History of Industrial Design Section 5

Joseph Dixon

Ticonderoga Pencil
hexagonal cross section is better than square, triangle, and circle for several reasons
-easy to handle
-easy to sharpen
-rolls slower off desks

circular lead instead of square lead
-higher quality
-harder to break
-easier to sharpen

this use of yellow eased the way to symbolize high quality and finest graphite in China

Jean O. Reinecke

Scotch Tape H127 reloadable dispenser 1940
early version was 2 part plastic mold that was screwed together
later version has snap fit plastic and is still used today

example of how packaging and dispensing ease use and promote usage

Ferdinand Porsche

Volkswagen Beetle 1935

Volkswagen Beetle

Hitler wanted a "people's car" and used the affordability as propaganda
first air-cooled rear engine volkswagen
small and made to take advantage of the new city infrastructure
easy to repair
low cost
popular after the war
compact and efficient use of space

William Bushnell Stout

Stout Scarab 1936

Stout Scarab

1936
first minivan
prototype was first car with a fiber glass body
rear engine
dropped floor
all passengers go through one door
middle seats weren't attached so they could be reconfigured
removable table
the dashboard was a solid casted piece of magnesium
scarab hood ornament- symbol of eternal life

Gordon Buehrig
Cord 810 1936

no hood ornament
wrap around grill
pontoon fenders- bubble-like over wheels as if it is moving quickly- streamlining
retractable headlights
coffin nosed car, tapered nose

New York World's Fair 1939
"World of Tomorrow"

End of Great Depression, beginning of WWII
over 30 countries participated
futuristic exhibitions mostly by large US companies
Kodak
Chrysler
Ford
General Motors
General Electric

World of Tomorrow Notable Contributions

Walter Dorwin Teague
Ford Pavillion, City of Light, National Cash Register

Norman Bel Geddes
City of the Future, Futurama

Henry Dreyfuss
Democracity

Symbols: Trylon and Perisphere

Teague - City of Light

Con Ed
Block long model of NYC with working elevators that alsi simulated thunderstorms

Norman Bel Geddes 1893-1958

"Futurist" many of his designs weren't produced
background in theatre costumes and sets
General Motors Pavilion at NY World's Fair
STREAMLINING

Book- Horizons

Acorn Range for Standard Gas Equipment 1932

Modular components that were interchangeable to individually replace and remove

Oriole Range for Standard Gas Equipment

steel and enamel coating
rounded corners for easy cleaning
kit of parts: oven, shelving, cooktops, and bases

streamlining

observing visible air streams in a wind tunnel against the resistance of moving objects - cars, trains, planes, ships
best shape - teardrop

Motorcar No. 9 1932

Nel Geddes
rounded form at the front and the top
tapered back to reduce turbulence in highspeed travel

first done in small model form
has pontoon fenders

Ocean liner 1932

Norman Bel Geddes
80" model
streamlined form
inspired by porpoise
not commissioned but funded to explore international water to drink

Super airliner 4 1932

Bel Geddes
nine levels and working elevators
room for orchestra, pool, tennis court, library
pontoons for water landing
windows along wings

Soda King- Syphon Bottle 1938

Bel Geddes
Made for Walter Kidde Sales Company
Chrome-plated lower zone

Bel Geddes- Futurama exhibit for General Motors

was a short ride with two seater cars
took riders through a wrap around of a model of NYC of the future
riders left with pin designed by Bel Geddes "I have seen the future"
1 on 1 experience with new stuff

Patriot Radio 1940

Designed for the Emerson Radio Corporation to commemorate their 50th year in business
American flag as inspiration in the design
Flag stripes become speed lines

Bakelite Catalin

New version of Bakelite patent than can take pigment

Sparton Model 500C "Cloisonne" 1940

Catalin was cast at lower temperatures to preserve color
this meant it was weaker and would crack and show damage over time

Douglas "DC-3" airliner 1935

Donald Douglas and Bailey Oswald
became typeform for passenger planes
aluminum body and tested in wind tunnels
dominant airliner, carrying almost all passengers on flights
DC-3s are still in service in Canada
world's fair was a lot of people's first experience up close with a plane since they couldn't afford to travel

Henry Dreyfuss

1904-1972 NY
background in stage design
apprenticed for Bel Geddes for 3 years
opened ID office in 1929
Major figure in establishing the profession and common practices in design
HUMAN FACTORS MAN- wrote textbook

