Parola Telephone by Fausta Cavazza, 1979 Soft, inviting, and pleasantly tactile, features that make it well suited for being held and used frequently—Fausta Cavazza’s Parola (Speech) telephone confounded expectations by rejecting the smooth, cool, sleek image of virtually all other telephone models then in production.
She made her telephone out of Santoprene, a soft substance developed by Monsanto that resembles rubber and resists scratches and dirt.
The Parola telephone was an instant hit with consumers who appreciated its unique design and durability. Its soft, tactile feel made it comfortable to hold for extended periods, and its resistance to scratches and dirt meant that it always looked as good as new. But the Parola was more than just a well-designed telephone—it was also a symbol of innovation and creativity. Fausta Cavazza’s decision to use Santoprene instead of traditional materials like plastic or metal demonstrated her willingness to think outside the box and take risks to create something unique. And her success proved that sometimes, the most unconventional ideas could be the most successful. Today, the Parola telephone is remembered as a groundbreaking design that changed how people thought about telephones and inspired countless other designers to follow in Fausta Cavazza’s footsteps.
In a solid black, rounded form when not in use, the telephone has luminous pushbuttons and a shoulder rest that opens out from the top (and contains a pencil for messages). Cavazza patented the design in 1979 and 1982, establishing her own manufacturing company.
Sources
Hiesinger, K., & Marcus, G. (2004, April 1). Landmarks of Twentieth Century Design. In An Illustrated Handbook. https://doi.org/10.1604/9780756774615
More Design Classics
-
Chefman Single Serve Coffee Maker
Chefman Single Serve Coffee Maker espresso pod machine is an ideal gift for small kitchens, offices, or dorm rooms, offering convenience, convenience, and easy cleaning. It is cETL approved with advanced safety technology and a one-year warranty.Read More →
-
Sofa, Borge Mogensen, 1945
This sofa’s straightforward execution and regular silhouette reflect characteristics that were considered essential for advanced design at the time. Nonetheless, the turned spindles, stretchers, and exquisite details owe a lot to Borge Mogensen’s use of the lexicon of traditional furniture forms—especially American Shaker and English Windsor—in his wRead More →
-
Rolodex 500-Card Rotary Card File | (Design Classic)
There are few office equipment products more iconic than the Rolodex (the name comes from a combination of the words rolling and index). In the past, companies organised their contacts in Rolodexes. Rolodex is constructed as a cylindrical rotary card file on a tubular metal frame that contains A-Z index cards to store business contacts.Read…
-
Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future
Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future which features a close-up photo of the famous face.Read More →
-
Parola Telephone (1979) Soft and Inviting
Fausta Cavazza’s Parola Telephone was a groundbreaking design that changed the way people thought about telephones. It was made out of Santoprene, a soft substance developed by Monsanto that resists scratches and dirt. It was an instant hit with consumers and was a symbol of innovation and creativity. Cavazza patented the design in 1979 and…
-
The London Underground Map – Design Icon
The London Underground is the world’s oldest subway, most people know it colloquially as the Tube. An engineering marvel and just as almost as famous is the map. The Tube map is instantly recognisable all over the world. It is a simple and elegant diagram of the 400-kilometre subway network. It is considered by many…
-
The P40 Articulated Lounge Chair – Machine for Sitting
Osvaldo Borsani Armchair (P40) 1955, articulated chaise longue. The rubber-armed chair was a sophisticated ‘machine for sitting’ that could it was claimed, assume 486 positions.Read More →
-
1959 Cadillac Eldorado – Temple Rather than Automobile
The 1959 Cadillac is more of a temple than an automobile, a Gothic memorial to America’s glory years. It was overly long, low, and overstyled, and it’s the 50s’ final flourish. The 59’s outlandish space-age appearance, weird fins, and lavish 390 cubic inch V8 are fascinating, but the most striking aspect of the car is…
-
Alpine Eagle XL Chrono – Design Classic 🥇
