Through the work that I researched to make this blog as interesting and informative as possible, I came to understand that the 1950s were not such a boring era that everyone seems to think of. Many new great things came out of this post war era and one of the most interesting ones was the Engineering design that left a monumental mark for this decade. My main focus was to research what the most important part of this new engineering design was. Surprisingly it was automobiles of the 50s and the new look that they carried in comparison to previous models.

Not only was this a great step stone for future improvement but, the new designs of cars made in the 50s are still appreciated today. Many important car makers like General Motors, Chrysler, Chevy, Buick and Ford were truly competing against each other on who could make the most glamorous automobile to set a name for themselves. Important men like Virgil Exner of Chrysler and Raymond Loewy known as the “Farther of Industrial design” made an impact on car design and revolutionized the way cars were looked at in this decade. The designs these genial men invented were copied by other famous car manufacturers. Exner for example made the first known car to have curved side windows in 1957. On the other hand Loewy’s Studebaker Starliner Coupé was called a work of art by the Museum of Modern Art who took it for display years later.

Cars of the 1950s had great innovative design, powerful transmissions and they were the epitome of engineering design of the era. Nothing could compete with these cars, every affluent person wanted to get their hands of one of these models. The automobile industry started producing more trying to keep the public happy, and every year adding a new feature to the cars. It was very hard to say which was the best car of the decade but you can be sure that “it” must have had some of the fins and chrome that everyone was so into. Some of the best models created during this time period were the 1952 Chevy Corvette, 1951 Chevy Bel Air, Oldsmobile Rocker 88, and the 1953 Cadillac convertible. They are still around at this time kept in great shape as expensive vintage cars.

The most fun I’ve had with this project is that I learned so much about where the great cars that I really like today came from. Chevy and Cadillac have been around for so long always giving the people a slick look on design and a great drive. I admire the great men of the 50s who have made this possible. They worked countless hours designing new looks for cars and setting the field for more engineering designers to take over and improve to the max their hard work.

Kris N.

My understanding of industrial design and suburbs in the 1950s has drastically altered from beginning to the end of my research. I now understand how important these aspects were to the development of america in the 1950s. I for the most part focused on the suburbs in the 1950s. I did my best to present this topic in an interesting and colorful manner that will appeal to everyone. The suburbs provided me with a very interesting topic to show off about the 1950s that changed america as we know it.

The suburbs provided a way for america to connect with cities more without any room within the cities themselves. The suburbs also provided a safe environment for families to raise their children in. The atmosphere surrounding the suburbs was one of acceptance and conformity. This helped america grow as a nation and helped people find jobs and a place to live. This shaped roles for the typical american family during the decade. Many men worked while the women did work around the household.

The suburbs were a great way for america to help themselves become a better nation. It changed how people lived for years to come. The suburbs expanded the job markets as well as taking stress off the cities. Most of america flocked to the suburbs in the 1950s to help make a better life. The lifestyles created in the suburbs have shaped how america runs today within society. Society always tries top find safe communities that are of the same mindset as them so they can be comfortable in their surroundings and live a happy life.

This project really opened my eyes to how important growth in america was during this time period. It also provided me with information on how conformity affected the way people lived and where they lived. Especially since i grew up in a suburban town it was am exciting opportunity for me to gain more knowledge in how towns like mine really came to be important in america. Without suburbs life would have been much more restricted and different in today’s society. The importance of suburbs in america cannot be understated and it is a building block to america’s success.

Chad B.

Doing this project about industrial design was one of the most insightful projects I’ve done. At first, it was difficult because I have never done anything about industrial design. But once I sat down to explore the different topcs, it became clear that doing this project was not going to be that bad. I learned about automobiles, railroads and suburbs. But doing my section about interior design was very compelling to me because these designs can be applied to today’s work.

Interior design has had many different periods of evolution, similar to the arts. These time periods range from the arts and crafts movement to postmodernism. This time period in the 1950s was late modernism. A lot of those philosophies from late modernism can be found in today’s designs. This is because artists tend to base their ideas from this type of time period. Back then these designs were very popular and while it may have been expensive, they were something that everything wanted.

Interior design also helped shape society at that time. Society was always looking for a new trend, something new that they can build on for the future. Postmodernism was this trend and it helped people express themselves in different ways. This made people feel good about themselves and it raised the bar of expectations when it came to new trends.

All in all, doing this project opened my eyes. Today’s designs makes these designs look very generic. However, during this time the designs were in style and in fashion. Postmodernism was a very important time period because it helped make people build on the previous designs in interior design. Industrial design as a whole was ground breaking, especially at this time as products became more technologically advanced, it was in higher demand for the consumer.

Corin P.