Dreyfuss- Democracity

Utopian cuty deoicting 2039
located in the perisphere

Dreyfuss toaster

1932
glass window allowed toast viewing
toast is on stage lol

Flat-top refrigerator 1933

low to the ground
larger
no monitor top- compressor pump and coils located at the bottom
Dreyfuss

Hoover Model 150 upright vacuum

Streamlined designed
changed material form from aluminum to magnesium and Bakelite which reduced the weight
added attachment caddy
Dreyfuss

Electrolux Vacuum model 30 1937

sled base
was in production for 20 years, longer than any other vacuum
from sweden and went to us
sold 1,000,000 units in the first year

Dreyfuss Train Shroud

Shroud is the body or envelope

Henry Dreyfuss 20th Century Limited

New York Central Railroad 1938
Streamlining body
Central axis
interiors were designed by dreyfuss
overall form, benches, ceiling

Panasonic Toot-a-loop 1969 Japan

Radio Wristband

Kikkoman Shoyu Corporation Soy Sauce Dispenser

Kenji Ekuan 1961 Japan
the spouts are facing upwards - improvement on dripping
glass as replacement for ceramic - transparency allows view to fill level
two opening in cap - "control hole" covering one opening slows dispensing

Henry Dreyfuss The Round- Honeywell Thermostat 1953

easy to make
round form helped it to appeared level- hard to install straight
only rectangle thermostats were available, and often were not level
recognizable
could be removed and painted to match wall color
first thermostat to be able to adapt to the home's interior design
fast-selling

Henry Dreyfuss Hoover Iron 1953

combined older handles to make more comfortable for his line
Design has a temperature knob with extended ribs that could be fingertip controlled while ironing/ holding the handle

Henry Dreyfuss | Constellation vacuum Hoover 1955

general interest in outer space, vacuum is Saturn shaped
exhaust air pushes from the bottom and makes it hover- no wheels
produced into mid 1970s and longer in UK

Princess Telephone 1959 Henry Dreyfuss

was geared towards younger girls as it was made in pastel colors

Donald Genaro, John McGarvey - Henry Dreyfuss Associates

Trimline Dial Touch Telephone 1965
Trimline Touch Pad Telephone
went from rotary phone to number keys!

Henry Dreyfuss Associates - Human Factors, Trimline Study

Dreyfuss did research for demographics
Average sizes for things such as hands or legs
telephone ergonomic study in 1965

Dreyfuss Polaroid Cameras

Took over for Polaroid after Teague
lots of plastic molds and eventually resin and a chrome-plated case

Henry Dreyfuss Books

Designing for People 1955
The Measure of Man 1960

Raymond Loewy 1893-1986 Paris

Most of his professional career was in the USA
Designed for many big companies: Sears, Studebaker, Coca-Cola, Greyhound, Air Force One, and NASA
didnt like Dreyfuss and ruined the illusion of the big ben alarm at his funeral

Coldspot Refrigerator 1934 Lowey

Sears
implemented an annual redesign to encourage customers to buy
marketing :(
feather touch latch to open when hands are full, use elbow
inspired by car design
speed lines make it appear taller

Raymond Loewy Pencil Sharpener Concept 1934

Never went into production - icon of streamlining w teardrop shape
Example of ID as form not use
screwed into desk but needs to be unscrewed to empty

Loewy Pennsylvania Railroad S-1 6100 Locomotive 1938

exhibited at the 1939 New York World's Fair
never went into production
largest train ever built - too big for most tracks, issues with wheels

Lowey Studebaker Champion 1938

rear window wrapped around: influenced by wartime aircraft
Loewy worked with Studebaker for over 20 years

Loewy Studebaker Starliner 1953

Loewy wrote his name over the company's
called attention to himself as the designer

Loewy Studebaker Avanti 1962

2 door
harsher angles in lieu of curves
sides are well defined
back is shortened

Loewy Lucky Strike package redesign 1942

made both sides of the box identical so that the branding would be unavoidable

Loewy Coke Bottles

Helped with the design process for the coke bottles, logo, coloring, overall branding

Eva Zeisel 1906-2011 Budapest

Industrial Designer and Ceramics Designer
1930s she moved to Russia and became the artistic director for the government's glass and china industry
Taught at Pratt, worked for the MoMA, Sears, Roebuck, Red Wing Pottery

