmade in China’ (Figure 8.1). The Italian design-intensive conglomerate Tonino Lamborghini creates products that take place-based associations one step further by differentiating between design and place and fabrication and place. The Tonino Lamborghini electric hedge cutters are advertised as ‘Italian design and outstanding “made in Germany quality” ’. The separation of the design task
from the place of manufacture highlights the continued development of the international division of labour as tasks are distributed in different places, but linked by cables, satellites, boats and planes.
