History of Design: American Industrial Design

I Study the active vocabulary and focus on Ukrainian equivalents of English words.

erase стерти

consumer demand споживчий попит

struggling що намагається з усіх сил

manufacturer виробник

innovative інноваційний

stamping штампування

mould форма для лиття

vinyl вініл

plywood фанера

streamlined обтічний

pioneer прокладати шлях

refer to відноситься до

utilitarian art утилітаризм

sleek гладкий

fair ярмарок

immensely дуже

exhibit експонат

futuristic футуристичний

look up поліпшуватися

kitchen appliance кухонний прилад

mass consumption масове споживання

advertiser рекламодавець

desirable бажаний

lifestyle спосіб життя

toothpaste packaging упаковка зубної пасти

washing powder пральний порошок

household object предмети побуту

shape  формувати

entire цілий

improve поліпшувати

  

II Vocabulary focus. Study the words and  word combinations, check your understanding using flashcards, practise their translation, spelling. Check your knowledge in the test. Play matching vocabulary game (match words to their translations to make cards disappear)  and save the planet from asteroids by typing in correct translation of the words.

III Watch the video and fill in the gaps with the words from the list. There are some words you don’t need to use.

Impression; popular; demand; Depression; advertisers; product; wooden; veneer; objects; influential; prefer; industrial; mission; cars; waste; manufacturers; futuristic; realized; sleek; people; pioneered; aluminium; household; tomorrow; wanted;  consumption;  refer to;  shapes; industrial design;  spending;  ambitions; lifestyles; packaging;  designers; tastes; style; globe; know;  materials;  production;  improved;  stamping; coffee;  intellectually;  powder;  vinyl; society; lights

  

In 1920s America the Great 1)______ effectively erased consumer 2)______. Struggling 3)______ needed new ways to get 4)______ buying again. Innovative 5)______ processes like 6)______ and use of moulds allowed them to use new 7)______ for their designs. Products using 8)______, chrome, 9)______, and plywood began appearing.

American 10)______ designers began introducing streamlined efficient 11)______ that shouted progress. Bel Geddes 12)______ what we now 13)______   ______as utilitarian art. Things had little reason to look 14)______ now all of a sudden did. At the 1939 World’s Fair featuring Bel Geddes’ immensely 15)______ Futurama exhibit a new era of American 16)______   _____  proudly claimed to be building the world of 17)______. Americans found great positivity in these 18)______ forms. Things were looking up. American industrial designers 19)______ that by making 20)______ look great people simply 21)______ them more. From 22)______ to kitchen appliances the most 23)______ society on earth was 24)______ money again. Mass 25)______ had arrived. 26)______ finally had lots to talk about. Personal 27)______ could be expressed through the things you bought, 28)______ became equally as important as function. Chair 29)______ liked Eames and Saarinen didn’t just design seating, they created desirable 30)______. People behind the 31)______ suddenly were stars; everyone wanted to 32)______ who they were. Raymond Loewey was one of the shining 33)______ of American industrial design. His face ended up on every 34)______ table in the nation. Toothpaste 35)______ promised whiter teeth, washing 36)______ packaging promised whiter whites. Who knew such simple 37)______ objects would shape the tastes and 38)______ of an entire 39)______?

American industrial design 40)______ America functionally, culturally, and 41)______ and exported it around the 42)______. Does American industrial design do it for you?

IV Watch the video and answer the questions.

1 When did American industrial design emerge? What historical events preceded it?

2 What problems for manufacturers did Great Depression create?

3 What new production processes and materials did manufacturers begin to use?

4 Who pioneered utilitarian art? What was the characteristic feature of utilitarian art?

5 Why were sleek forms important in industrial design?

6 How did manufacturers manage to improve mass consumption? What was the connection between product design and lifestyle?

7 How did advertisers work at the time?

8 What stars of advertisements were important at the time?

9 What products evolved under the influence of American industrial design (e.g. cars etc.)?

10 How did American industrial design influence American society and the world?