Niels Diffrient
Encyclopedia
Niels Diffrient is an American
industrial designer. Diffrient focuses mainly on ergonomic seating, and his most recent and well known designs are the Freedom and Liberty chairs, manufactured by Humanscale
.
Diffrient was born in 1928 in a farmhouse in Star, Mississippi
.
During the Great Depression
his family relocated to Detroit, where Diffrient attended Cass Technical High School
. He then attended Wayne State University
, and finally Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts
in design
and architecture
and excelled as an outstanding student, winning the First Medal in Design three of his four years there.
While in Italy
on a Fulbright Scholarship in 1954, Diffrient went to work in the studio of Marco Zanuso
, where he assisted with the design of an award-winning Borletti sewing machine.
Upon arriving back in the United States
, Diffrient worked in the office of Henry Dreyfuss
. In 1980 after 25 years with Henry Dreyfuss Associates, Diffrient left to start his own independent practice.
In his career, which has now lasted over a half century, Diffrient has designed every type of equipment, as well as computers, exhibits, trucks, airplane interiors and corporate identity programs. He has also been broadly published in the field of design and human factors
, most notably as co-author of the three-volume publication, Humanscale, in 1974 and 1981.
Additionally, Niels spent time as adjunct Professor of Design at UCLA for eight years and was a visiting critic at the Yale University
School of Architecture for two years.
Articles about him and his work have appeared in Time Magazine, Fortune, Business Week and The New York Times to name a few.
Top 40 Design Innovators of 1996, the 1996 Chrysler Award
for Innovation, the Smithsonian’s 2002 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award
for Product Design, and the 2005 Legend Award from Contract magazine. In 2007, Forbes
.com named Diffrient the "granddaddy of the ergonomic revolution" and one of ten "Tastemakers" in the field of industrial design. Diffrient is also an Honorary Royal Designer for Industry, awarded by the Royal Society of Arts and Industry, London.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
industrial designer. Diffrient focuses mainly on ergonomic seating, and his most recent and well known designs are the Freedom and Liberty chairs, manufactured by Humanscale
Humanscale
Humanscale is best known for its Freedom chair, which was designed by Niels Diffrient and introduced in 1999. The chair was considered revolutionary for its internal counterbalance mechanism that supports the user’s body at all points during recline, a first for task chairs...
.
Biography
Star, Mississippi
Star, Mississippi, is a small unincorporated community in Rankin County, southeast of Jackson in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Its ZIP code is 39167, area code is 601 and local exchange is 845. The elevation is 423 feet. Star appears on the Star U.S. Geological Survey Map...
.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
his family relocated to Detroit, where Diffrient attended Cass Technical High School
Cass Technical High School
The Cass Tech Technicians football team is a high school football program in Division 1 Public School League, representing the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI. Cass Tech High School has long been recognized nationwide for its extraordinary football program dating back to its...
. He then attended Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
, and finally Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
in design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and excelled as an outstanding student, winning the First Medal in Design three of his four years there.
While in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on a Fulbright Scholarship in 1954, Diffrient went to work in the studio of Marco Zanuso
Marco Zanuso
-The early years:Marco Zanuso was born in Milano May 14, 1916.He was one of a group of Italian designers from Milan shaping the international idea of "good design" in the postwar years. Trained in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano university, he opened his own design office in 1945...
, where he assisted with the design of an award-winning Borletti sewing machine.
Upon arriving back in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Diffrient worked in the office of Henry Dreyfuss
Henry Dreyfuss
Henry Dreyfuss was an American industrial designer.-Career:Dreyfuss was a native of Brooklyn, New York. As one of the celebrity industrial designers of the 1930s and 1940s, Dreyfuss dramatically improved the look, feel, and usability of dozens of consumer products...
. In 1980 after 25 years with Henry Dreyfuss Associates, Diffrient left to start his own independent practice.
