Industrial Design trivia

Related Trivia

The history of mass-produced objects, furniture (Eames chairs), and product design aesthetics.

Industrial Design Mini Quiz

Test your knowledge with these top questions!

Question 1

What material were the teeth in the earliest successful zippers made from?

Gideon Sundback's 1913 "Separable Fastener" featured precisely shaped interlocking metal teeth that wouldn't unexpectedly pop open.

Question 2

Which seat was the first chair molded from a single piece of plastic?

Verner Panton conceived the design in 1960, but it took seven years of engineering to successfully mass-produce this stable, single-form cantilevered chair.

Question 3

Charles and Ray Eames designed a famous leather seat for which company?

The Eames Lounge Chair was inspired by the receptive look of a well-used first baseman's mitt. Herman Miller has produced the iconic design continuously since 1956.

Question 4

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created which steel chair for a 1929 world expo?

The chair was designed to serve as a modern throne for the King and Queen of Spain during their visit to the 1929 International Exposition.

Question 5

Which designer used a single pedestal to eliminate "the slum of legs"?

Saarinen's goal was for the Tulip chair to be a single material, but the base had to be cast aluminum because fiberglass was not strong enough for the thin pedestal.

Question 6

Amazon sells which handheld device for reading digital books?

The name Kindle was chosen to represent lighting a fire of knowledge. The first model sold out in only five and a half hours after its release in 2007.

Question 7

Which Japanese company launched the Walkman portable cassette player?

Sony launched the Walkman in 1979 after co-founder Masaru Ibuka requested a portable way to listen to opera during long international flights.

Question 8

Jony Ive designed the look of the original iMac for which company?

The translucent Bondi Blue casing of the original iMac was inspired by candy, a design choice meant to make the computer feel approachable and fun.

Question 9

Which German brand designed the minimalist look of mid-century radios?

Braun designer Dieter Rams pioneered the "less, but better" philosophy. His minimalist T3 pocket radio served as a direct inspiration for the design of the original Apple iPod.