John Vassos (1898 – 1985) Greek American Designer

John Vassos was a Greek artist and designer who lived from 1898 to 1985. He was born in Bucharest, but he lived and worked in Boston.

Education

He attended the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School and the New York Art Students’ League, both important in the artistic development of John Vassos.

Biography

From the 1920s to the 1950s, he did graphic design for labels, packages, and sometimes small appliances. He also did illustrations for many books. As an early leader in marketing, he used applied psychology to study how and why people buy things. For Coca-Cola, John Vassos made bottles and dispensers with aluminium coils on the bottom of the barrel that sat on the counter to give the impression of coolness and red and green bands on the barrel’s body to give the impression of a treasure being kept safe.

He made sound equipment for RCA, like portable equipment, from the 1930s to the 1960s. The 1935 RCA Photograph Special in Aluminium was widely published and the first TVC (TRK – 11). Perey Manufacturing designed a turnstile. In 1939, he got a patent for a design for a Child’s tricycle that was easier to ride and for a harmonica. He made the inside of a photographer in 1933. Margaret Bourke: White’s studio office is on the 61st floor of the Chrysler building, and in 1931, the Rismont Tea Room was on Broadway, both in New York. Additionally, John Vassos wrote and drew pictures for 14 books that were put out by Dutton in New York.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL.

More on Industrial Design

More design articles

• Material Innovation: Packaging Design
• Exploring the Art of Packaging Design
• Discovering the Future of Packaging: “New Packaging Design” by Janice Kirkpatrick
• Unveiling the Ultimate Resource for Packaging Design: The Packaging Designer’s Book of Patterns 4th Edition
• The Package Design Book a Tribute to an Art Form