TheShockoftheOld..doc

The Shock of the Old By Glenn JohnsonNovember 6, 2008 Many of the most innovative designs in aviation will come in the next century. However, many older, seemingly dated designs are even more revolutionary. Glenn Johnson shows how 20th century innovations like the Blended Wing Body and Twin Decks will shape 21st century aviation design. Retrofuture This article draws attention to two aspects of retro design that continue to enjoy relevance in the creative arsenal of many designers. It does this by exploring three areas from the past with particular currency in today’s world of aircraft interior design and ends with a glimpse of recent technological developments from which designers can seek inspiration.? Another facet is the author’s wish to bring wider attention to notable design innovations that are little known and deserve greater recognition.?The dawn of a new century has historically been associated with a sea change in the arts. The start of the 20th Century was marked by questioning of the aesthetic traditionalism of the previous century in relation to the emerging machine age.?Famous design movements that are still used as reference points—Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Arts Crafts, Futurism, Dynamism—all came into existence (more or less) as part of the renewal process in moving from one era to another.The beginning of our century has not been as creatively auspicious, however. September 11th—the aircraft industry’s nadir—only served to compound an aura of negativity that has been a fact of life for many design professionals. The Year 2000 is often referred to in the media as ‘the year that never happened.’?The aero-cars, the jet packs and the ‘floating’ vehicles that we were all supposed to use on a daily basis have simply not transpired. The biggest event, the much-anticipated Y2K technological disaster was not the watershed it was predicted to be.?Looking for inspiration, retro design, in such product design as the recent Ford Mustang is alive