John Vassos: Industrial Design for Modern Life by Shapiro Danielle

Author:Shapiro, Danielle [Shapiro, Danielle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781452951751
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
Published: 2016-03-29T16:00:00+00:00

An article featuring “revolutionized” broadcast equipment, including the unified RCA 5-DX transmitter (above), the U-shaped 50-D control desk (center), and the streamlined 50-D transmitter. Broadcast News, July 1939. Courtesy of the Hagley Museum and Library.

According to Vassos, the body of the operator should be considered in all aspects of equipment design, with components adjusted so they fit the needs of a human figure.64 The knob was a critical aspect of the user’s interaction and haptic experience with the machine. Vassos reworked the knob to make it easier to handle on a range of equipment. As part of his research, he examined the effect of pressure on the hand and created a putty model based on the proportions of an average engineer’s hand.65 From this model, he discovered that some operators developed calluses and infections from the metal pointers on the old knobs. His improved knob had no sharp protrusions and was more comfortable to hold for any length of time. Large and easy to grip, the enunciated pointer enabled the user to feel the knob without looking. The military later adapted the design, as it was especially useful for operators who had to run controls in the dark. This attention to detail proved pragmatically valuable, as it contributed to the user’s control of the machine. Vassos understood the significance of the knob as it contributed to the object’s core functioning. He explained that the knob was the physical manifestation of an idea about functionality: “It’s only a knob. Only a little knob. But the effort and research and the intellectual approach to it was just as if you were designing a skyscraper.”66 This idea is clear in Vassos’s humorous drawing showing a domineering knob controlling an engineer. Vassos understood design as a social practice, a way of communicating how the machine works, and approached the design of the knob with gravitas.

Taking the perspective of the user offered a new way of thinking about machine design. Industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss also applied ergonomics to his styling of machinery. His design work included measurements of every conceivable part of intended users’ bodies—heads, thighs, forearms, shoulders—to create more efficient and comfortable machines. In his aptly titled book Designing for People, he wrote:

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