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Long time without posting anything here, but i just bought a new book about design and it inspired me to write about it and start using these blog a little bit more :)

As usual ill be writing about my:
1)Favorite songs
2)Notes and poems
3)Funny pics of the day (and pictures of me as well :P call it narcissist i don't care...hehe),
4)Interesting piece about design
5)and a new addition to my blog links to nice videos on Youtube.

1)Favorite song of the day:
Top 5 (no specific order :D)

Kings of Leon: Knocked up
Minus the bear: The Fix
Kaskade: Move for me
Sia: Buttons
Kanye West: Heartless


2)Notes/Poem of the day:
By now.

In case you don’t know me by now
My name is French
I bite my nails
And im afraid I might drown

In case you don’t know me by now
I like money
So don't worry
someday ill buy this town

In case you don’t know me by now
I like dresses but I rarely wear them
And my eyes are dark brown

In case you don’t know me by now
Id really like you to love me,
And we could spent some more time,
In case you don’t know me by now
I don’t like to cook cuz im clumsy
And I always get burned somehow

In case you don’t know me by now
I'm about to say hello for the first time,
And you should really be aware,
That im crazy as hell
Bye! now I wish you well

In case you don’t know me by now


3)Funny picture of the day





4) Design

Go to that web page and check the evolution of the suitcase :)

http://weburbanist.com/2009/03/16/traveling-in-time-evolution-of-the-suitcase/

5)Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9GH-yvPHSY

To loose in Toulouse

You said: you are not the other one
…..You are just another one.

I think Ill need a tissue,
To dry my tears,
From all this issues,
Ill die in fear.
To loose in Toulouse,
To loose myself in you
To to find what may define
What I called
You and i.

Ludismo

El ludismo (luddism en inglés) fue un movimiento obrero que adquirió auge en Inglaterra a partir de 1811, y cuyas acciones se basaban en la revuelta espontánea y desorganizada, atacando con frecuencia a los instrumentos de producción. Sus seguidores se llamaban ludistas o luditas (luddites en inglés), nombre que tomaron del semilegendario líder del movimiento, Ned Ludd.


Historia
El movimiento ludista tuvo una vida relativamente corta. Pronto muchos de los dirigentes obreros comprendieron que no eran las máquinas sino los empresarios sus enemigos. Gran Bretaña conoció cuatro grandes oleadas ludistas entre 1811 y 1816 y posteriormente el movimiento se extendió por toda Europa (en España son conocidos los hechos de Alcoy, en 1820).
El movimiento se oponía a toda clase de tecnología, que según su vertiente ideológica, hace que el hombre pierda su capacidad laboral y por ende creativa, para servirse de manera esclavista de las formas de tecnología, que hacen más productivo el trabajo en términos de rapidez y no del capital humano. El maquinismo supuso muy pronto el deterioro de las condiciones de trabajo de los obreros y, al principio, dejó a muchos sin trabajo. Por ello, en las primeras décadas del siglo se produjeron muchos levantamientos de obreros y campesinos que protestaban contra la introducción de las máquinas y la generalización del sistema fabril.
El ludismo surgió como una primera respuesta violenta a las crecientes tasas de paro que supusieron la implantación de máquinas capaces de hacer el trabajo de varios hombres, con la consiguiente pérdida del empleo por parte de los mismos, implicando que los obreros empezaran a ver a las máquinas como causantes de sus problemas. Ya empezaba a manifestarse un sentimiento de unidad entre las clases proletarias, mejor conocido como conciencia de clase, que les lleva a una mejor organización como grupo, llevando a cabo protestas pacíficas para la mejora de sus condiciones de vida y trabajo.
La disolución violenta, por parte del ejército, de una manifestación de trabajadores en Nottingham que pedían trabajo y un salario más justo, tuvo como respuesta el incendio nocturno de sesenta máquinas de tejer medias. Estas acciones destructivas, que se extendieron por las zonas de intensa industrialización de Lancashire y Yorkshire en 1812, tomaron el nombre de un imaginario Capitán Ludd (probablemente en recuerdo de Ned Ludd), que firmaba las cartas intimidatorias dirigidas a los propietarios de las máquinas. En ellas se exigía la pronta retirada de las máquinas para una fecha en concreto, o en caso contrario, enviaría hombres a destruirlas, quienes en caso de encontrar resistencia, tendrían incluso su autorización para asesinar a los dueños y destruir las propiedades.
La respuesta gubernamental a dicho movimiento, permitió comprobar que el gobierno se ponía de parte de los empresarios mediante la represión, que llegó a suponer la ejecución de dieciocho ludistas en 1813.
A partir de 1817 el movimiento empezó a decaer, pero se continuó en el campo inglés en los años 1830 y se extendió a otras regiones del continente europeo, donde la Revolución Industrial estaba adquiriendo relevancia. En Cataluña se llegó a quemar la máquina más avanzada del momento. A pesar de todo, sin una base ideológica definida, su alcance era claramente limitado debido a que se dirigía a las máquinas en lugar de atacar las verdaderas causas de su situación, por lo cual empezó a desaparecer a medida que la protesta se fue desplazando de ir contra las máquinas para dirigirse contra sus propietarios, forjándose de esta manera los primeros sindicatos obreros.
A finales del siglo XX, en plena revolución digital, surgió un movimiento conocido como neoludismo, que se opone a la inteligencia artificial y todo avance científico que se apoye en la informática. Reconoce que no solo los empresarios son los explotadores sino que es la forma en que funciona la tecnología la que aliena tanto al explotador y al explotado convirtiéndose, a criterio de ellos, ambos en partes funcionales de la maquinaria tecnológica.

