Adam Smith’s “Of the Division of Labour” is an excerpt from his 1776 book The Wealth of Nations—a book famous for its descriptions and evaluations of the emerging capitalist system. As part of his description of “the trade of a pin-maker,” Smith writes:
“In every other art and manufacture, the effects of the division of labour are similar to what they are in this very trifling one, though, in many of them, the labour can neither be so much sub-divided, nor reduced to so great a simplicity of operation. The division of labour, however, so far as it can be introduced, occasions, in every art, a proportionable increase of the productive powers of labour.” (p. 30)
This week, I would like you to think about how Smith’s pin factory anecdote relates to design practice. Based on your observations and experiences, do you think the design professions benefit from the division of labor? If so, what’s a specific example of the way design work is organized? If you prefer to use examples from the broader world of work, beyond design, feel free to describe those as well. Either way, make sure to keep the specificities of the pin factory in mind as you write.READ
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