Victor Josef Papanek (German pronunciation: [ˈvɪktoʁ ˈjoːsɛf ˈpapanɛk]; 22 November 1923 – 10 January 1998) was an Austrian-born American designer and educator, who became a strong advocate of the socially and ecologically responsible design of products, tools, and community infrastructures.

[3] His book Design for the Real World, originally published in 1971 and translated into more than 24 languages, had lasting international impact.

His mother was Helene (née Spitz) and his father was Richard Papanek, a Jewish deli owner.

[9] In 1939, following Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria, 15-year-old Papanek emigrated to the United States via Ellis Island as a refugee.

[13][8][14] Papanek earned his bachelor's degree at Cooper Union in New York (1950) and completed graduate studies in design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.A.

[12] The Berlin emigre Paul Zucker had a significant influence on Papanek during his studies at Cooper Union.

Volvo of Sweden contracted design work with him,[16] in order to create a taxi for the disabled.

Papanek received numerous awards, including a Distinguished Designer fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1988.