Lomography-the diana-holga-fisheye-cameras

Diana+ Edelweiss
So here's how the story goes: back in the '60s, a small firm in Hong Kong created an inexpensive camera called the Diana. Crafted entirely of plastic, each camera cost only a dollar at the time of its release! Although it was only produced for about 10 years, Diana became a favorite with avant-garde and lo-fi photographers. They loved its soft & dreamy images, super-saturated colors, unpredictable blurring, and random contrast. Diana shots were raw & gritty, with a character all their own. They couldn't be duplicated by any other camera on Earth! But after the camera was discontinued in the '70s, functional examples became difficult to find and increasingly expensive to purchase. Dianas were in high demand! And given the cameras exceptional images and retro good looks, the fine folks at Lomo decided that it was time for a comeback! Not satisfied with a simple reissue, Lomo decided to add something to the original. That meant adding all-new functionality to the camera and dramatically expanding its creative potential. They called it Diana+ Edelweiss. Its body was re-cast in pure white plastic using a duplication of the original mold. The lens was balanced to obtain those "perfectly imperfect" dreamy, gorgeous, color-drenched, sometimes-blurry, and often mind-blowing images. And this Diana knows a few new tricks, too! Features include 2 shutter speeds: one for day and one for night; the ability to shoot multiple or partial (overlapping) exposures; two image sizes for 12 square shots or 16 square shots on a roll of film; new Pinhole function: remove the lens, set the aperture to a super-small pinhole and shoot a super-wide-angle, severely old-school image through a tiny hole; new endless panorama function: shoot a long, concurrent, and unlimited panoramic image, with almost no space between each individual frame. Imported. Wipe clean.

Wallow to excess in all that pertains to the wonderful Holga camera. Inside, see more than 500 astonishing middle-format photo images, read about inspiring Holga tips and peruse profiles of some of the wildest and most whimsical Holgagraphers the world has ever seen.

Fish eye camera.


Extras:


http://www.lomography.com/

Diseño Industrial en Republica Dominicana

Los seres humanos han ido desarrollando actividades y se han preocupado constantemente por crear los objetos que le faciliten su trabajo, su vida familiar, su transporte, y en suma todas las actividades que realizan solos o en comunidad. En el transcurso del tiempo se han realizado grandes avances y muchos de estos objetos diseñados y creados por el hombre han contribuido con el cambio de las estructuras sociales y económicas existentes.
Nuestra época no ha sido una excepción en este proceso, tampoco lo serán las futuras generaciones. Dentro de nuestro país el Diseño Industrial es una actividad que no se realiza como profesión académica, pero tiene dentro del ámbito de la producción individuos que se ocupan de la parte técnica de los productos, otros de su parte estética, otros de su envase y así tenemos todo un conjunto de personas (muchas de ellas profesionales de la ingeniería) que se dedican, en un esfuerzo común, a la creación de productos.

Esta situación ha motivado la necesidad de un profesional que oriente el proceso de diseño de productos hacia la creación de los objetos tomando en cuenta conocimientos técnicos y artísticos, dando estilo y ajustando el producto a las actitudes y necesidades del consumidor. Este profesional debe también ser una persona práctica con buenos conocimientos de costos y métodos de producción, pasando por el envasado o empaque, diseño interior y exterior, terminando en su comercialización.
Cuando se habla de que el Diseñador Industrial puede hacer trabajos y diseños de productos a muchas organizaciones no nos referimos solamente a aquellas meramente industriales como fábricas de equipos, maquinarias, mobiliario, electrodomésticos, productos plásticos, envases de vidrio, equipos de oficina, etc., sino también a otros renglones menos comerciales donde el Diseño Industrial tiene una importancia social y funcional de primer orden como son:
Educativo: diseño de mobiliario para las escuelas,material didáctico, juguetes educativos, etc.
Salud: equipo de laboratorio, equipo quirúrgico, equipos móviles de servicios médicos básicos, aparatos médicos y demás.
Urbano: mejoramiento de sistemas de servicios como alcantarillado, eléctrico o de basura, diseño de mobiliario para las calles, diseño de viviendas prefabricadas a un menor costo, sistemas más efectivos de señalización, etc.

Artesanal: rediseño de objetos artesanales tradicionales, introducción de nuevos productos de interés local o turístico en esta área.
Exportación: diseño de productos para la exportación que tengan en cuenta controles de calidad, exigencias y preferencias del mercado internacional que podrían aumentar el ingreso de divisas al país. Este pequeño listado de posibilidades nos demuestra el impacto que potencialmente el Diseño Industrial puede tener en nuestro país.
Relación Universidad-Sociedad:

Por Diseñador Industrial se entiende un profesional de alto nivel académico, técnico y cultural, consciente de la magnitud y complejidad del problema "necesidad-producción-consumo-uso", y capaz de integrarse, comunicarse y coordinar un equipo polivalente de profesionales que debe de intervenir en el proceso "diseño-mercado-evaluación", como respuesta al problema del diseño de productos. A través de dicho proceso, el diseñador debe contemplar e involucrar en la solución de su diseño todos los aspectos funcionales, técnicos, económicos, culturales y estéticos que definen a los objetos producidos industrialmente.
Podemos agrupar los aspectos mencionados, viéndolos desde el punto de vista de la relación universidad-sociedad como sigue:
Contribuir al desarrollo del país mediante la formación de profesionles capaces de afrontar los problemas de la producción industrial dentro de un marco teórico-práctico del diseño.
Responder al clima de aceptación de la bondad e importancia del diseño.
Desde el punto de vista de la formación profesional.
Partiendo de la realidad de que un país en vías de desarrollo como la República Dominicana no puede darse el lujo de formar profesionales super-especializados, se propone un diseñador industrial integral, o sea, un profesional capaz de asesorarse para resolver los problemas diversos que le competen dentro del campo de la producción en serie en cualquiera de sus ramas. Esta preparación, desde ese punto de vista nos proporcionará:
Un diseñador capaz de integrarse a la industria nacional, con ideas renovadoras y planteamientos que permitan el logro de soluciones de diseño acordes con las necesidades y posibilidades técnicas, sociales, económicas y culturales de nuestro país.
Estimular las capacidades creativas de los alumnos y orientarlos hacia el uso racional de las posibilidades técnicas y de equipos o de maquinarias, y de las disponibilidades de materias primas y mano de obra existentes en el país que permitan el desarrollo de una tecnología propia, sin perder de vista el contexto universal.