In his career, which has now lasted over a half century, Diffrient has designed every type of equipment, as well as computers, exhibits, trucks, airplane interiors and corporate identity programs. He has also been broadly published in the field of design and human factors
Human factors
Human factors science or human factors technologies is a multidisciplinary field incorporating contributions from psychology, engineering, industrial design, statistics, operations research and anthropometry...
, most notably as co-author of the three-volume publication, Humanscale, in 1974 and 1981.
Additionally, Niels spent time as adjunct Professor of Design at UCLA for eight years and was a visiting critic at the Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
School of Architecture for two years.
Articles about him and his work have appeared in Time Magazine, Fortune, Business Week and The New York Times to name a few.
Awards
In the field of furniture design, most notably ergonomic seating, Niels has won a total of 24 awards, including two Best of Show and 10 Gold and Top awards. Diffrient holds more than 46 design and utility patents on furniture designs in America and abroad, and his many honors include the I.D. (magazine)I.D. (magazine)
I.D. was a magazine covering the art, business and culture of design. It was published eight times a year by F+W Media....
Top 40 Design Innovators of 1996, the 1996 Chrysler Award
Chrysler Design Award
The Chrysler Design Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals in innovative works of architecture and design which significantly influenced modern American culture.- 2002 :*Red Burns*Mildred Friedman*Steve Jobs*Phyllis Lambert*Murray Moss...
for Innovation, the Smithsonian’s 2002 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, a subsidiary of the Smithsonian Institution, is the United States' national museum of design history and contemporary design and the only museum in the U.S. whose collection is solely focused on contemporary and historic design...
for Product Design, and the 2005 Legend Award from Contract magazine. In 2007, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
.com named Diffrient the "granddaddy of the ergonomic revolution" and one of ten "Tastemakers" in the field of industrial design. Diffrient is also an Honorary Royal Designer for Industry, awarded by the Royal Society of Arts and Industry, London.
Products designed by Niels Diffrient
- Diffrient World Chair (HumanscaleHumanscaleHumanscale is best known for its Freedom chair, which was designed by Niels Diffrient and introduced in 1999. The chair was considered revolutionary for its internal counterbalance mechanism that supports the user’s body at all points during recline, a first for task chairs...
),2009 - Liberty Chair (HumanscaleHumanscaleHumanscale is best known for its Freedom chair, which was designed by Niels Diffrient and introduced in 1999. The chair was considered revolutionary for its internal counterbalance mechanism that supports the user’s body at all points during recline, a first for task chairs...
), 2004 - Diffrient Task and Work Light (HumanscaleHumanscaleHumanscale is best known for its Freedom chair, which was designed by Niels Diffrient and introduced in 1999. The chair was considered revolutionary for its internal counterbalance mechanism that supports the user’s body at all points during recline, a first for task chairs...
), 2002 - Freedom Chair (HumanscaleHumanscaleHumanscale is best known for its Freedom chair, which was designed by Niels Diffrient and introduced in 1999. The chair was considered revolutionary for its internal counterbalance mechanism that supports the user’s body at all points during recline, a first for task chairs...
), 1999 - Flexible Workspace Furniture System (KIKIKi or KI may refer to:* .ki, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code top level domain for Kiribati*Ki., an abbreviation for the Book of Kings in Judaeo-Christian religious texts* Ki * Ki , a Japanese syllabic character...
), 1998 - Helena Chair and Jefferson Chair (SunarHauserman), 1984
- Diffrient Chair (KnollKnoll* In geography, a knoll is a small, low natural hill.* Knolling is an important term in understanding American artist Tom Sachs' work and process.-Places:...
), 1979 - John Deere tractors (Henry DreyfussHenry DreyfussHenry Dreyfuss was an American industrial designer.-Career:Dreyfuss was a native of Brooklyn, New York. As one of the celebrity industrial designers of the 1930s and 1940s, Dreyfuss dramatically improved the look, feel, and usability of dozens of consumer products...
) - Borletti Sewing Machine (Marco Zanuso)