85 yr Career

Eva Zeisel Arrest 1936

accused of planning an assassination of Stalin
was in solitary confinement
moved to the US

Belly Button Room Divider

Eva Zeisel
looking into human touch

Salt and Pepper Shakers

Eva Zeisel
show of human connection
perception, relationship, intimacy
coupling and mother child theme
they look like they should be kept together, influences user

Zeisel and Knoll

They reimagine some of her designs as acoustic tiles

Charles and Ray Eames

Industrial Designers, collaborative office, married
Met at Cranbrook in 1930s
set up a practice in CA for over 30 years
advancements in plywood, molded plastic, and wire mesh

works: short films, war splints, toys, furniture, exhibitions, their own house

close to 100 designs still in production at Herman Miller

Ray (Kaiser) Eames 1912-1988

Fine Art Painting
established painter before Cranbrook
worked with Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen

Charles Eames 1907-1978

Architecture
went to Cranbrook and worked with Eero Saarinen on plywood furniture designs lead by Eero Saarinen's father Eliel Saarinen

Cranbrook Director

Eliel Saarinen

Charles and Ray Eames - molded plywood splints

developed after success with plywood furniture with Eero Saarinen

improved on the existing metal splints, lighter and more flexible, easier to carry, adapted to the body

easy to stack and ship - US Navy wanted a lot of them

notches cut into thin plywood veneer pieces that were easier to mold and reduced stress around bending points

Eames House 1949

simple with neutrals and pastels
lots of grids
simple outside

Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman 1956

Functional decoration
traditional looking lounge and modern aesthetic
Charles wanted the chair to look like a used baseball mitt, said it was a bit ugly
3 pieces of rosewood plywood form the chair
has one more leg than the ottoman because it could spin- didnt want it to seem weird at any point in the rotation, also just more secure for leaning back
makes the chair look always on center
aluminum base
ottoman doesnt rotate so 4 legs

Eames Elephant 1945

Vitra in plastic and wood
lots of colors

Eames LCW Lounge Chair Wood 1945-1946

Potato Chip chair
it is shorter than DCW
legs are 8 ply
has lumbar support: moves away from raised seat to give clearance to the back and neck to tilt away from the back rest - 8 ply
back rest is a trapezoid that narrows at the top - 5 ply
seat front is waterfall, giving comfort - 5 ply

Eames DCW Dining Chair Wood 1945-1946

Post war when Eames focused on furniture design
its taller than the LCW
legs are 8 ply
has lumbar support: moves away from raised seat to give clearance to the back and neck to tilt away from the back rest - 8 ply
back rest is a trapezoid that narrows at the top - 5 ply
seat front is waterfall, giving comfort - 5 ply

Eames La Chaise 1948

egg chair
could sit 2
fiberglass back and seat
steel rods
oak base
Styrofoam core

Eames Storage Unit (ESU) 1950

steel structure
birch
walnut
plastic
plywood shelves and drawers

modular, different configurations of the panels
similar to their house

Eames House of Cards 1952

They designed toys as part of their research and testing alongside their furniture pieces

6 slits in each card allowed them to be interlocked, allowing a variety of forms
images from nature, industry, and art

one of their most successful product

Eames The Toy 1951

4 square panels, 4 triangle panels, and abt 40 dowels and connection wires
big part of their research just to see what kids would do

Eames Plastic Chair, Easy Chair, Stacking Chair 1950-1953

plastic reinforced with fiberglass, steel, and aluminum

Eames Tandem Sling Seating 1962

groups of 2 to 10 seats that were connected side by side or back to back
the back of each seat and unit was formed by separate parts that could be swapped out or repaired

long lasting
airport seating!!!

Jean Heilberg LM Ericsson DB1001 Telephone 1932

became the type form for telephones

Henry Dreyfuss Bell Model 302 1937

made small improvements at first by changing the handset and making a simpler body

Henry Dreyfuss Bell Model 500 1950

more improvements
cord is curled
body is convex
numbers moved to outside the dial to be seen when dialing

Big Ben Alarm Clock

Henry Dreyfuss, 1939

Henry Dreyfuss Flying Car 1947

absolutely ridiculous

Egmont Arens - Standmixer 1937 for Kitchenaid

Streamlined for aesthetic
Made for abt 100 yrs, unchanged for abt 75 yrs
Black throttle is linear
Curves of neck and base respond to the form of the bowl
Heavy to prevent movement while in use
Head tilts back to change beaters and remove bowl
Originally in white but more colors to encourage it being left out so visitors could see it and want one
Has a lot of attachments for different things

