I  

Raymond  Loewy    

 Raymond  Loewy  was  a  world-­‐renowned  designer  and  innovator  during  the  20th  century.  He  is  regarded  as  the  farther  of  industrial  design  and  widely  accredited  to  starting  the  streamlining  design  movement.  His  designs  include  everything  from  cigarette  packets  to  cars,  trains  and  even  aircraft.  Today  they  still  remain  icons  of  art,  design  and  engineering.  

  II  

Key  Notes  And  Other  Facts    

• Born  in  1893  in  Paris  • Attained  the  rank  of  captain  in  WWI  • Moved  to  America  after  the  war  wearing  only  his  uniform  and  $40  • Became  a  fashion  illustrator  for  Vogue  • Became  recognized  after  designing  the  Coldspot  Refrigerator  

 

Raymond  Loewy  was  born  on  the  5th  of  November  1893,  in  Paris,  France.  Unbeknown  to  many  he  served  during  world  war  one,  becoming  a  captain.  He  was  wounded  in  action  and  after  the  war  he  moved  to  America.  His  first  job  was  not  that  of  an  industrial  designer,  but  in  fact  as  a  fashion  designer  for  the  likes  of  Vogue.    

After  his  short  but  successful  fashion  career,  he  turned  his  talents  to  industrial  design  by  modernizing  and  redesigning  products  such  as  the  Coldspot  refrigerator.  It  was  this  design  that  established  his  reputation  as  an  industrial  designer,  leading  the  way  to  changing  the  face  of  industrial  design  forever.      

     

             

Loewy’s  Coldspot  Refrigerator.    Designed  in  the  1930’s  for  Sears-­‐Roebuck,  it  led  him  to  be  come  more  commercialized  in  the  industry.        

  III  

Lucky  Strike  packet  1930-­‐1942   Loewy’s  Lucky  Strike  packet  

Key  Notes  And  Other  Facts    

• Alliance  of  “form  and  function”  • The  function  of  the  design  should  not  be  impeded  by  the  form  • Minimalistic  contemporary  design  • Cost  and  production  efficiency    • Adaptation  and  contemporizing  of  existing  design  

 

Loewy’s  design  ethics  are  ones  that  conform  the  inner  functionality  of  the  object  to  the  form,  leading  to  an  alliance  of  design,  which  makes  the  form  much  more  contemporary.  This  contemporizing  of  design  was  one  of  Loewy’s  most  sought  after  traits.    This  was  so  much  so  that,  a  president  of  the  lucky  strike  tobacco  company  wagered  $50,000  that  he  couldn’t  make  a  better  design  of  their  cigarette  packet.  Loewy  accepted  and  indeed  created  a  far  more  iconic  design.  He  changed  the  green  background  to  white  eliminating  the  need  for  green  ink,  therefore  reducing  production  costs  and  created  a  red  logo  that  would  be  printed  on  both  sides  of  the  package,  increasing  product  visibility  and  thereby  profit.  The  design  was  so  successful  it  remained  the  same  for  40  years.      

                     

 

  IV  

Key  Notes  And  Other  Facts    

• Alliance  of  “form  and  function”  • The  function  of  the  design  should  not  be  impeded  by  the  form  • Minimalistic  contemporary  design  • Cost  and  production  efficiency    • “Teardrop”  shape  • Adaptation  and  contemporizing  of  existing  design  

 

Perhaps  the  most  defining  characteristics  of  Loewy’s  designs  are  those  that  developed  into  the  streamlining  design  movement.  The  key  characteristics  are  those  of  producing  smooth  sleek  contours  to  create  an  aerodynamic  and  efficient  design.  The  “teardrop”  shape  became  a  signature  sign  of  streamlining,  as  it’s  naturally  an  aerodynamic  efficient  shape.  Of  course  this  took  off  with  the  transportation  industry,  where  the  need  to  be  more  aerodynamic  increased  the  performance  and  in  most  cases  profitability.              

                 

Loewy’s  Pencil  Sharpener    Designed  in  1933,  this  chromed  pencil  sharpener  displays  all  the  classic  hallmarks  of  loewy’s  design  characteristics.  Its  form  lifts  into  a  contemporary  modernist  look,  with  the  “teardrop”  shape,  synonymous  with  streamlined  design.  While  assisting  the  function,  making  it  easy  to  use  than  its  counterparts.  A  quality  found  in  most  of  Loewy’s  products.      

  V  

Key  Notes  And  Other  Facts    

• Disliked  the  “Detroit  styling”  of  American  manufacturers  • Revolutionized  the  American  car  industry    • Luxury  styling  became  modernist  and  streamlined  • Smooth  “lean”  proportions  leading  to  economic  efficient  design  • Iconic  streamlined  design,  still  a  standard  set  for  today  

   

Loewy  detested  the  “Detroit  styling”  of  the  American  gas-­‐guzzlers,  with  all  their  inefficiencies  and  imperfections.  He  showed  that  a  lower,  sleek  and  leaner  design,  increased  the  fuel  efficiency,  not  only  that  but  it  meant  less  material  costs,  easy  production  methods  and  far  more  practicality  for  the  consumer.  He  introduced  slanted  windshields,  built-­‐in  headlights  and  wheel  covers  that  revolutionized  the  American  transportation  industry.    Some  famous  examples  of  this  streamlined  design  ethic  are,  the  Greyhound  bus,  the  Studebaker  Avanti,  concept  cars  for  BMW  and  Lancia,  the  1956  Jaguar  coupe  and  the  GG1  and  S1  locomotives.                                    However  his  designs  were  not  just  limited  to  the  transportation  industry,  Products  and  logos  from  across  a  wide  variety  of  industries  were  affected  by  Loewy’s  streamlining  characteristic.  Some  of  which  were,  the  1933  RCA  radio,  a  slim  Coca-­‐Cola  bottle  and  dispensers,  the  Shell  logo,  a  line  of  Frigidaire  refrigerators,  a  very  expensive  pencil  sharpener  and  even  the  interiors  of  the  Saturn  I,  Saturn  V  rockets.            

Studebaker  Avanti    Designed  in  1961  the  Avanti  was  unlike  anything  on  the  road  in  America  at  the  

time.  It  portrayed  luxury  styling  and  smooth  sculpted  bodywork  with  the  absence  of  a  visible  grill.  This  helped  the  performance  of  the  car,  leading  it  set  twenty-­‐four  speed  and  endurance  records  for  a  stock  American  production  car.  Its  long  hood  and  short  boot,  set  the  proportions  for  more  streamlined  cars  to  come,  proportions  

that  are  still  utilized  in  fast  production  cars  today.