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The AGA Archive: An innovative application of a business archive as an inspirational resource for designers

This paper describes a novel structured development of an archive repository from a company’s historical and design records with research into how it can play a significant and emergent role in developing product design, PR and marketing strategies. This presents a different conception of what an archive is and examines the potential for product designers to utilise the archive as a design reference tool. The purpose is to learn how access to these resources can stimulate new markets, communicating design developments for marketing and R&D, as well as providing specifications for SME suppliers, architects and designers. This work is being developed through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership and takes the form of a digital ‘Design Archive Gallery’ (DAG).

The research centres on the transfer of technologies and skills for the prioritisation and management of the archive that has a transformative effect on business practice, through the exploitation of a currently under-used company asset. Both the physical and digital material is used in the cultural retail offer, via such platforms as social media together with the more traditional media for producing marketing materials to inspire consumer confidence, reinforcing credibility in the brand by harnessing its heritage thus providing a unique positioning against competitors.

This paper reports on research that has demonstrated significant new value in historic commercial material. The stories and artefacts contained within the archive material shape current business strategy and enhance brand identity. This novel way of using business archives for commercial objectives extends traditional views of social history or museum studies, providing a fertile resource for new product innovation, design inspiration and growth. This new development can be seen as ‘ripples’ extending out through various new channels, such as social media linking customers, suppliers, research and development and marketing forming a committed and communicative business community.