Enterprise and Society Advance Access originally published online on May 7, 2009
Enterprise and Society 2009 10(3):559-589; doi:10.1093/es/khp012
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The Realpolitik of the Artificial: Strategic Design at Figgjo Fajanse Facing International Free Trade in the 1960s
KJETIL FALLAN is an associate professor of Design History in the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Ideas and Art at the University of Oslo, Norway
Contact information: Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Ideas and Art, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1020 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo Norway; E-mail: kjetil.fallan{at}ifikk.uio.no
The 1960 establishment of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) represented a watershed to Norwegian consumer goods industry. Since the end of World War II domestic manufacturers had been thriving on a small but lucrative home market characterized by an unparalleled demand, effectively protected from foreign competition by strict import regulations and tariffs barriers. The onset of international free trade would dramatically change this market situation, allowing cheap foreign products access to the Norwegian market while at the same time offering export opportunities to an industry traditionally geared to the domestic market. Operating in an industry where appearance is anything but superficial, the crockery manufacturer Figgjo Fajanse realized that product design would be a crucial tool in the reorganization of its operations when adapting to this ‘brave, new world’ of international free trade. Devising a flexible basis for a rational product differentiation, Figgjo made severe cuts in an oversized product portfolio and developed a small range of new models that could accommodate a wide range of decorative patterns of highly different styles. This strategy required elaborate and creative negotiations on the part of the company’s designers, creating a ‘third way’—a moderate modern design carved out in the space demarcated by the industrially rational, the commercially viable, and the aesthetically ethical.
He has studied engineering design, sociology, and history, and holds a PhD in cultural history from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Fallan's articles have appeared in, e.g., Journal of Design History, Design Issues, History and Technology, and Architectural Theory Review, and one is due in Modern Italy (forthcoming). His book Design History: understanding theory and method is forthcoming from Berg Publishers (Spring 2010).