Raymond Loewy - Father of Industrial Design

[Casey]

I noticed one of Loewy's designs is a Google Doodle today, and it turns out today is his birthday, so if you're into Studebakers, coke bottles, streamlined trains, and just plain classic design work, check out his impressive body of work.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/05/google-doodle-raymond-loewy-designer

[webestang]

His train designs are futuristic even today..............

[Chillyb1]

He's one of the reasons I smoked Lucky Strike unfiltered cigarettes for so many years. He's one of my favorite American designers, along with Walter Dorwin Teague, Donald Deskey, and Henry Dreyfuss. Good stuff for the eyeballs.

[Danno]

The Doodle:

One of Loewy's best (and most well known) iconic designs ever:

* Yes, I know the '53 Studebaker Champion Coupe and Starlight Hardtop designs came out of a 3-man team, but Loewy was the head, inspiration, and final word on the output of that team. It was his commission from Studebaker that resulted in this timeless design. It has long been known as 'the Loewy coupe.'

[Maindrian Pace]

Think of what other cars looked like in 1953, and you can see how far ahead of it's time that Studebaker was. It must have been positively jarring for customers to behold in the showroom.

-MJS

[Chillyb1]

* Yes, I know the '53 Studebaker Champion Coupe and Starlight Hardtop designs came out of a 3-man team, but Loewy was the head, inspiration, and final word on the output of that team. It was his commission from Studebaker that resulted in this timeless design. It has long been known as 'the Loewy coupe.'

That is one of the most beautiful American cars ever produced in any era by any manufacturer. And think of all the abominations that Studebaker and Packard issued that were based on this car, thus negating Loewy's original.

[Jairus]

I doubt the "Doodle" was actually from the hand of Ray Loewy.

[Harry P.]

He also designed several iconic logos.

[Harry P.]

I noticed one of Loewy's designs is a Google Doodle today, and it turns out today is his birthday, so if you're into Studebakers, coke bottles...

Actually the iconic "Coke-bottle shape" of the Coke bottle wasn't designed by Loewy... but he "tweaked" the design many years after the fact, and many people think that he designed it. But that bottle shape was already in existence before he was born.

[Jairus]

Raymond Lowey died in 1986.
The logo says "GOOGLE".... you do the math Harry.

[Erik Smith]

Raymond Lowey died in 1986.

The logo says "GOOGLE".... you do the math Harry.

1986 - Google = huh?

All well and good...

I saw that Google image today and thought it was cool - didn't know why it was there. Now I do.

[Jairus]

Yes Erik, and Google was not formed until 1998. Obvious answer is that some un-named artist copied Lowey's style and designed the GOOGLE logo. But it seems to have fooled everyone.

[Erik Smith]

Yes Erik, and Google was not formed until 1998. Obvious answer is that some un-named artist copied Lowey's style and designed the GOOGLE logo. But it seems to have fooled everyone.

Or he was really ahead of his time...

[Harry P.]

Raymond Lowey died in 1986.

The logo says "GOOGLE".... you do the math Harry.

huh???

[Jairus]

Yup... right over your head.....

[Harry P.]

Yup... right over your head.....

What on earth are you talking about?

[Danno]

He's talking about the fact the doodle is configured to spell out "G-O-O-G-L-E," which came into existence long after Loewy's existence was discontinued.

So, the doodle was drawn in the Loewy spirit, but was not drawn by Loewy . . . unless he's got some really heavy duty timewarp connections with the Chief Designer Himself.

But, I know you already knew that.

What on earth are you talking about?

[Rob Hall]

I don't think anyone claimed Loewy designed the Google doodle...sheesh...you just trying to stir up trouble, Jarius?

Edited November 6, 2013 by Rob Hall

[Jairus]

Harry posted #8 right after I posted (#7) that I doubted it was designed by Ray.
I made the assumption that Harry was on-track to the context of the subject. Didn't know he was tracking on another course.... Never mind.

[Harry P.]

Um, I kind of know that Loewy didn't design the Google logo. Duh!

[Danno]

Somebody derailed somebody's train of thought. Or, am I off track?

That's what I think. I think.

[Dave Van]

PURE Industrial design goes..........

PRR T1 4-4-4-4........the S1 was more Buck Rodgers but the T1 was built in numbers and worked for a living. The S1 was a single display loco that didn't run on 90% of the tracks in the US......

But this Lowey design is my all time favorite....cars included.

[1930fordpickup]

Raymond Loewy celebrated in a Google doodle.

This is what the headline says when you click on the link. It does not say he had anything other than inspiration with this design.

[lordairgtar]

Loewy was one of the most influencial designers of the day. Another one who had far reaching designs was Brook Stevens. Just an awesome man. Everything from common household appliances like toasters and vacuums to high speed trains like the Hiawatha trains of the Milwaukee Road...everything from the train itself to the passenger cars and observation car and it's iconic logo. Also the Miller high Life label and several Studebaker based racers and the Excalibur car. Did the designs for Willys do Brasil too.

[Craig Irwin]

He did a nice job on the styled IH Farmall tractors too.