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Charles Harrison

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Charles Harrison

Biography

Charles Harrison was born in Louisiana in 1931 and is an iconic industrial designer. He went to the City College of San Francisco where he worked for the first time in his life in a class with white students. He had dyslexia but still ended up earning a degree and decided to pursue a career in industrial design. He went on to study at the School of Art Institute and earned his BFA in 1954. Later on, he received a masters at the Illinois Institute of Technology. 

He went on to do freelance work after being a cartographer in the military. At one point he worked for Sears and redesigned the View-Master into a toy that children could use. After 1961, Sears formally hired him after discarding its policy against employing African Americans. He attained a powerful position in Sears and stayed there for over 32 years.
 
Charles Harrison with his View-Master toy

Work and Influence
Charles is known for his cost-effective domestic goods. He developed over 700 products such as sewing machines, blenders, circular lightbulbs, frying pans, pots, kitchen equipment, and many more items. When he finished working at Sears he taught at Columbia, University of Illinois, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His legacy can still be found in the coursework at these schools.

His most praised work is the View-Master redesign of 1958, shown next to Charles in the Photo above. His improvements took into consideration the user experience of a child audience. He made it light, durable and easier to use. Inspired by his own dyslexia, he knew that the simpler the object, the better. That way there would be no need for instructions. This took off in the market and is an icon of 1960s culture. 

Mr. Harrison's favorite piece of his was the plastic trash bin. Trash cans were traditionally made of steel that were heavy for users. He decided to use a new plastic called polypropylene to make these bins light. He also added a handle and wheels to the design. Now, every trash can we see is based on Harrison's design--and it is doubtful that many of us knew this before reading about him. 

Trash Can Design, 1960

It is evident that Charles Harrison's designs have made a great impact on American culture. He was an avid pioneer of compact design and always considered the human experience. He was up to date with new technologies and would never shy away from using these in his designs. He is truly a design icon that deserves more recognition. 



(Written by Ashten Alexander)

References: 

Kuiper, K. 1. (2019, January 10). Charles Harrison. Retrieved June 5, from Britannica website: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Harrison

Seelye, K. 1. (2018, December 5). Charles Harrison, 87, Designer Who Reshaped the View-Master. Retrieved June 5, from The New York Times website: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/obituaries/charles-harrison-dead.html





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