Design and Art Australia Online

R. Haughton [Jimmy] James (1906-1985) arrived in Australia in 1939 as an industrial designer. His first local practice, the Design Centre, Sydney, was with Geoff and Dahl Collings. His first known designs in Sydney were radio cabinets for AWA. During the 1939-45 war, he joined the Army Education Corp and taught art appreciation. He later moved to Melbourne where he worked for advertising agencies and ultimately established his own business in partnership with John Briggs and others. According to an interview with Harold Mitchell, a former employee, in August 2012, James was the first advertising executive to insist of formalising “The Rationale” as the core idea in developing a brand identity and promotional strategy. He is a key figure in the creation of the professional associations of designers in Australia. He wrote and published widely on graphic design, industrial design and art. His son, John James is a highly regarded architecture teacher, architect and writer.

Writers:

Date written:

2012

Last updated:

2013