Harvey Ball was an American commercial artist best known for creating the iconic smiley face symbol in 1963. This simple design, featuring a yellow circle with two black dots for eyes and a curved line for a mouth, quickly became a popular representation of happiness and positivity. Ball's creation was originally intended for a promotional campaign to boost employee morale at an insurance company. In addition to the smiley face, Harvey Ball was an advocate for copyright protection for artists. He often spoke about the importance of recognizing and valuing creative work. Despite the widespread use of the smiley face, Ball did not trademark it, which allowed it to become a cultural icon recognized worldwide.