Classic Design： Olivetti Valentine Typewriter
The stereotype of the machine was dispelled, and the device can be elegant and fashionable.
When this iconic typewriter came out (1969), it coincided with the social unrest in Italy. At that time, people challenged orthodox modern design with emphasis on order and clarity and further cared about the “emotional value” and artistic orientation of the design work. The Valentine typewriter is a good representation of this rebellion. Designer Ettore Sottsass is the soul of Memphis Design Group, a habitual rebel emphasizing the poetry of design.
Ettore Sottsass turns traditional equipment’s monotonous, cold, and cumbersome image into a machine full of enthusiasm and human charm. Valentine retains the kinetic mechanism of the older generation typewriter Lettera22 but completely renews its form, ditching the precise but tedious aluminum case for bright ABS plastic, plus two yellow knobs that turn the ink ribbon and a handle. The eye-catching red echoes the meaning of Valentine and the Italian flair. The keyboard is separated from the rest of the device and is further emphasized with red and black color matching, making the typing scene more ritualistic. Also, the typewriter is put into a light outer box, becoming a portable suitcase. Vibrant colors with Italian flair and a more humane soft shape, portable usage makes the Olivetti Valentine Typewriter sexy, elegant, and fashional.
The MoMA collection included the Valentine typewriter two years after its launch. It is widely spread to be one of the most remarkable industrial design works before Apple, representing Italian artistic design aesthetics. This product also embodies the design essence of its development company, Olivetti, which was famous for the attention it gave to design:
Let machines and humans get along more gracefully.
