What does Brooks Stevens have to do with “Planned Obsolescence”?
You may not know about Brooks Stevens, and today is his birthday.
Clifford Brooks Stevens, born June 7, 1911, was an American industrial designer of home furnishings, appliances, automobiles and motorcycles— as well as a graphic designer and stylist. At the time of his death, he was considered “a major force in industrial design.”
If Google was to do a custom sketch for his birthday, it would probably be the widely recognized Oscar Mayer “Wienermobile” or the Harley-Davidson motorcycles body he designed in the 60s (production of new bikes are still based on Stevens’ body designs).
But how many will reference a topic sure to light a fuse in any frugal consumer? Planned Obsolescence.