A Brief History of Industrial Design.

What is industrial design? A brief history.

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Industrial design is the professional discipline of creating mass-produced products that optimize function, aesthetics, and user experience. Originating during the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th century and formally recognized in 1913 by the U.S. Patent Office, industrial design has shaped everything from Ford's Model T assembly line to the sustainable consumer products of today. This timeline traces the key moments, movements, and figures that built the discipline — from Eli Whitney's interchangeable parts in 1801 to the circular-design thinking that drives studios like ours today. For a deeper look at the discipline itself, see our companion post on what is industrial design.

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How long has ID been around?

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People have been making things forever, but the true advent of industrial design can be traced back to the first concepts of mass production — design intended for large-scale creation, available to a wider customer audience. Our timeline highlights what we consider to be some of the most important moments and movements in the history of ID.

1801 — Interchangeable parts change everything

Up until now, the individuality of products and builders meant a broken component required complete replacement. At the turn of the 19th century, however, Eli Whitney (best known for inventing the cotton gin) built on the ideas of a French gunsmith to build all muskets from the same parts, so single pieces could easily and inexpensively be replaced when they broke. (History.com)

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1838 — The first American mass-produced watch

Speaking of watches, a few decades later, Henry and James Pitkin designed the first mass-production method for watches made right in the U.S. The Pitkin watch was constructed on a machine entirely designed and built by the brothers, and though the cost of these novel timepieces couldn't compete with imports, they highlight the growing interest in mass production. (Old Watch.com)

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1853 — The first book titled "Industrial Design"

While industrial design could be said to exist since the invention of, say, the wheel, the first book published using this "official" title was The Practical Draughtsman's Book of Industrial Design. The work was penned by Jacques-Eugene Armengaud and friends, and the subtitle aptly relays its intent: to help designers in "Forming a Complete Course of Mechanical, Engineering, and Architectural Drawing." The book is now public domain, so any industrious student can find out just what designers were exploring back in the day.

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1890–1910 — Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau embraced organic forms and craftsmanship as a reaction against industrialization — its flowing lines influenced everything from architecture to furniture and glassware across Europe. Though often remembered as a decorative arts movement, it set the stage for later thinking about how mass-produced objects could still carry expressive form.

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1907–1938 — Deutscher Werkbund

The Deutscher Werkbund brought architects, designers, and industrialists together to elevate German product design and compete on quality. Peter Behrens became arguably the first "corporate designer" during this era, shaping everything from AEG's electric kettles to the company's typography and factories. The Werkbund directly paved the way for Bauhaus.

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1909–1930 — Futurism

The Italian Futurist movement celebrated machines, speed, and industrial power. While its legacy is complicated, its aesthetic embrace of mechanical forms and dynamic geometry shaped early 20th-century product and transportation design.

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1913 — The moving assembly line

An icon of industrial design and car lovers everywhere, the Ford Model T was the first item to be produced on a moving assembly line. This manufacturing method was designed by Henry Ford himself, and it reduced the time it took to assemble a vehicle from 12 hours to just 93 minutes by 1914. Given this leap in productivity, it makes sense that Ford was quoted as saying "When I'm through, about everyone will have one." He wasn't wrong. (History.com) 1913 was also the year the U.S. Patent Office recognized the term "industrial designer." (Britannica.com)

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1917–1931 — De Stijl

The Dutch De Stijl movement reduced design to primary colors, straight lines, and geometric abstraction. Gerrit Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair translated these principles directly into furniture, and De Stijl's influence echoed through Bauhaus and mid-century product design for decades.

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1919 — Bauhaus

Concerned about the drab "soullessness" of modern architecture, German architect Walter Gropius and his contemporaries kicked off the Bauhaus movement in 1919. The goal of these designers was to create works that fulfilled the two tenets we mentioned in previous posts: attractive design and functionality. In addition to well-known pieces like Marcel Breuer's Wassily Chair and Josef Hartwig's Chess Set, painters like Paul Klee and Kandinsky put the Bauhaus love of shape and colour on canvas. These principles of form-meets-function continue to guide product design services at studios working today. (The Art Story)

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1919–1932 — Constructivism

Russian Constructivism treated art and design as tools for building a new society. Its emphasis on material honesty, geometric structure, and industrial production methods deeply influenced Bauhaus thinking and became foundational to modernist industrial design methodology.

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1920–1942 — Art Deco

Art Deco brought glamour and geometry to mass-produced goods — streamlined radios, chrome-plated kitchen appliances, transportation design, and architecture all carried its signature. It was the first design movement to fully embrace industrial production as a vehicle for luxury and style.

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1930s–40s — Streamlining

Streamline Moderne took the aerodynamic shapes of aviation and applied them to everything from locomotives to pencil sharpeners. Raymond Loewy, Norman Bel Geddes, and Henry Dreyfuss became household names as "industrial designers" in the modern sense — hired by corporations to make products faster, sleeker, and more desirable.

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1940–1965 — Mid-Century Modern

The post-war era saw industrial design become a democratizing force. Mid-Century Modern designers built on Bauhaus principles to create affordable, well-made furniture and products for the emerging middle class. Clean lines, natural materials, and functional beauty defined the era.

