Born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in
1904, Dreyfuss studied fine art on a
scholarship to the New York Society for
Ethical Culture’s high school. In school,
he learned the rudiments of staging theatrical productions, as well as dedication
to and concern for the welfare of others.
The school instilled strong social ideals,
as well as the importance of individual
responsibility and group cooperation—
ideals which would later inform his
design practice both as a businessperson
and a designer. He worked as an apprentice to Norman Bel Geddes, a genius
of stage and industrial design. In 1927,
Dreyfuss set out on his own, and within
a few years was recognized as a bright
Henry Dreyfuss was one of America’s
best known and most influential industrial designers, developing now iconic
products for companies such as Bell Laboratories (telephones), Hoover (vacuums),
John Deere (tractors), and Honeywell, Inc.
He had a profound impact on the daily
lives of millions of Americans. Through
industrial design, he raised the standards
of American industry. His work was characterized by a constant focus on the needs
of the average consumer.
About the Designer
Allison Valchuis and Marianna Siciliano
Looking & Learning
Telephone design and communication has come a long way since Henry Dreyfuss
designed the Model 302 in the early 1930s.
In the early 1930s, Dreyfuss won the
“Phone of the Future” competition at
About the Object
Referring to himself as an industrial designer, Dreyfuss opened an office
in New York in 1928 and soon distinguished himself as a designer for mass
production. By favoring practicality and
streamlined styling, he gained the lasting respect of his clients. In the 1950s, he
brought the use of anthropometrics (the
study of human dimensions and capabilities) into his practice, paving the way
for others. He saw his product designs
not as singular objects, but as parts that
related to the whole of the company. His
success as a designer lies not just in his
experience or in his conceptualization of
the whole, but in his consideration of the
user. He is famously quoted as saying,
“If there is tension between the user and
the object, the designer has failed.”
young talent in stage design. As a stage
designer, Dreyfuss had the opportunity
to design not just sets, but full interiors
and accoutrements; these experiences
would prove valuable when he was asked
to design corporate identities and products.
Telephone Model 302, designed by Henry Dreyfuss