Considerar el proceso de formación de los profesionales del diseño como un enriquecimiento mutuo entre alumnos-profesores-facultad-industria-sociedad, que conlleve la aplicación dinámica del objetivo general de la universidad.
Crear conciencia sobre el papel y la responsabilidad del diseñador frente a la comunidad en que desarrolla su función, sin obviar los aspectos éticos y culturales.
Objetivo General
El objetivo de la Carrera de Diseño Industrial es formar un profesional capaz de diseñar, mejorar, utilizar, solucionar y poner en marcha proyectos de diseño de productos en las empresas, industrias y factorías, comprendiendo sus procesos técnicos desde la planeación hasta la comercialización, usando las herramientas de las ciencias de la ingeniería y el diseño.

El diseño industrial en Republica Dominicana:

En República Dominicana esta actividad se vio por primera vez cuando el INTEC creo el CID ( Centro de Investigación del Diseño ) en el ano 1985, que fue fruto de una investigación hecha por la misma institución llamado “Estudio Industrial sobre la República Dominicana”. Unos anos más tarde, debido a la expansión física y académica del INTEC, este propuso el diseño industrial como uno de los nuevos programas de estudio.
Como asesor para este tema utilizaron al Arq. Rómulo Polo, quien era el director de la escuela de diseño industrial en una universidad Colombiana. Este elaboro varios informes y un documento llamado “Diseño: una opción de desarrollo” en el cual se evaluaba la industria dominicana y donde se exponían las razones por la cual debía de implementarse este programa de estudio.
También explicaba que había que formar docentes para impartir las clases y debido a esto INTEC concedió 3 becas estudiantiles para la formación de docentes en el área del diseño. Mientras tanto, el Arq. Jesús Villeta, quien seria asesorado por un diseñador industrial llamado Gerd Schussler. Este trabajo junto con el Arq. Villeta por dos anos en el Centro de Diseño Industrial.
Los becarios regresaron en el ano 1987 para conformar un equipo de trabajo con Villeta y un asesor recién llegado, también diseñador industrial, llamado Gunther Daunen. De los tres becarios solo uno se integro en el INTEC como docente, esta siendo la Arq. Margarita Rodríguez.
Las primeras asignaturas se impartieron en el 1989, en donde los docentes eran los mismos integrantes antes mencionados, de cuales solo el asesor Daunen había ejercido la profesión y había sido docente. Con este asesor se formaron los primeros docentes por los primeros siete anos de la escuela de diseño.
Los primeros egresados concluyeron sus estudios en el 1991. Para este tiempo también se conservaba el CID que servía para promocionar la carrera y para consolidarla en el medio industrial.



Mas tarde en la década, la Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) creo una escuela de diseño industrial y de moda, la cual tiene una licenciatura en diseño industrial de productos, asimismo como varia carreras técnicas relacionadas con el diseño industrial.
Los dos programas son bastantes parecidos, solo que el pensum del INTEC tiene 228 créditos, mientras que el de la UASD tiene 175 créditos. No obstante a eso, el pensum de la UASD tiene materias que no están incluidas en el de INTEC, como son los talleres de cerámica, que consta de dos secciones, asimismo como Introducción a la psicología industrial, que no esta incluida. También, el pensum de la Universidad autónoma esta muy enfocado en productos artesanales y esoto se puede ver en las materias como la del Taller artesanal y los talleres de cerámica antes mencionados.
También se diferencian en que el programa del INTEC se divide en trece trimestres, mientras que el de la UASD esta constituido por ocho semestres.
Según el ultimo estudio que hizo el CID en el 2005, en la actualidad hay 95 egresados de la carrera de diseño. De estos el 92% trabajan en la actualidad pero solo el 48% trabaja en areas relacionadas con el diseño. Les sigue un 28% que trabaja en el área de mercadeo y venta. De los que trabajan en diseño, solo el 68% trabaja en diseño industrial. De este porciento, un 68% trabaja como empleado de una empresa y el resto en un estudio propio.
El 34% que resta trabaja en otras áreas relacionadas con el diseño como el diseño de interiores, gráficos, publicidad y animación.
De la muestra total de los egresados, el 66% hizo estudios de posgraduado. De estos, alrededor de un 60% lo hizo a nivel de maestría. El 64% hizo sus estudios de posgraduado en el área de negocios, mientras que solo un 16% hizo su maestría en diseño industrial, un 12% en estudios de diseño en general y el restante tomo la ingeniería como especialización.
Como se puede ver, la mayoría de los egresados opto por tomar sus estudios de posgraduado en el área de negocios, esto debido a que la mayoría de las universidades locales ofrecen muchos programas de maestrías en el área de negocios mientras que los egresados que pudieron realizar estudios de maestrías en diseño industrial lo hicieron fuera del país ya que ninguna de las universidades locales ofrecen esta especialización a nivel de maestría.

Universidades que imparten el Diseño Industrial en Republica Dominicana.
Intec: Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo.

