Industrial Design

The selection of design posts and articles about the last 150 years of industrial design is a fascinating journey through the evolution of modern technology. From the early days of mass production in the late 19th century to the sleek, minimalist designs of today, this collection offers a comprehensive overview of the major trends and movements that have shaped industrial design over the years.

You’ll discover how designers have responded to changing social, economic, and cultural conditions, from the rise of consumerism in the 1920s to the emergence of sustainability as a key concern in recent decades. Along the way, you’ll encounter some of the most iconic products and brands in history, including Apple, Coca-Cola, and IKEA.

Whether you’re a designer looking for inspiration or simply interested in learning more about this fascinating field, this collection is sure to offer something new and exciting.

Exit Sign - Ubiquitous Design

Discover the vital role of the ubiquitous exit sign in our everyday safety. This blog post illuminates how these often overlooked signs, engineered with precision and backed by stringent regulations, guide us to safety during emergencies. Unveil the science, legalities, and evolution behind the humble exit sign, our unsung hero.Read More →

Light Saber Duel featured image

The lightsaber, an iconic design icon in the Star Wars franchise, represents a blend of technology, mythology, tradition, and innovation. Its sleek, minimalist design contrasts with its vivid energy blade, symbolizing the Jedi Order and the Force’s mystical power. The vibrant colors of the lightsaber’s blades carry symbolic weight, indicating character alignment and intent. The lightsaber’s legacy has inspired real-life innovations and reimagined various forms across media, showcasing the power of design in creating meaningful objects.Read More →

Murphy Radio Featured Image

Murphy Radio revolutionized radio and television design with innovative designs by R.D. Russell, focusing on veneered plywood cabinets and post-war collaboration. R.D. Russell and Murphy Radio collaborated on radio and television cabinets, introducing modern aesthetics and functional elements, shaping electronics design and inspiring contemporary designers.Read More →

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 →

Danish Design Icons featured image

A definitive history of 20th-century Danish design through 101 classic objects.

Denmark has long loomed large in international design history. Today, Danish furniture, textiles, home appliances and utensils from the 1960s and ‘70s are more popular than ever, for sale at design galleries and a rarity at flea markets. Read More →

Womb Chair - Eero Saarinen

Its name expresses its purpose: “It was designed on the theory that a great number of people have never felt secure and comfortable since they have left the womb.”Read More →

Mona Lisa Clock

Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future which features a close-up photo of the famous face.Read More →

Industrial design featured image

IDSA’s mission is to provide a platform that both elevates public awareness of design and strengthens the connection between design and business. One of the primary ways we accomplish this is through our vast portfolio of awards programs, which recognize designers for their achievements and contributions to the industrial design profession.Read More →

enzo frateili sofa featured image

Enzo Frateili was an Italian designer born in Rome and active in Milan. Frateili began his professional career in 1955. In the early 50s, he worked at Stile Industrial; in 1962 he was the Italian correspondent to the journal form. His books included Archiektur und Komfort (1967) and Design e Civiltà della Machina (1969). The Instituto di Architettura e Urbanistica published his paper on the theoretical and methodological aspects of problem-solving, Universitá di Trieste. In 1963, he led a seminar, Hochschule für Gestaltung, Ulm. Read More →

Minimalist Chest - Kurt Thut featured image

Kurt Thut (b. 1931-2011) was born in Möriken, Switzerland. In his father’s workshop, while attending the School of Art and Design in Zurich, Thut improved his carpentry skills.Read More →

Vendo 44 - Vending Machine

The Vendo 44 Coca-Cola bottle vending machine was produced between 1956 and 1959. Despite being only 16 wide, 15.5 deep, and 58 high, it could fit 44 bottles of coke. It has a white top and a heavy gauge steel case with bright red enamel.Read More →

Standing over four feet tall, this towering console of satin chrome and mirrored cobalt glass is a commanding example of the styling of items to meet the Machine Age ideal of the 1930s. The Nocturne radio, built by Walter Dorwin Teague, one of the premier industrial designers of the 1930s, is one of the most striking manifestations of the merger of art and technology. Read More →

Cadillac Eldorado 1959 Pink

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 its blatant arrogance.Read More →

The Lassen brothers’ archive of architecture and furniture design represents the finest qualities of the Danish design tradition and deserves a wider audience.Read More →

Rolodex

The Rolodex is a desktop card file system. In the 1940s, Arnold Neustadter’s Company Zephyr American produced the Autodesk, a standard addressRead More →

Concorde has a novel shape, consisting of a needle-shaped nose and a "delta wing"

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 →

'Brownie' Camera

In the early 1960s, this camera was made. It was simple to load and hold and relatively light, and it was exceptionally well constructed for such a low-cost item. Read More →

Model-AD-65-Radio

The first entirely synthetic plastic was Bakelite, the trade name for phenol-formaldehyde or phenolic resins. It was patented in 1907 by Dr Leo Baekeland. He founded the American General Bakelite Company to put his invention into commercial production in 1910. Read More →

Herringbone Grill

The Herringbone pattern grill lines channel cooking juices to either of the two pouring spouts and the large power-grip handles optimise manoeuvrability. Read More →

Marcel Bruer Cantilever Chair

Marcel Breuer’s Bauhaus minimalism redefined a household basic, making chairs light, strong, and simple by bending metal and combining it with canvas, caning, or leather. He was one of the first people to make chairs out of tubular steel, and his B5 chair is one of two groundbreaking Breuer chairs that were a big change from the overstuffed chairs of the Edwardian era and helped start a new way of looking at furniture. Read More →