Peter Schlumbohm - Chemex Coffee Maker 1941

Was a chemist and designer
Used laboratory equipment as form inspo
handle/collar to not burn hand

Wood, glass, and rawhide
Focuses on the beauty of the vessel, no flaws

Mid-Century Modernism

Simple lines in combination with grids and curves
Bold and pastel colors used along with neutrals
Abstract patterns
Imagery from atomic science and outer space

Wood
Steel
Glass
Ceramic
Aluminum
Plastics
Fiberglass

Mid-Century Modernism Key Players

Eva Zeisel
Charles and Ray Eames
Eero Saarinen
Florence Knoll
Poul Henningsen
Isamu Noguchi
George Nelson
Arne Jacobson

Eero Saarinen 1910-1961 Finland

Architect and Industrial Designer
Father was architect Eliel Saarinen, director of Cranbrook
Worked and was friends with Charles and Ray Eames at Cranbrook

Eeero Saarinen works

Designed the St. Louis Arch
jFK Airport TWA Terminal - is now a hotel

Has a lot of symmetry and mirroring
Was very clean and futuristic

Hans and Florence Knoll | Knoll Associates 1938 NYC

Furniture Manufacturers

Florence (Schust) Knoll

Joined Hans Knoll Co in 1943
Established and directed the interiors area
Married Hans a few years later and they became business partners
Managed the co after his death in 1955

Womb Chair 1946-1948

Frame: chrome-plated tubular steel, two parts
Shell: fibergass with plastic and wood
First molded fiber glass chair to be mass-produced
Fiberglass allowed for complex curves not achievable in plywood
Chrome plating became more affordable
Florence Knoll asked Sarrinen to design a chair "like a great big basket of pillows that I can curl up in"

Pedestal Furnishings 1955-1956

Pedestal tables, tulip armchair, tulip side chair, tulip stool
Mimicking organis forms while also with a space age | futuristic feel,
Materials and color support the futuristic aesthetic

Eero Saarinen Tulip Side Chair and Arm Chair 1955-1956

Shell is fiberglass
Base is aluminum
They arent the same material even thought they look like it because it was too difficult to produce as one piece

Sketches quickly demonstrate the essence of the chair via profile

Poul Henningsen 1894-1967 Denmark

Liked diffused lighting
Where the idea of not seing the bulb came from
Downward light : welcoming and relaxing effect
Studied how to minimize glare

Worked with Louis Poulsen the Danish lighting manufacturer consistently over the course of his career

Poul Henningsen PH 5 Lamp 1955

Diagrammed light patterns to minimize glare

Poul Henningsen PH snowball hanging light 1958

designed for a church to be affordable and decorative
Concentric shades
Ribbed frame
Aluminum: enamled for shades and chrome-plated for structure and suspension rod

Isamu Noguchi 1904-1988 LA, CA

Landscape architect , scultopr and industrial designer
Background in stage set design for Martha Graham (dancer who used brought her scenery and costume into her dances)
Big playground design
Biomorphism
Worked with Herman Miller and then Knoll

Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in NYC
Educated in Japan in ceramics

Noguchi Tea Cup and Saucer 1952

Porcelain

Noguchi Bakelite 1937 - Radio Nurse and guardian baby monitor

Was meant to look like a nurse's head peeking over

Noguchi Coffee Table 1944- Icon of Mid-century Modernism

All the edges are curved
Wood base is same piece used twice, copied and flipped
Rod is connection between the two wood parts
Glass top allows viewer to see the base from every angle while standing or sitting
Herman Miller wanted a similar version for their offices and homes

Noguchi Playground Work

He did large playground both simple and complex

Noguchi Akari Lamps 1950s

Akari means light buoyant or bright
These lamps were made to be collapsible, folded flat to be packed and cheaply shipped

George Nelson 1908-1986 Connecticut

Industrial Designer, Architect, Writer, and Editor
Herman Miller design Director in 1945

George Nelson Tray Table 1949

Looks to have similar purpose to E-1027 table

George Nelson Ball Clock 1949

also called Atomic Clock, looks similar to Eames Coatrack

George Nelson Bubble Lamps 1952

Manufactured by Herman Miller
Steel wire and frame, sprayed lacquer, together make translucent envelope