UASD:UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE SANTO DOMINGO.

Ejemplos de Oferta de Trabajo en Republica Dominicana.

Empleos Diseño Industrial 1 - 5 de 5

TECNICO DE DISEÑO
Confidencial
305-04
Santo Domingo
Diseño Industrial
22 a 40
Realizar diseños industriales gráficos a productos. Dibujante Industrial. Manejo de Autocad. Experiencia en empresa del area de la construcción. Estudiante de término o graduado de Arquitectura, Di [...] Otras áreas: Arquitectura, Construcción


Marketing Manager
Diseño Industrial
Edad n/d
Manage web researchers, provide progress reports to owner. Proficient in English. Salary plus commissionsOtras áreas: Comunicación, Publicidad, Medios

Senior Lead Designer (Drafter)
Eaton Corporation
Diseño Industrial
Edad n/d
Preparar dibujos o un completo diseño de Layout a través de instrucciones verbales o escritas para productos complejos y equipos. Interpretar y crear dibujos de layoutsy dibujos de materias primas, p [...] [ Salario Competitivo ]Otras áreas: Ingeniería Electrónica


AYUDANTE DE SERVICIOS INDUSTRIALES·

Diseño Industrial
18 a 25
SEXO MASCULINO DE 18-25 AÑOS. PUEDE SER ESTUDIANTE RECIEN GRADUADO DE ITESA, U OTRA INSTITUCION TECNICA. TECNICO EN ING.MECANICA,INDUSTRIAL, ELECTRICA O ESTUDIANTE DE ING. BUEN RECORD DE NOTAS. MA [...] [ Salario ATRACTIVO ]Otras áreas: Ingeniería Mecánica

Diseñador de Empaques
Diseño Industrial
22 a 35
Responsable de diseñar los empaques de los productos para los proyectos de innovación (temporal- 8 meses). -Manejo de Corel, Illustrator, Autocad, Photoshop y/o Freehand -Experiencia en Diseño de Emp [...] (Clave/s : diseño de empaques - todas)

Styling

After a brief but promising career as a fashion illustrator, Raymond Loewy dedicated his talent to the field of industrial design. Loewy's creative genius was innate, and his effect on the industry was immediate. He literally revolutionized the industry, working as a consultant for more than 200 companies and creating product designs for everything from cigarette packs and refrigerators, to cars and spacecrafts. Loewy lived by his own famous MAYA principle - Most Advanced Yet Acceptable. He believed that, "The adult public's taste is not necessarily ready to accept the logical solutions to their requirements if the solution implies too vast a departure from what they have been conditioned into accepting as the norm." A popular lecturer as well, Loewy spoke at institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, and the University of Leningrad. He founded three design companies: Raymond Loewy and Associates, New York; Raymond Loewy International, London; and Compagnie de I'Esthetique Industrielle, Paris. His writings include The Locomotive: Its Aesthetics (1937), the autobiography Never Leave Well Enough Alone (1951) and Industrial Design (1951). A global presenceRaymond Loewy launched his career in industrial design in 1929 when Sigmund Gestetner, a British manufacturer of duplicating machines, commissioned him to improve the appearance of a mimeograph machine. In three days 28-year-old Loewy designed the shell that was to encase Gestetner duplicators for the next 40 years. In the process, he helped launch a profession that has changed the look of America.The Gestetner duplicator was the first of countless items transformed by streamlining, a technique that Loewy is credited with originating. Calling the concept "beauty through function and simplification," Loewy spent over 50 years streamlining everything from postage stamps to spacecrafts. His more famous creations include the Lucky Strike cigarette package, the GG1 and S1 locomotives, the slenderized Coca-Cola bottle.

the John F. Kennedy memorial postage stamp, the interior of Saturn I, Saturn V, and Skylab, the Greyhound bus and logo, the Shell International logo, the Exxon logo, the U.S. Postal Service emblem, a line of Frigidaire refrigerators, ranges, and freezers, and the Studebaker Avanti, Champion and Starliner. By 1951, his industrial design firm was so prolific that he was able to claim, "the average person, leading a normal life, whether in the country, a village, a city, or a metropolis, is bound to be in daily contact with some of the things, services, or structures in which R.L.A [Raymond Loewy Associates] was a party during the design or planning stage."

Raymond Loewy (November 5, 1893 - July 14, 1986) was one of the best known industrial designers of the 20th century. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States, where he influenced countless aspects of American life.
Loewy became a U.S. citizen in 1938. He married Viola Erickson in 1948. They had a daughter, Laurence. Laurence Loewy continues to manage her father's interests in the United States.

1 Early life
2 Early work
3 Pennsylvania Railroad
4 Studebaker
5 Loewy designs
6 Bibliography
7 References


Early life
Loewy was born in Paris in 1893. An early accomplishment was the design of a successful model aircraft, which won the James Gordon Bennett Cup in 1908. By the following year, he was selling the plane, named the Ayrel. He served in the French Army during World War I, attaining the rank of captain. Loewy was wounded in combat and received the Croix de Guerre. He boarded a ship to America in 1919, with only his French officer's uniform and forty dollars in his pocket.

Early work

Hoover Vacuum Company Logo by Raymond Loewy
In Loewy's early years in the U.S., he lived in New York and found work as a window designer for department stores, including Macy's, in addition to working as a fashion illustrator for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. In 1929 he received his first industrial design commission, modernizing the appearance of a duplicating machine by Gestetner. Further commissions followed, including work for Westinghouse, the Hupp Motor Company (the Hupmobile styling), and styling the Coldspot refrigerator for Sears-Roebuck. His design firm opened a London office in the mid 1930s.