The Alpine Eagle collection of sporty-chic timepieces stretches its wings, embracing a flyback chronograph in a new 44 mm diameter case for the first time. The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono clock with the integrated bracelet is inspired by the might of the eagle and the beauty of the Alps, as is the complete series.Read More…
-
Pk22 Chair – Poul Kjaerholm’s Classic of the Design World
Poul Kjaerholm’s Pk22 lounge chair is a classic in the design world, made of spring steel legs, crossbars, and side frames attached with machine screws and covered in canvas, leather, or cane. Poul Kjaerholm was a Danish designer known for his PK22 chair, which was awarded the Grand Prize at the Milan Triennale in 1957…
-
Concorde a design classic
Concorde was developed jointly by British Airways and Air France. Concorde was the first and remained the only supersonic civilian aircraft to be put into commercial service. Read More →
-
Swatch Watch a Design Classic
Swatch has revolutionised the watch industry over the previous four decades. The Swatch became the fashion item of the 1980s thanks to its combination of Swiss technology, design, and low price. It is the first watch that has become a classic look, with a black plastic band and a basic watch face.Read More →
-
Penguin Book Covers (1946 – 1949) Designer: Jan Tschichold
Tschichold created new standards of text arrangement and style that inspired all of the British postwar graphic design, although only working for the publication for three years. Then, with the formulation of the “Penguin Composition Rules,” he was able to apply Modernist theory to the requirements of book manufacturing.Read More →
-
Longines Pilot Majetek Watch – Timeless Design
Longines Pilot Majetek is a modern update to its landmark timepiece from 1935. With a fluted bezel, and triangular indicator. READ MORERead More →
-
Million Mark Note – Design Classic
The Bauhaus was the most well-known design school of the 20th century. Herbert Bayer created notes in denominations of one million, two million, and two billion. The designs exemplify the ideology of hardline Modern Movement graphics.Read More →
-
Sydney Opera House – Design Classic
The design of the Sydney Opera House (1956-73), which he won in an international competition, was Utzon’s crowning achievement. He envisioned a solid sculptural building made of a series of giant interlocking billowing white ‘sails’ inspired by the ships of Sydney Harbour.Read More →
-
Alessi PSJS Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer (Design Classic)
Alessi PSJS Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer designed by Philippe Starck On a sunny day in the spring of 1989, PhilippeRead More →
-
Poster for Nikon (1957) by Yusaku Kamekura
Yusaku Kamekura’s poster emphasises the brilliance and clarity attained with the Nikon lens and the technical perfection of his client’s camera by using brilliant optical patterns and powerful, white letter-forms against an intensely dark background. Read More →
-
The Osterizer is a retro classic
The Osterizer from 1953 is still a popular classic blender. Even though they were originally designed for home use, they now feel like high-tech caterers’ equipment. Read More →
-
The Moka Express (Design Classic) – simple ☕ coffee making machine
Designed and Made in Italy The Moka Express is a straightforward stovetop coffee maker. It unscrews in the centre, and water is poured into the bottom compartment. Read More →
-
Parker 51 Fountain Pen – The World’s Most Wanted Pen
This sleek, aerodynamic design with its recognisable hooded nib was the result of a research programme finished in 1939, and it was promoted as “a pen from another planet” and “ten years ahead of its time.” It was released to mark the Parker Company’s 51st anniversary in the United States and quickly rose to the…
-
Sardine Collector’s Cabinet by Michael Marriot
This humorous, simple, and elegant approach proposed a different design agenda, harkening back to Victor Papanek and the Whole Earth Catalogue in the 1960s.Read More →
-
Cylinda Line Teapot by Arne Jacobsen
The Cylinda Line featured a close design connection among all aspects and the consistency of features throughout, including logo and packaging. It was designed over three years by International Style architect Jacobsen in collaboration with its manufacturer, Stelton. Read More →
-
Design Classic – Swiss Army Knife
The Swiss Army Knife, every schoolboy’s dream, was first manufactured in the late nineteenth century. The knife is more than a simple pen knife, with its distinctive bright red body bearing the trademark white cross: it is a compact household tool kit.Read More →
