Joseph Sinel grew up in New Zealand and Australia. He began his career in the art department of Wilson & Horton Lithographers. He studied under Harry Wallace. He went to England and worked for Hudson, Scott and Sons, Ltd. and Carlton Studios. He later worked for C. F. Higham Ltd. handling such clients as Goodrich Tires and British Government War Loans. He returned to New Zealand and Australia working as a freelance designer. He came to the United States in 1918 and settled in San Francisco. He was the first to use the term ‘industrial design' in 1919 in reference to drawings of industrial objects used in ads. He worked for Foster and Kleiser, specializing in outdoor advertising. After relocating to New York he worked for the art department of Associated First National Pictures. In 1923 he was special advisor to Calkins and Holder and art director of the Goldsmith Agency. He published several books on lettering and trademarks and designed several hundred trademarks for businesses, publishers, institutions ans individuals including The Art Institute of Chicago, Doubleday Doran, The Archaeological Institute and Hoffman Ginger Ale.