Pennsylvania Railroad
In 1937 Loewy established a relationship with the Pennsylvania Railroad, and his most notable designs for the firm were their passenger locomotives. He designed a streamlined shroud for K4s Pacific #3768 to haul the newly redesigned 1938 Broadway Limited (also by Loewy). He followed by styling the experimental S1 locomotive, as well as the T1 class. Later, at the PRR's request, he restyled Baldwin's diesels with a distinctive "sharknose" reminiscent of the T1. While he did not design the famous GG1 electric locomotives, he improved its appearance by recommending welded construction, rather than riveted, and a pinstriped paint scheme to highlight its smooth contours.
In addition to locomotive design, Loewy's studios performed many kinds of design work for the PRR, including stations, passenger car interiors, and advertising materials.

Studebaker
Raymond Loewy's 1930s era Studebaker logo
Loewy began his long and productive relationship with Studebaker in 1939 Loewy and Associates was contracted to provide design services for the automaker during the waning years of the Great Depression. His designs first began appearing on late 1930s model Studebakers. Studebaker also adopted his clean, uncluttered logo design, replacing one in use since the turn of the century.
During World War II, government restrictions on in-house design departments at Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler prevented official work on civilian automobiles. Because Loewy's firm was independent of the nation’s fourth-largest automobile producer, no such restrictions applied. This permitted Studebaker to launch the first all-new postwar automobile in 1947, two years ahead of the "Big Three". His team developed an advanced design, featuring flush front fenders and clean rearward lines. They also created the Starlight body, featuring a rear window system wrapping 180 degrees around the rear seat.

1953 Studebaker Commander Starlight coupe
In addition to the iconic bullet-nosed Studebakers of 1950 and 1951, the team created the 1953 Studebaker line, highlighted by the Starliner and Starlight coupes (publicly credited to Loewy, they were actually the work of his deputy, Virgil Exner), which have consistently ranked as one of the best-designed automobiles of the 1950s in lists compiled since by Collectible Automobile, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend. At the time, however, the Starlight was ridiculed as bizarre (very similar from front or back), while the '53 Starliner, today recognized as "one of the most beautiful cars ever made",was almost as radical in appearance as the 1934 Airflow, and beset by production problems, besides. To brand the new line, Loewy also modernized Studebaker’s logo again by applying the “Lazy S” element.

His final commission of the 1950s for Studebaker was the transformation of the Starlight and Starliner coupes into the Hawk series for the 1956 model year.
He was called back to Studebaker by the firm's new president President, Sherwood Egbert, to design the Avanti. In the spring of 1961, Egbert hired him to help energize Studebaker's soon-to-be released line of 1963 passenger cars to attract younger buyers. He agreed to take the job, despite the short 40-day schedule allowed to produce a finished design and scale model.

1963 Studebaker Avanti
He quickly recruited a team consisting of experienced designers, including former Loewy employees John Ebstein and Bob Andrews, and Tom Kellogg, a young student from Art Center. The team sequestered themselves in a house in Palm Springs, leased for the purpose. Each team member had a role: Andrews and Kellogg handled sketching, Ebstein oversaw the project, and Loewy served as the creative director and offered advice.
Once the Avanti hit the market, it became an instant classic and has many devotees today; others consider its front end styling peculiar. It has been produced in limited quantities over the years by a succession of small independent companies, never with real commercial success.

Loewy designs
Air France Concorde (interior), 1975
Air Force One (blue, white, & chrome livery), also applied in 2006 to Union Pacific diesel locomotive #4141 to honor George H. W. Bush (the 41st president)
Baldwin Locomotive Works Model DR-4-4-15 "Sharknose" diesel locomotives
Chubb logo, 1968
Coca-Cola Redesigned original contour bottle in 1955, eliminating Coca-Cola embossing & adding vivid white Coke & Coca-Cola lettering, designed & introduced first king-size or slenderized bottles, that is, 10, 12, 16 and 26 oz. the same year. Designed the first Coke steel can with diamond design in 1960.
Coop logo
Exxon logo, 1972
The O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke, Virginia, 1947 (renovation)
Fairbanks-Morse "Erie-built" and "C-liner" models, Model H-10-44 and H-20-44, and early Model H-12-44, H-12-46, H-15-44, H-16-44, H-16-66, and H-24-66 diesel locomotives
Farmall tractor letter series, 1939-1954
Filben Maestro jukebox of 1947
Frigidaire refrigerators, ranges, and freezers
Gestetner mimeograph duplicating machine shell, 1929
Greyhound Scenicruiser, 1954
Hallicrafters Model S-38 shortwave radio, 1946 [1]
IBM 026 key punch, 1949
Leisurama homes
Lucky Strike package, 1940
NASA's Skylab space station, first interior design standards for space travel including a porthole to allow a view of earth from space, interior designs and color schemes, a private area for each crew member to relax and sleep, food table and trays, coveralls, garment storage modules, designs for waste management
New York City Transit Authority R40 car, whose slant-front design raised safety concerns and had to be retrofitted with guide rails.
Northern Pacific Railway, Vista-Dome North Coast Limited (exterior color scheme and interiors), 1954.
Panama Line: Loewy designed the interiors for a trio of American-built passenger-cargo liners named the SS Ancon, SS Cristobal and SS Panama.
Pennsylvania Railroad:
PRR K4s steam locomotive
PRR S1 steam locomotive
PRR T1 steam locomotive
PRR GG1 electric locomotive, 1936
Postage stamp

Concept sketch of the 1963 Avanti by Loewy
Five cents John Kennedy, 1964
Sears products, including 1935 Sears Coldspot
Shell logo, 1971
Studebaker
1947 Studebaker Champion
1953 Studebaker Commander
1963 Studebaker Avanti
Hillman Minx Series one onward.
the Wahl-Eversharp Symphony fountain pen.
The International Harvester "IH" "Man on a tractor" logo.

