Look Inside

For Librarians

"Chuck Harrison may be the Jackie Robinson of design."
— Linda Hales, Washington Post

Designed by Chuck

In our globalizing economy, design is becoming the last competitive advantage. Companies such as Apple, Whirlpool and Dyson are making this, normally hidden, field the core of their business strategies with amazing results. From much of the 20th century, Sears Roebuck & Company was the retailer of choice, and product design was a key part of their success.

Charles Harrison began working with Sears in 1961, as a product designer and later rose to lead the company's design department. From the iconic View-Master to more than 700 other household items, his successful career resulted from a passionate pursuit of excellence. But, none of his achievements would have happened without an unexpected introduction to this largely-hidden profession.

Like Professor Harrison, there may be a young person in your library right now who, with the right awareness, support, and training, can become a great contributor to the design field.

Harrison, himself was inspired by such a breakthrough during his early college education; moving from an underperforming student with no awareness of the design profession to an honor student with a great future in design squarely in his sights. He did this within just one year.

Harrison recounts his story in A Life’s Design: The Life and Work of Designer Charles Harrison (ISBN: 978-0977327102), a unique book that is inspiring young people to tenaciously pursue their passion for design.

 

About the Book

“A Life's Design” chronicles the life, career and emergent philosophy of Charles Harrison, one the most prolific and respected industrial designers of his time, an influencer on style and design today, and a pioneer as the first African American executive ever hired by Sears Roebuck & Company, at the height of the company’s position as America’s largest retailer.

"I’m amazed at how much I learned and how much I enjoyed doing it. Read A Life’s Design: The Life and Work of Industrial Designer Charles Harrison. You’ll learn lots too, and meet a remarkable man and the legacy he left in American life."
— Debbie Rodgers, Savor The Success

Harrison designed more than 700 products that influenced millions of lives throughout America and around the world.

Few designers have had as much influence. His designs not only reflected our changing lives, they often drove the transformation of the American home and workplace from the mid 1950s through the 1990s.

 

Look Inside the Book

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Click the thumbnails above to look at sample spreads from A Life's Design.

 

Today, Prof. Harrison is a sought-after educator and lecturer, helping shepherd the next generation of highly-successful product designers into the profession. He sits on the education committee of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Board and teaches at industrial design at Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute.

“It’s remarkable that one person could have had that much of an impact, somewhat invisibly. This is someone we haven’t heard of, and we should be celebrating his career.”
— Tim Brown, CEO of of noted product design firm Ideo

In 2008, Prof. Harrison was recognized for his significant contributions to the design field by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, as the winner of the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement.

"The range of design projects that Harrison completed in his career was quite remarkable. This book will be very helpful to designers, historians, design educators and students around the world."
— Professor Noel Mayo, Department of Design at Ohio State University.

Harrison's inspirational life, his timeless approach to design and his passion for inspiring others with humor, insight and humility provide a story worth reading.

“What would our generation have been without creative and imaginative people like Charles Harrison? I hate to think of it.”
— Online comment by J. Owen at Smithsonian.com

For more information, please use our request form.

 

Library Collections Terms

We offer 20% discount plus $6.85 for USPS Priority shipping per book. Download our Library Order Form (PDF) and fax, e-mail or mail it to place your order.

Regional Bookstore Association and Library Newsletters

If you’d like to include articles by Prof. Harrison in your regional bookstore association or library newsletter please use our request form.

Library and Bookstore Talks and Workshops

Prof. Harrison conducts does lively talks at bookstores and libraries across the country. His regular talk includes a lecture, popular Q/A, and book signing. His usual honorarium is $900 plus travel and lodging. To book Prof. Harrison, please use our request form, and please include your dates and location.

Also, in conjunction, with Project Osmosis, Prof. Harrison delivers design workshops for groups of youth.

Library Requests

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