Brooks Stevens Design Associates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brooks Stevens, Inc., also known as Brooks Stevens Design Associates and Brooks Stevens Design, is a product development firm headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brooks Stevens's services included research, industrial design, engineering, prototyping, project management, and graphic design.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Product development |
| Founded | 1934 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Headquarters | Allenton, Wisconsin |
| Website | www.brooksstevens.com |
History
Brooks Stevens Design was established by Clifford Brooks Stevens in 1934. In 1954, Brooks Stevens, the founder, popularized the term "planned obsolescence" as a cornerstone to product evolution. The phrase was not intended to refer to building things that deteriorate easily, but to "instilling in the buyer the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner. Stevens's philosophies have been said to define the industrial design profession.[1] The firm has designed products from toasters to automobiles and heavy equipment, including the 1949 Twin Cities Hiawatha and Olympian Hiawatha trains with "Skytop Lounge" cars.[2]
In 2007, the founder's son, Kipp Stevens, retired and sold Brooks Stevens to Ingenium Product Development, expanding the company's product coverage and engineering capabilities.[3]
Today, Brooks Stevens designs and engineers both consumer and heavy industrial products.[example needed]