Sir Misha Black

Misha Black (1910-1977) was born in Azerbaijan and came to England at the age of two where he was raised and educated. Despite receiving little formal art education, Black began designing posters at the age of 17 and in 1934 joined the Bassett-Gray design consultancy, later named the Industrial Design Partnership. During this period, he contributed to designs for a number of exhibitions including the interior for the British Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

In 1943, alongside fellow designer Milner Gray, Black founded Design Research Unit, one of the first international, interdisciplinary design practices with major clients in industrial design, architecture and graphics. Under Black’s leadership, DRU played an important role in post-war British design, contributing heavily to The Festival of Britain (1951) before going on to handle a number of other high profile projects, a well-known example being Misha Black’s iconic 1968 design for Westminster’s street name signs.

Having worked as an architect and designer for over 30 years, in 1959 London’s prestigious Royal College of Art appointed Misha Black as its first Professor of Industrial Design, a post he held until his retirement in 1975. With his wealth of knowledge and expertise, Black was arguably the most influential design teacher of his generation, a gifted speaker and writer on design whose international standing was an inspiration to students at the college.

Along with his role at the RCA, Misha Black also played an active part in UNESCO as well as helping to found the International Council for the Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) in 1959. Black became a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, winning the Society's highest award The Minerva Medal, and in 1972 was knighted for his contribution to design and industry in Britain. To add to this long list of achievements, towards the end of his career Black was appointed President of the Design & Industries Association (DIA), a position he held from 1974 to 1976.