Bibliography
The Locomotive: Its Aesthetics (1937)
Never Leave Well Enough Alone (1951) ISBN 0-8018-7211-1 autobiography
Industrial Design (1979) ISBN 0-87951-260-1

References
^ Setright, L.J.K., "Loewy: When styling became industrial design", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 11, p.1211.
^ Ludvigsen, Karl, "Studebaker: Money--the Root of all Evil", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 19, p.2227.
^ Ludvigsen, p.2227.
^ Ludvigsen, p.2227.

Extras:http://www.raymondloewy.com/images/pdf/vogue2007.pdf

Funny pics of the day:

Vespa

Post World War II Italy, in light of its agreement to cessation of war activities with The Allies, had its aircraft industry severely restricted in both capability and capacity.
Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera fighter plane plant completely demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy and the disastrous state of the roads did not assist in the re-development of the automobile markets. Enrico Piaggio, the son of Piaggio's founder Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to leave the aeronautical field in order to address Italy's urgent need for a modern and affordable mode of transportation for the masses.

Concept
The inspiration for the design of the Vespa dates back to Pre-WWII Cushman scooters made in Nebraska, USA. These olive green scooters were in Italy in large numbers, ordered originally by Washington as field transport for the Paratroops and Marines. The US military had used them to get around Nazi defence tactics of destroying roads and bridges in the Dolomites (a section of the Alps) and the Austrian border areas.
Pre-war Piaggio employee Aeronautical engineer General Corradino D'Ascanio, responsible for the design and construction of the first modern helicopter by Agusta, was given the job of designing a simple, robust and affordable vehicle for Ferdinando Innocenti, whose pre-war time focused metal tubing business Innocenti had suffered the same fate as Piaggio post-war. Innocenti defined a post-war vehicle to D'Ascanio that had to be easy to drive for both men and women, be able to carry a passenger, and not get its driver's clothes dirty.

The design

D'Ascanio, who hated motorbikes, designed a revolutionary vehicle. It was built on a spar-frame with a handlebar gear change, and the engine mounted directly on to the rear wheel. The front protection "shield" kept the rider dry and clean in comparison to the open front end on motorcycles. The pass-through leg area design was geared towards all user groups, including women, as wearing dresses or skirts made riding a motorcycle a challenge. The front fork, like an aircraft's landing gear, allowed for easy wheel changing. The internal mesh transmission eliminated the standard motorcycle chain, a source of oil, dirt, and aesthetic misery. This basic design allowed a series of features to be deployed on the frame, which would later allow quick development of new models.
However, D'Ascanio fell out with Innocenti, who rather than a moulded and beaten spar-frame wanted to produce his Innocenti frame from rolled tubing, there by allowing him to revive both parts of his pre-War company. D'Ascanio disassociated himself with Innocenti, and took his design to Enrico Piaggio to produce the spar-framed Vespa from 1946. Innocenti, after overcoming design difficulties and later production difficulties through his choice of a tubular frame, went on to produce the more costly to create Lambretta.

The product
Glove box on newer Vespa PX
On 23 April, 1946 at 12 o'clock in the central office for inventions, models and makes of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Florence, Piaggio e C. S.p.A. took out a patent for a "motorcycle of a rational complexity of organs and elements combined with a frame with mudguards and a casing covering the whole mechanical part".

The basic patented design allowed a series of features to be deployed on the spar-frame, which would later allow quick development of new models. The original Vespa featured a rear pillion seat for a passenger, or optionally a storage compartment. The original front protection "shield" was a flat piece of aero metal; later this developed in to a twin skin to allow additional storage behind the front shield, similar to the glove compartment in a car. The fuel cap was located underneath the (hinged) seat, which saved the cost of an additional lock on the fuel cap or need for additional metal work on the smooth skin.
The scooter had rigid rear suspension and small 8-inch (200 mm) wheels that allowed a compact design and plenty of room for the rider's legs. The Vespa's enclosed, horizontally-mounted two-stroke 98 cc engine acted directly on the rear drive wheel through a three-speed transmission. The twistgrip-controlled gear change involved a system of rods. The early engine had no cooling, but fan blades were soon attached to the flywheel (otherwise known as the magneto, which houses the points and generates electricity for the bike and for the engine's spark) to push air over the cylinder's cooling fins. The modern Vespa engine is still cooled this way. The mixture of two-stroke oil in the fuel produced high amounts of smoke, and the engine made a high buzzing sound like a wasp.

The name Vespa
The first prototype was given the initials MP5 and baptized "Paperino," the Italian name for Donald Duck, a nick-name given to it by the workers because of the strange shape it had. Enrico Piaggio did not like the design and asked D'Ascanio to redesign it - which he did with a more aeronautical-derived aerodynamic look.

When the second prototype called MP6, was shown to Enrico Piaggio and he heard the buzzing sound of the engine he exclaimed: "Sembra una vespa!" ("It reminds me of a wasp!") The name stuck Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp—derived from both the high-pitched noise of the two-stroke engine, and adopted as a name for the vehicle in reference to its body shape: the thicker rear part connected to the front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod resembled antennae.
Ape (pronounced Ah-pay), is Italian for bee. This was the three-wheeled variant used for commercial purposes, including the popular auto rickshaw.

Launch

Piaggio filed a patent for the Vespa scooter design in April 1946. The application documents referred to a "model of a practical nature" for a "motorcycle with rationally placed parts and elements with a frame combining with mudguards and engine-cowling covering all working parts", of which "the whole constitutes a rational, comfortable motorcycle offering protection from mud and dust without jeopardizing requirements of appearance and elegance". The patent was approved the following deecember.

