We were sad to hear from his sons, David & Paul, that John died on 28 January 2018, age 98. He joined HMSO on 1 January 1960 as Head of Graphic Design and retired 19 years later in 1978. He was a founder member of the Printing Historical Society then pursued another of his lifelong interests when he founded, edited and published ‘International Meccanoman’ magazine which had readers in 28 countries.
At HMSO he built up a team of young designers, recruited women for the first time strongly believing that they had brought different – but equally important – qualities to his team. He argued for the greater use of colour on publications, freer designs, a more modern approach which over time led to increased recognition of the quality of HMSO’s publications and the number of designers more than doubled.
Within HMSO he worked hard to persuade senior management to grant permanent established status for design staff, creating teams headed by a senior designer thus ensuring a career path for the most experienced designers rather than seeing them leave to head up studios in rival publishers. He could at times be difficult and inclined to lecture his staff but at the same time they respected him for his deep knowledge of printing and typography, his generosity and as a man of principle – a life-long pacifist and Quaker – who left a mark on all those working in the studio.
John Westwood was remembered by many of his old staff. Fred Stubbs writing “I feel that John had taken an interest in me, encouraging me to be more than I felt that I could be”. Likewise Peter Branfield: “I enjoyed all my years in the office in the company of interesting and very creative members of staff and, I hope, friends. John Westwood changed my life for the better and I will always be in his debt for that.” Adrian Young: “I can thank John Westwood for enabling me to make a career in design on my return to Australia”. Ken Arnoldi saw his attributes as a man who was ” ‘classless’, who was completely unbiased regarding race and gender.” Jim Cairns, who ran the design studio in Scotland, remembered him as “a kind and helpful man whose knowledge was enviable”. Clive McDonald remembered him as “the man who put me on the first rung of the ladder and I shall always be grateful to him for that” a view echoed by Dennis Greeno and Philip Marriage. David Challis recognised that “JW gave us all a tremendous break in our careers, and although, at the time some of us were apt to make light of him, with hindsight he was an extremely astute manager who always backed his staff to the hilt in public even if he gave us a dressing down in private!” Vera Brice recalls “HMSO was a fantastic training ground in which to learn many aspects of design for print. All things considered, and I know what pranksters we could sometimes be, in hindsight we couldn’t have wished for a better boss. Certainly the best I’ve had as I’ve moved through my working years. To John Westwood, I owe an immense debt.” Nodge Carnegie remembers “his quiet generosity, his love of English, his occasional flashes of humour, and his communication skills – exercised in defiance of his increasing deafness.” And finally John Saville who succeeded JW as Head of Graphic Design: “He could be the butt of our jokes and at times difficult to predict but he always had GD at the centre of his thoughts. I owe him a great deal.”
And so say us all.
John Westwood surrounded by most of his Graphic Design team, 26 April 1978, just prior to the move from Atlantic House to Norwich. At the back, from left to right, John Hughes, Ken Arnoldi, Steve Heardman, Peter Branfield, Philip Marriage, John Saville, and Mike Wood. Then in the middle, Iris Walker, Lynda Sullivan, John Westwood, Christabel Hardacre, Dee Smallridge, David Tudor, Nodge Carnegie, Joe Burns, Vera Brice, and in front: David Challis, ‘Bobbie’ Westaway, Dennis Greeno, Ian Dobson, and Fred Stubbs. This photo was taken by WW ‘Jack’ Hulbert, the Studio Manager.