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| What was cutting edge and modern in the 1930's remains relevant because a combination of style and substance (retrieved from: http://www.airstream.com/products/2011-fleet/travel-trailer/sport/sport-intro.html). |
With the dawn of the Automobile Age more and more Americans were taking to the road. The inventor and designer of the Airstream Travel Trailer, Wally Byam was not only responding to a personal need to get out and travel he was also responding to a nation of wanderers. His early designs for the travel trailer reflected a very "modern" desire to move using modern materials (http://www.airstream.com/company/history/index.html). In keeping with Mr. Byam's motto, "don't make changes, only improvements" the 2011 Sport Travel Trailer uses lightweight and recyclable materials to appeal to the modern eco-friendly consumer (http://www.airstream.com/silver-green.html).
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| Interior of 2011 model of Sport Travel Trailer with modern amenities (http://www.airstream.com/products/2011-fleet/travel-trailer/sport/sport-gallery.html) |
The interior is modern and efficient with classic space-saving options so that the 22 foot-long trailer includes full bath, kitchen and queen-size bed (http://www.airstream.com/products/2011-fleet/travel-trailer/sport/sport-floorplans.html). Despite a clear nod to its inspiration in Art Deco design, specifically the Chrysler Building in New York City, the newest model is modern because it addresses the needs of todays consumers.
As tastes change good design must respond but to be modern a designer must honor what is good and has worked but also anticipate the future needs of their consumer. In the design it is about pleasing the consumer as much as it is about creating something innovative. So, like Wally said decades ago it isn't worth changing old design for change sake but because there is a need for improvement. Style and surface may get you a short way but the Airstream travel trailer has proved that modern design must also have substance and purpose; it must be an improvement.
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