-
Tulip Armchair by Eero Saarinen (1957)
Saarinen faced the problem of trying to treat the leg structurally and visually as part of the reinforced-plastic moulded seat shell with the help of a research team from the Knoll firm led by Donald Petit. This issue had plagued him since he and Charles Eames conducted their first experiments with moulded seat shells.Read More…
-
Bloemenwerf Side Chair (1895) designed by Henry de Velde
Bloemenwerf, Henry Van de Velde’s property outside Brussels, is the inspiration for this chair. Van de Velde planned and built the house and the interior—from the furniture to the wallpaper—resulting in a holistic design that exemplified the concept of a Gesamtkunstwerk “total work of art”. Read More →
-
Fiskars – Oldest Industrial Company in Finland
Fiskars – Oldest Industrial Company in Finland. It was formed in 1649. Fiskars can be traced back to Peter Thorwéste’s ironworks. READ MORERead More →
-
Predicta the World’s First Swivel Screen TV
Advertised as the “world’s first swivel screen television,” Philco’s Predicta was the first American model to break away from the standard cabinet format of a box with a window in it—a bold step for such a corporation. However, a similar idea had already been produced in Italy by Phonola (no. 249) and in France by…
-
Mezzadro Chair – a nod to Italian Agriculture
Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni were not the first twentieth-century designers to consider the tractor seat in relation to sophisticated furniture production: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe used it for the Conchoidal chairs he conceived during the early 1940s. Read More →
-
Staub Cookware – Benefits of Cast Iron Cooking Pots
For over 2000 years, cast iron cooking pots have been used. They have long been valued for their durability and heat retention capacity, and it is not uncommon for these valuable items to be passed down from generation to generation. The addition of enamelling is now a significant advancement in this traditional material.Read More →
-
Safety Bicycle for 19th Century Women
The “safety” bicycle, initially introduced in 1887, propelled the late-nineteenth-century bicycling mania to new heights. While the regular bike needed great skill due to its giant front wheel and small rear wheel, safety bicycles could be ridden by anyone.Read More →
-
Tea and coffee set by Marguerite Friedlander
She designed the Hallesche Form tea and coffee set for KPM in 1930, which was a huge commercial success, especially with Trude Petri’s gold rings (1931) decor.Read More →
-
Paul Getty Center designed by Richard Meir
Paul Getty Center was designed by Richard Meir. It uses cutting-edge technology for book conservation, storage, and retrieval. READ MORERead More →
-
Robo-Stacker early example of ‘Recycled Design’ Movement
Robo-Stacker early example of the ‘Recycled Design’ Movement. Whirlpool washing machine drums were used to create general-purpose storage.Read More →
-
No. 22 Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia
No. 22 Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia. Many would argue that this is more of a sculpture than a chair. READ MORERead More →
-
How High the Moon armchair (1986) by Shiro Kuramata
Shiro Kuramata’s inventive transformations of everyday industrial materials, including steel mesh, terrazzo, corrugated aluminium, and steel cables, pushed material technology to new design limits. Read More >Read More →
-
Red and Blue Armchair by Gerrit Rietveld
The Red and Blue Chair’s visual impact has ensured that it will always be a staple image in any history of twentieth-century design. It has become a metaphor for the Modern Movement along with the Schröder home.Read More →
-
Treforchette Table Lamp (1997) Designer: Michelle de Lucchi
This sofa is designed in a so-called minimalist style that is basic and unadorned. Throughout the late 1980s, this emergent style had a significant impact on design in Europe. The sofa in question results from a significant collaboration between a talented young designer and a manufacturer committed to promoting new design.Read More →
-
Sofa (1988) Designer: Jasper Morrison
This sofa is designed in a so-called minimalist style that is basic and unadorned. Throughout the late 1980s, this emergent style had a significant impact on design in Europe. The sofa in question results from a significant collaboration between a talented young designer and a manufacturer committed to promoting new design.Read More →