Streamlining - Case Study Example

Streamlining At the mid of the twentieth century, to help improve the sale and use of their goods, manufacturers turned to industrial design and consumer engineering, thereby turning industrial design into a department or profession in itself. Style was implemented while designing the product, thus the designing experts persistently revamped them using a planned obsolescence tactic. This, in turn, resulted in a steady demand for the products from the consumers. Consequently, sales were increased and the economy picked up and recovered. Streamlining was one such design. Coming into being in the 30s, Streamlining resulted from engineering tests conducted a decade earlier, which proved reduced wind resistance in objects shaped like a teardrop; it includes unified curving structures, leveled ribbing, droplet-shaped appearance and persistent chrome employment to give an overall effect of speed. Used as a reflection of the swift pace of contemporary life of those times, streamlining proved Kaufmann’s theory in relation to the evolution of art and design according to engineering techniques. Not only did the automobile industry incorporate these designs, with companies like Ford, Chrysler and Volkswagen adopting them, but there was a demand for Streamlining designs from the railway companies too. Originally engineered for vehicles or other moving objects that needed a fast or sleek look, Streamlining became so popular that soon it was seen in cafés, houses, furniture and other home accessories. Albeit this was quite illogically used in the latter scenarios, however, it can be taken as a glimpse into the outlook of that era. Streamlining can be considered a good design in that respect; it reflects the style and temperament of people of a certain era, even if it does little else by way of being useful. What is the Impact of post- WWII American Housing Boom on Design After the end of the Second World War, most of the manufactures of weapons and war vehicles faced going out of business unless they catered to the everyday household consumers. Metallic ore, as well as other raw materials, no longer required to produce bullets, guns etc., were now used to produce household equipment like furniture. Chemical companies, also aware of the shift in priorities, started producing such household items as fiberglass, plywood, plastics of various kinds; a pioneer in this regard was the company DuPont, which, along with other companies, developed such timeless items as Tupperware, the airtight lidded storage containers made from flexible plastic, which are still in use today, as well as Formica, vinyl and polyester based carpets and fabrics, and lightweight furniture made from nylon and aluminum tubes. Another advantage of producing such items was the ease with which they were manufactured; the low cost of their production also made them an attractive choice for producers. Moreover, after the end of the Second World War, the middle-class Americans suddenly became wealthy; consequently, there was more money to be spent on necessities as well as luxuries. This engendered a need for innovative and imaginative design production. Coupled with the planned obsolescence technique used by the producers, this need resulted in increased sales of products as well as a rapid increase in their production. Middle class Americans now bought cars as symbols of their new found riches, vying for individuality in their automobiles as well. Manufacturers, ever alert of these trends, now touted products under the “dream” category, claiming their products to be the ultimate “dream” products. Thus, the manufacturers led people to believe that their products were what the consumers needed, or fantasized about and dreamed to have, therefore, the consumers were caught up in the vicious circle of fulfilling their “desires” or “dreams” and buying more than they required. This, in turn, helped increase the manufacturing of the goods, and kept the economy flourishing. Deviant Youth Subcultures of Style and their Impact on Design Cultural groups can be divided into subcultures, based on their attitudes and characteristics. One such culture is the Deviant Subculture, which originates mostly as a mutiny or rebellion against the general and conventional principles, norms and fashions of the time. Such groups are as ironic as, say, an assembled group of anarchists. After the Second World War, the Youth had a newfound independence as well as, thanks to the booming economy and new jobs, incomes of their own. They wanted to express themselves as well as set themselves apart from their parents; therefore, subcultures like the beatniks, hippies, teddies, skinheads and punks, were born. The youngsters, discontented with the fads and customs that they identified as their parents’, wanted to express themselves along with classifying themselves differently than their parents, so they formed and became part of such subcultures, finding relief therein. These subcultures were involved in various activities that sometimes earned them their name; for instance, the mods were so termed because they wanted to modify and change things according to their whims. Hippies were renowned for rejecting the norms of their times and restructuring them according to their thoughts and perceptions. Though it is true that a lot of these subcultures petered out, whether through maturing or growing up, or by realizing that their theories did not work, however, they did leave an impact on the designing industry. The hippies are a good example in this regard; very much in vogue in the 1960s and 1970s, they were an activist group, who dissented against the typical American society and its norms, constantly busy in demonstrations against it. Such demonstrations not only included marches and campaigns, but also concerts, which were held throughout the United States. One of their trademarks was the use of psychedelic colors; the hippie culture was replete with it, t-shirts, posters and other items were painted with such colors and fashioned in the Indian sadhu style, representing their free-spirited attitude and outlook to life. The East was looked up to as the birthplace of wisdom and insightful philosophies. This attitude also found its way into the pop-culture of the time, with musical sensations like the Beatles, following a hippie philosophy, apparent in their song writing and album cover art. Read More