The World of Tomorrow - Streamlining

Streamlining was a design era that dominated American design during the 1930s and 1940s. It was characterised by curving forms, smooth and clean silhouettes. This style which suggested speed and glamour entered the American design into the financial depression years.

During the decade from the 1930 to 1940, America was in the strange hold of a very severe financial depression, brought on by high-risk speculations by banks and the subsequent collapse of its financial markets. Despite the financial depression that was going on during the decade, two World’s Fairs were mounted during this time.

Streamlined design presents the work of such great leaders in consumer and industrial design. These are Raymond Loewy, Norman Bel Geddes, Henry Dreyfuss and Walter Dorwin Teague. Less well known artists include: Egmont Arens and Robert Heller.

Sharpen by Raymond Loewy

Streamlining is the shaping of an object to reduce the amount of resistance it encounters when it travels through a medium like air or water. The industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes illustrates the principle of streamlining and published it in his book Horizons (1932).

Principle of streamlining by Norman Bel Geddes

The teardrop shape is the optimum form for reducing air resistance because it allows air to slip over it. This inspired engineers and designers to produce airplanes and cars. - (MJ5446 2010)

The Chrysler Corporation was a pioneer in the design of aerodynamics. The first produced streamlined car was the Chrysler ‘Airflow’ (1934).

You can say that streamlining was applied to all form of designs. Even electrical products began to display the same technique as was used for airplanes and cars.

In streamlined products, the form rarely follows function. You can say that streamlined style romanticised technology by helping it making it glamorous and user-friendly. Today modern designers criticise streamlining for not fulfilling the principle truth-to-materials, however, the form was actually well adapted to the new materials of that period of time. Plastics such as bakelite, plexiglass, and more were invented. In fact these materials could be poured or injected into moulds.

Streamlining gave a huge boost to today’s industrial design profession. Streamlining is the catalyst for the rise of mass consumption and the consumer culture that we are still living in it.

Armani Casa Balloon Chair - inspired by streamlining movement

References:

• Dexigner, 2014. American Streamlined Design [online] available at: http://www.dexigner.com/news/22141

• Drupal, 2011. The Streamline Era [online] available at: http://www.industrialdesignhistory.com/node/1022

• Zipfworks, 2014. Streamlined Design [online] available at: http://architecture.knoji.com/streamlined-design-modernity-in-america/