Harvey Ball

Harvey Ross Ball (July 10, 1921 – April 12, 2001) was an American commercial artist. He played a major role in the adoption and design of the modern day smiley face, which became an enduring and notable international icon. Ball was approached by marketing director Joy Young of State Mutual Life Assurance Company in 1963, with the instructions to design “a little smile”.

The State Mutual Life Assurance Company lapel pins later became a viral-success story, which had led to many calling Ball the creator of the Smiley face. He didn't trademark the design, and earned $45 for his efforts. Ball later founded the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation in 1999, a non-profit charitable trust that supports children's causes.

Critics of Ball have suggested that his design was not revolutionary and he is not the creator. Billboard magazine, one of the biggest US publications at the time, ran numerous stories of the WMCA "Good Guys", who wore sweatshirts with a striking resemblance to Ball's work, albeit on different merchandise. Additionally, pins with happy catchphrases and graphical icons were extremely common in the US following WWII and The Great Depression, with some commentators suggesting lesser known designs likely pre-dated Ball's 1963 design.