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1940s — Planned obsolescence

The end of the Great Depression and WWII saw the advent of "planned obsolescence," which, practically speaking, meant manufacturers began creating products with the intention that they would need to be replaced sooner rather than later. Though the rise of wasteful consumerism is more commonly linked to the later half of the century, there's little question it started here. (Britannica.com)

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1947 — The ISO is founded

The ISO (impractically, the International Organization for Standardization) was founded near the end of the 40s. When it comes to mass production, it's not hard to imagine why manufacturing standards that span the globe would be useful. Though incorporation is voluntary, the ISO has published more than 23,000 International Standards in more than seven decades and counts 164 countries within its members. (ISO.org)

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1953 — The Braun 300 electric shaver

Under the direction of Artur and Erwin Braun — the founder's sons — and design chief Fritz Eichler, the Braun 300 electric shaver broke from ornamental convention and established the clean, functional aesthetic Braun would become famous for. It set the standard for the future of electric razors. (Core77)

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1956 — The Eames Lounge Chair

Charles and Ray Eames unveiled the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman — pictured above — blending molded plywood, leather, and aluminum into what Herman Miller still produces today, 70 years later, virtually unchanged. But the Eames' impact went far beyond furniture: their experiments with molded plywood during WWII (including leg splints for the U.S. Navy) fundamentally advanced manufacturing techniques for curved forms in mass production.

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1957 — PRONTO and the dawn of digital manufacturing

The foundations of computer-aided manufacturing arrived with PRONTO, the "first commercial numerical-control programming system." True Computer-Aided Design (CAD) followed in 1963 with Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad at MIT. Together, these innovations set the framework for the digital design programs that now power everything from 3D rendering to digital prototyping workflows. (PART Solutions)

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1961 — Dieter Rams joins Braun

Dieter Rams became head of design at Braun, a role he held for over 30 years. His "Ten Principles of Good Design" — including "good design is as little design as possible" — became the philosophical foundation for an entire generation of product designers, most famously influencing Apple's Jony Ive decades later. Rams is widely considered one of the most important industrial designers of the 20th century.

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1966 — Postmodernism and the Memphis Group

Postmodern industrial design pushed back against the cold rationalism of modernist products. Italian designers like Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis Group embraced bright colors, playful forms, and unexpected materials — proving that industrial design could be emotionally expressive as well as functional.

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1971 — The Braun Phase 1 alarm clock

Also proudly sporting the Braun name was the Phase 1 alarm clock, designed by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs. The flip book-style numbers are the kind most people are familiar with from their parents' or grandparents' bedside tables, and the clock remains a textbook example of Rams' design philosophy.

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1980s — China's manufacturing rise

How long would it take you to find something in your home that says "Made in China"? We're betting less than a minute. It probably doesn't surprise you to learn that China is the leading industrial powerhouse in the world, surpassing the U.S. in manufacturing output in the early 2010s. We would be remiss to discuss the history of design and mass production without a nod — with mixed emotions — to the origin of so many of our manufactured goods. (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

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1983 — The first 3D printer

When you think of 3D printing, you might imagine it came into being in the last few years or, depending on your exposure, it could still seem like something out of a sci-fi story. But believe it or not, the first 3D printer was invented over 40 years ago. Charles W. Hull created the first device to make stereolithography — a model-printing process — available to the masses. Granted, the machines still cost thousands of dollars, but this was a huge step up from the five- or six-figure costs of the past. (PC Magazine)

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1987 — Additive manufacturing for consumer goods

Additive manufacturing involves building with the addition of various materials, rather than the "subtraction" of a material to create a shape (think carving). The late 80s and the advent of more accessible 3D printing saw the first use of additive manufacturing for consumer goods. The methods made manufacture exponentially faster and compounded the continuing rise of throw-away products. (Metal AM)

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1992 — The K-cup cautionary tale

John Sylvan invented the K-cup (you know, the little plastic thing that holds enough beans for one cup of coffee) in the early 1990s, and he's regretted it almost ever since. As synonymous with coffee drinkers as the single-serve product is — Keurig bought the design in 1998 and sells many billion each year — it's also become a buzzword for sustainability endeavours. In 2015, the company said they'd make the cups recyclable by 2020, but even Sylvan doubted this was possible. Though reusable alternatives hit the market a few years back, the K-cup is a case study in why sustainable product design matters.

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1996 — Karim Rashid's Garbo bin

When a garbage can is featured on the MoMA website, you know it's legit. Karim Rashid designed the "Garbo" for Umbra in 1996, and today almost everyone has tossed a tissue into a bin of a similar style. Designed with bold colours and a sexy shape intended to be reminiscent of the actress Greta Garbo, the wastebasket was an overnight success. Apparently, however, it's incredibly difficult to find promotional images of the bucket actually holding trash. (Metropolis)

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2018 — ANCORD Design Co is founded

Thanks to the Model T, the K-cup, and countless amazing art and architecture movements, we were inspired to found ANCORD Design Co in January of 2018. We want to foster creativity and sustainability in the design industry, and partnering with forward-thinking, eco-conscious folks like you is how we intend to do it. See how these principles inform our design portfolio and meet our team.

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From history to your next product

The best industrial design has always balanced form, function, and responsibility — from the Eames' manufacturing innovations to today's circular-design thinking. At ANCORD, we bring that same philosophy to every project: durable products designed for production, built to last, and made with the planet in mind.
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