The first 13 examples appeared in spring 1946, and reveal their aeronautical background. In the first examples, one can recognize the typical aircraft technology. Attention to aerodynamics is evident in all the design, in particular on the tail. It was also one of the first vehicles to use monocoque construction (where the body is an integral part of the chassis).
The company was aiming to manufacture the new Vespa in large numbers, and their longstanding industrial experience led to an efficient Ford-style volume production line. The scooter was presented to the press at Rome Golf Club, where journalists were apparently mystified by the strange, pastel coloured, toy-like object on display. But the road tests were encouraging, and even with no rear suspension the machine was more manoeuvrable and comfortable to ride than a traditional motorcycle.
Following its public debut at the 1946 Milan Fair, the first fifty sold slowly—then with the introduction of payment by installments, sales took off.

Sales and development

Original Vespa attached to a sidecar
Piaggio sold some 2,500 Vespas in 1947, over 10,000 in 1948, 20,000 in 1949, and over 60,000 in 1950.
The biggest sales promo ever was Hollywood. In 1952, Audrey Hepburn side-saddled Gregory Peck's Vespa in the film Roman Holiday for a ride through Rome, resulting in over 100,000 sales. In 1956, John Wayne dismounted his horse in favor of the two-wheeler to originally get between takes on sets. By the end of the fifties, Lucia Bosé and her husband, the matador Luis Miguel Dominguín, as well as Marlon Brando, Dean Martin, and the entertainer Abbe Lane had become Vespa owners. William Wyler filmed Ben Hur in Rome in 1959, allowing Charlton Heston to abandon horse and chariot between takes to take a spin on the Vespa.
Vespa clubs popped up throughout Europe, and by 1952, worldwide Vespa Club membership had surpassed 50,000. By the mid-1950s, Vespas were being manufactured under licence in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Spain; in the 1960s, production was started in India, Brazil and Indonesia. By 1956, one million had been sold, then two million by 1960. By the 1960s, the Vespa—originally conceived as a utility vehicle—had come to symbolize freedom and imagination, and resulted in further sales boosts: four million by 1970, and ten million by the late 1980s. Between 1957 and 1961 a reverse-engineered and partially redesigned version of the Vespa was made in USSR under the name Vjatka-VP150
Improvements were made to the original design and new models were introduced. The 1948 Vespa 125 had rear suspension and a bigger engine. The headlamp was moved up to the handlebars in 1953, and had more engine power and a restyled rear fairing. A cheaper spartan version was also available. One of the best-loved models was the Vespa 150 GS introduced in 1955 with a 150 cc engine, a long saddle, and the faired handlebar-headlamp unit. Then came the 50 cc of 1963, and in 1968 Vespa 125 Primavera became one of the most durable of all.

T5 Millennium from the PX series
Vespas came in two sizes, referred to as "largeframe" and "smallframe". The smallframe scooters came in 50cc, 90cc, 100 cc, and 125 cc versions, all using an engine derived from the 50 cc model of 1963, and the largeframe scooters in 125cc,150cc,160cc,180cc and 200 cc displacements using engines derived from the redesigned 125 cc engine from the late 50's.
The largeframe Vespa evolved into the PX range (still in production in 125 and 150 cc versions - update Piaggio just stopped production July 2007) in the late 70's, while the smallframe evolved into the PK range in the early 80's although some vintage-styled smallframes were produced for the Japanese market as late as the mid 90's.

The 1990s and beyond
By the early 1990s, Vespa was in crisis. Its models were selling slowly, two-strokes were being withdrawn around the world due to environmental concerns, new Asian manufacturers were stealing market share with cheaper/lighter bikes, and cars were very cheap. As a result, sales had fallen and production in Europe had been pulled back to Italy. Vespa needed a miracle—and a new model, beyond the PX.
The ET model range stuck true to the wasp/aero design principles. It was lighter, more aerodynamic, had an automatic gearbox and could take a series of engines from a 50 cc in either two-stroke or four-stroke, up to a 150 cc four stroke. Plus, it was launched when traffic congestion in major European cities was on the increase, so the smaller wheel size didn't matter. It was a complete success, and allowed Vespa to re-enter the North American market in 2001 with a new, more modern style.
When Vespa celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1996, more than 15 million of the scooters had been sold worldwide, making it the most successful scooter of all time. Other companies vied with Piaggio for market share, but none came close to emulating the success—or romance—of Vespa. The nostalgic image of Vespa, however, could not hide the fact that Vespa was making a loss.

Under new ownership
In 2003, the company found itself close to bankruptcy. Continual management changes and millions spent on many different plans and products had saddled Piaggio with crushing debts and left it vulnerable to competition from cheaper Asian rivals.
In 1959, Piaggio came under the control of the Agnelli family, the owners of car maker Fiat SpA. Vespa thrived until 1992 when Giovanni Alberto Agnelli became CEO, but Agnelli was already suffering from cancer, and died in 1997. In 1999, Morgan Grenfell Private Equity acquired Piaggio, but a quickly hoped-for sale was dashed by a failed joint venture in China.
Then came Roberto Colaninno: A lot of people told me I was crazy. Piaggio wasn't dying. It just needed to be treated better. Piaggio's finances were in a bad shape, but its brand was still well-known and its products were featuring in more Hollywood films thanks to the Vespa ET4. In October 2003, Colaninno made an initial investment of 100 million euros through his holding company Immsi SpA in exchange for just under a third of Piaggio and the mandate to run it. Chief executive Rocco Sabelli, redesigned the factory to Japanese principles, and redesigned the factory so that every Piaggio scooter could be made on any assembly line.
Colaninno laid down some rules, and made quick changes: he didn't fire a single worker—a move which helped seduce the company's skeptical unions; all bonuses for blue-collar workers and management were based on the same criteria: profit margins and customer satisfaction. Air conditioning was installed in the factory, and he gave the company's engineers, who had been idled by the company's financial crisis, deadlines for projects. They rolled out two world firsts in 2004: a gas-electric hybrid scooter and a scooter with two wheels in front and one in back which grips the road better.
One of Piaggio's problems Mr. Colaninno couldn't fix from the inside was its scale. Even though Piaggio was the European market leader, it was dwarfed by rivals Honda and Yamaha. A year after rescuing Piaggio, Colaninno decided to salvage another Italian brand: scooter and motorcycle maker Aprilia. On July 11, 2006, shares of Piaggio & Co., became available to the general public through listing on the Milan [Italy] Stock Exchange or Borsa Italiana. Piaggio share prices, converted to US Dollars, may be found under the trading symbol: PIAGF.

