obituary

The DRS is saddened to hear of the passing of John Z Langrish, Msc, PhD and Fellow of the DRS. In his memory, we have asked those who worked with John and knew him through the Society to submit some short recollections.

Rachel Cooper, President, Design Research Society

 John was born on 26 October 1935 in Winton, Eccles, Greater Manchester, went to Clarendon Primary School, and Eccles Grammer School. He gained a BSc in Chemistry and MSc by Research into theoretical chemical reactions, followed by a PhD in Polymers. John’s early career involved teaching chemistry at a high school, in Sheffield, spending six years in new product development with a major company ICI, then joining a new science course at Manchester University, Liberal Studies in Science (LSS) as a Senior Research Fellow, where he studies industrial innovation which gained him a prize and the opportunity to start his publishing career and the book Wealth from Knowledge: Studies of Innovation in Industry Hardcover published in 1972.  He went on to work first in the R&D Research Unit of Manchester Business School,  and then at UMIST.

In 1977 he became Dean of the Institute of Advanced Studies at Manchester Polytechnic later to become Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). This is where his began he long relationship with Design Research and the Design Research Society. Indeed, John was the treasurer of DRS for 24 years.

At MMU John was my supervisor for my PhD, helping me to become the first women to do a PhD in design in the UK, I remember many afternoon supervision meetings in the ‘ Salutation’ the pub on the campus discussing design, research  and every other aspect of life.  At the Institute John went on to supervise many students from around the world, he has advised on research degrees in various countries and has supervised and examined more than 60 PhDs. Many of whom still shared fond memories of John’s no nonsense supervision style. John is an honorary Fellow of DRS, recognised for his contribution to the Society and also to Design Research.

In 2000 two things occurred, John left MMU, and I offered him a Visiting Professorship at Salford University, where he continued to work with staff and PhD students. Also John published a paper ‘NOT EVERYTHING MADE OF STEEL IS A BATTLESHIP’ presented to a conference on PhDs in Art and Design at La Clusaz, France, 2000 and published in the proceedings. This paper illustrates Johns clear views on PhD’s in Art and Design and the debate about practice-based Art and Design research, the paper is still discussed and referenced today. John has continued to write and engage with the design community, producing part one of his memoirs ‘Its Not Physics’ in 2022 and I understand he was trying to finish part two just before he died, I look forward to reading it as it covers his ‘Design years’.

John died 2nd September 2024, John was a very clever, erudite character, with deep curiosity, he was engaging and had an influence on many people working in the field of design, he was also dedicated to a flourishing Design Research Society.

Nigel Cross, DRS Fellow

John Langrish was a stalwart of the DRS and a significant figure in design research.

For a long period John was our Honorary Treasurer. A very lively, amusing and forthright person, he carefully kept and annually reported our accounts. Whilst many treasurers might be regarded as people jealously guarding a society’s money, John was often urging DRS Council to “Spend the money!”. At that time we had only a few thousand pounds in the bank, but he argued that we should be not nursing but disbursing that money in line with our aims. One result of this was the introduction of some bursaries to assist students attending DRS conferences.

John’s work in design research was extensive. He was a scientist, having studied and worked in chemistry, and became involved in studies of technological innovation, which led into his studies in design. He brought a broad view of science, dismissing simplistic understandings based on the science of physics, insisting that physics is not the only science, and explaining that biology, with its way of looking at and understanding the world, would be a more appropriate paradigm for a science of design. He was especially interested in the relevance of evolution theory, and of the concept of memes.

I always knew him as ‘John Langrish’ but in later years he became ‘John Z Langrish’. I never knew what the Z stood for. Quite recently he published an autographical memoir: “It’s Not Physics. Part One: What’s it all about then?” It covers his personal early life and his intellectual development up to and including his interest in memes as important for understanding that “It’s not technology that evolves, it’s ideas about technology that evolve.” John was always interested in ideas. I wonder if we will ever be able to see Part Two of “What’s it all about then?”.

David Durling, DRS Fellow

My earliest memory of John dates back to the 1990s when I was Chair of DRS and John was a longstanding Treasurer. I trusted him implicitly with the funding. 

At the time, design research in many universities was just getting started, and the new kid on the block was practice-based research. This was a highly contested area. John's contribution to the debate was a paper titled ‘Not everything made of steel is a battleship’. The paper was a practical argument on the nature of research for the PhD. It is still relevant today. In many ways his paper summed up the man: thoughtful, seeing things a little differently, and quickly getting to the core of the subject based upon his considerable experience of directing research over many years.

Rebecca Cain, DRS International Advisory Council Member

I worked with John for many years while I was the Honorary Secretary for the DRS Council and he was the Honorary Treasurer.  John was a real character, who was clearly dedicated to his role as Treasurer in the DRS over many years – he never missed a council meeting and he always seemed happy to travel on a train half way across the country and enjoy his  ‘butties’ for lunch.  John had little patience for nonsense or modern ways of doing things, and was not afraid to voice his opinion.  But he was a powerful advocate for the society spending its money on charitable objectives, particularly supporting early career and PhD researchers.

I have fond memories of the last time I saw John -  it was in a pub in Manchester.  John had recently retired from his role as Treasurer and I had got a train up to Manchester to visit him with some gifts from the DRS council.  We met in a ‘proper pub’ near Manchester Piccadilly station, and sat next to a wood fire, where over a few pints, he told stories and reminisced about his time as an academic. John had had a really interesting career but what stood out was how proud he was of the PhD students he had supervised.  

When John was no longer on the DRS council, his presence and personality were greatly missed.  The council was never quite the same without John.