Industrial Designers Society of America.

The term "industrial designer" originated in the U.S. Patent Office in 1913 as a synonym for the then-current term "art in industry." In 1927 Macy's department store in New York City held a well-attended Exposition of Art in Trade, which featured "modern products," many of them from the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. Public and manufacturer demand for these new "Art Deco" styles immedately surged, and a number of design professionals (including architects, package designers and stage designers) began for the first time to focus their creative efforts on mass-produced products. These professionals adopted the title of "industrial designer."

In the ensuing decades numerous organizations of industrial designers were formed, including the American Union of Decorative Artists and Craftsmen (AUDAC, ca. 1928), the National Furniture Designers' Council (NFDC, 1933), the American Designers Institute (ADI, ca. 1937), the Society of Industrial Designers (SID, 1944), the Industrial Designers Institute (IDI, 1951), and the Industrial Design Education Association (IDEA, 1957).

In 1955, SID changed its name to the American Society of Industrial Design (ASID). In 1965, after over ten years of careful negotiations, ASID merged with IDI and IDEA to form the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), thus becoming "the single voice of industrial design in the US."

In 1965 IDSA had approximately 600 members in 10 chapters across the country. Its first Chairman of the Board was John Vassos (1898-1985), the founder of ADI, and its first President was Henry Dreyfuss (1904-1972). By 2000, the organization boasted over 3,300 members and 28 chapters.

IDSA's purpose is to "advances the positive impact of design on business and society while directly benefiting members by evolving into the world's most effective design organization." It strives to improve both the field of industrial design (quality, originality, innovation) and the education and careers of its members. IDSA recognizes excellence in the field via its Catalyst Awards and IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards).

[Portions of this summary adapted from IDSA's website, http://www.idsa.org/

From the guide to the Industrial Designers Society of America Records, 1944-1977, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)