Design Icon
With its elegant lines and classic aesthetics, the Vespa is recognized as the epitome of Italian design. In recent years, many urban commuters have purchased new or restored Vespas. A shortage of available parking for automobiles in large urban areas and the Vespa's low running costs are two reasons for the increase in Vespa (and other scooter) popularity. The cultural use of the scooter as a recreational vehicle with a sub-cultural following in the USA/Canada and parts of Europe & Japan has also contributed to the rise in Vespa ownership. In contrast, the Vespa is considered a utilitarian vehicle for hauling products and sometimes up to 5 family members in much of Asia and Mexico
Vespa enthusiasts can visit the comprehensive Piaggio Museum & Gift Shop adjacent to the plant in central Pontedera, near Pisa, Tuscany. The permanent exhibition includes those items which toured prestigious venues such as the Guggenheim in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Also on display is, perhaps, the most famous Vespa of them all - the one personally customised by Salvador Dalí in 1962.


Vespa Models
There have been 138 different versions of the Vespa - today there are just four models in production: the classic, manual transmission PX; and the modern CVT transmission LX, GT, and GTS.

1969 Vespa Rally 180.

1963 VBB Standard 150.

Historic models
Paperino - the original prototype made in 1945 at Biella
- A Vespa modified by the French military that incorporated an anti tank weapon.
VNC Super 125
VBC Super 150
VLB Sprint 150

VBA Standard 150
VBB Standard 150
125 GT
V9A
VNA

Vespa U - U is for utilitaria (English - economic). 1953 model with a price of 110 mila Lira, 7,000 were produced
GS 150
SS180
GS160
Standard 90 (3 spd)
Standard 50 (3 spd)
SS50 (4 spd)
SS90 (4 spd)-90 SS Super Sprint
150 GL
90 Racer
125 TS
100 Sport
125 GTR
150 Sprint Veloce
180 SS Super Sport
Rally 180
Rally 200
Primavera 125 also ET3 (3 port version)
PK 50
PK 50 XL
PK 50 Roma (Automatic)
50 S
50 Special
50 Special Elestart
50 Sprinter / 50 SR (D)
50 Special Revival (Limited to 3000 Italy-only numbered units, released in 1991)
COSA 1 - 125cc, 150cc, 200 cc
COSA 2 - 125cc, 150cc, 200 cc
P80 / P80 E (France)
P80X/PX80 E (France)
PK 80 S / Elestart
PK 80 S Automatica / Elestart
PK100 S / Elestart
PK100 S Automatica
PK100 XL
PK125 XL / Elestart
PK 125 S
PK 125 E
PK 125 automatica (automatic transmission)
P 125 X
P200E
PX200EFL
PX200 Serie Speciale (Limited to 400 UK-only numbered units)
T5 / Elestart (5 port engine 125 cc P series)
T5 Classic (5 port engine 125 cc P series)
T5 Millennium (5 port engine 125 cc P series) (Limited to 400 UK-only numbered units)

Recent models
ET2 50 - 2stroke
ET4 50 - 4stroke
ET4 125 (Euro Model)
ET4 150 (Euro Model)
ET4 150 (US model)
PX 200

Current models

2008 Vespa LX150
LX 50
LX 125
LX 150
LXV 50 (60th anniversary variant of LX50)
LXV 125 (60th anniversary variant of LX125)
GT60° 250 cc Limited Edition. 999 produced worldwide and unique with the front fender light and each one receiving a commemorative badge, personalized with the owner’s initials
GT 125 (Granturismo 125)
GT 200 (Granturismo 200)
GTS 125
GTS 250
GTV 125 (60th anniversary variant of GTS 125)
GTV 250 (60th anniversary variant of GTS 250)
GT 60 (Limited edition 60th anniversary variant of GTS 250)
PX30 125 (A limited edition, only 1000 produced to celebrate the 30 years of the P range)
PX 125
PX 150 (reintroduced to US and Canadian Markets in 2004)
S50 and S125 new model 2007, introduced at Milan Motorshow November 2006

Specials
One-offs and special machines:
Montlhéry - produced in 1950 to break world records on the French circuit of the same name, it very smashed 17 records in 10 hours
Torpedo - 1951 125 cc special with conter-opposing pistons, Dino Mazzoncini set the world record on the kilometer at an average of 171 km/h

Extra:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.scootercrazy.com/images/vespa-vintage-group.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.scootercrazy.com/the-vespa-page.htm&h=381&w=460&sz=80&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=xXRiGpxUd_tNwM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvespa%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den
http://www.vespa.com/
http://www.danielsimon.net/artdata/mopped/mopped.html

Funny pics of the day: