#102 - Art_ndDesign XXII - Raymond Loewy
Writing of the week
It's been a while since I've been here! And this time I'm going to tell you about Raymond Loewy, one of the most famous industrial designers of the 20th century and one of the most influential in Styling, a design philosophy that seeks to make a product attractive in order to differentiate it from the competition, and Streamlining, the design of aerodynamic aesthetics, which softens the corners and joints of objects, rounding them and giving them a futuristic appearance. Yes, I'm talking about the creator of the Lucky Strike cigarette design and the slogan "ugly doesn't sell".
Loewy is considered the father of modern industrial design, although he started out as a department store window designer and fashion illustrator, until he modernised the look of the Gestetner multi-copier by concealing its internals, with consequences such as reducing the smell of the machine, inks and oils. But it was not until he redesigned the Coldspot refrigerator, believed to be the first household appliance to be advertised for its aesthetics rather than its performance, that he gained his great reputation with this streamlined appearance.
He also designed locomotives and vehicles following the same aesthetic and created the corporate image of numerous companies. One of the most important is the Lucky Strike packet; he said he would make the brand double its sales with a simple redesign and put the logo on both sides of the packet, increasing its visibility, as well as stylising the logo and changing the green of the packet to white.
The same happened with the Shell logo, which was always changing because it had problems to be distinguished in the distance and darkness, carrying out several design tests and a study of drivers' opinions, the result being the shell with red and yellow colours. And we cannot forget the famous Coca-Cola bottle design, with elegant and ergonomic curves.
Here's the official website if you want to know more https://www.raymondloewy.com/
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