Let's (not) hear it for Chuck

Charles Harrison was a Chicago-based industrial designer who rethought hundreds of ordinary items, including the first plastic trash bin. Until the early 1960s, trash cans were metal and made a terrible racket when critters got into them at night. Folks could get a better night’s rest thanks to Chuck’s quiet design.  

To bring awareness to his life and legacy, I designed this prominent installation for the entrance of the Ford Building at Northwestern University where the Segal Design Institute is housed. Individual paper "tiles" were mounted on the glass from the inside of a conference room referred to as The Fishbowl, which overlooks the machine shop.  

Charles Harrison designed over 600 household products enjoyed by millions of people, and was honored by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum with a Lifetime Achievement Award.  He was the first Black executive to work at Sears, Roebuck and Company, starting in 1961 as a designer and eventually becoming manager of the company’s entire design group.

To learn more about Charles Harrison, an American industrial designer, speaker and educator, check out this piece in the Smithsonian Magazine, the Cooper-Hewitt's memorial tribute, or the book A Life's Design by Vicki Matranga. 

Artwork Details:

Dimensions: 75 in W x 95in H

Materials: Paper, adhesive spray. Sign is mounted on foamcore and fastened with custom brackets 3D printed in PLA