The Marshall plan or ERP (European Recovery Plan) produced the following effects on the design after World War Two: 1) increasing emphasis on cost-reduction and minimalism; 2) orientation toward industrial needs; 3) populism or appeal toward a very wide audience. These are the most important legacies of the Marshall or European Recovery plan. It should be noted this initiative was aimed at restoring the industry and infrastructure of all countries, which sufferer severe losses after the war. Another objective of the Marshall Plan was to strengthen the influence of the United States in Western Europe and prevent the Soviet Union from assuming control in this region. During the years after World War II, the United States provided more than 12 billion dollars to its allies. Much American government as well as some private companies made considerable investment into manufacturing companies of these countries. European enterprises embraced the production models, used in the United States, and these models manifested themselves in the works of many post-WWII designers. To some degree, one can argue that the effects of the Marshall Plan on design can be accounted for by the increasing economic influence of the United States on Western European countries. These economic and social changes found their reflections in the works of many designers, who were working in different areas such as construction, interior, and furniture design. Moreover, these trends manifested itself in many countries like Italy, Switzerland, or even Japan. To, some extent, the impacts of the Marshall on design can be explained by the economic situation in Europe at that time, and especially the necessity to reduce the costs of production. This is the main rationale for a minimalistic approach to design. For example, one can mention furniture of that period, especially chairs, designed by Joe Colombo and Giancarlo Piretti (Figures 1 and 2). The main feature of Colombo and Piretti’s designs is that it is possible to launch the massive production of these chairs and make these products affordable for the growing European population. These examples show how the Marshall plan affected the design of that period and they illustrate several of its legacies: the tendency toward cost-reduction and minimalism and orientation toward industrial needs. As it has been said before, the Marshall Plan was aimed at restoring the economy and industry of Western Europe. Thus, designers and artists had to adjust their work to this need. By adopting this minimalistic approach many companies were able to increase the speed of production, and this was very important for people, many of whom were lacking the most essential goods such as furniture. Furthermore, the designer had to accommodate their works to the needs of many corporations which employed thousands of workers. The furniture, designed in such a way proved to be quite suitable for the needs of these companies since they were ergonomic and relatively inexpensive. This tendency has not disappeared nowadays. The furniture of modern office buildings, fast-food restaurants is very reminiscent of the designs of Joe Colombo and Giancarlo Piretti. Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the effects of the Marshall Plan are very diverse and long-stranding. As it has been mentioned before, orientation toward the needs of m