Richard Saul Wurman
Encyclopedia
Richard Saul Wurman is an architect
and graphic designer
who is considered to be a pioneer in the practice of making information easily understandable. Wurman has written and designed over 80 books, and created the TED conference
s, but remains associated only with TEDMED.
. He earned his Master of Architecture degree with highest honors from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1959, and holds a Doctorate of Fine Arts by the University of the Arts
in Philadelphia. Wurman was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Boston.
Wurman created the popular ACCESS travel guide books, which were innovative in their use of mapping content by neighborhood. Simple but effective use of colored text allowed readers to separate, locate and evaluate restaurants, museums, parks, and other categorical destinations quickly. With this series of books, Wurman firmly established the purpose of information architecture.
Wurman has been awarded several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts
, a Guggenheim Fellowship
, two Graham fellowships, and two Chandler fellowships. He was made an AIA Fellow
in 1976 and entered the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 2003. He was a 2004 Medalist of the AIGA
– formerly the American Institute of Graphic Arts – which honored him as a design conference impresario
. He is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council
. His current project is an attempt to create and standardize measurement tools as a means of understanding cities.
in 1978, then to Newport, Rhode Island
in 1993. At one point, he was married to Dorothy Horseman, with whom he had two children, Reven Wurman and Joshua Wurman. He is married to Gloria Nagy, an author, and has four children, including Joshua Wurman
, a noted atmospheric scientist.
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
who is considered to be a pioneer in the practice of making information easily understandable. Wurman has written and designed over 80 books, and created the TED conference
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
s, but remains associated only with TEDMED.
Early life and education
Wurman was born and grew up in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. He earned his Master of Architecture degree with highest honors from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1959, and holds a Doctorate of Fine Arts by the University of the Arts
University of the Arts (Philadelphia)
The University of the Arts is one of the United States' oldest universities dedicated to the arts. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia. Wurman was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Boston.
Career
In 1976, Wurman coined the phrase "information architect" in response to the large amount of information generated in contemporary society, which is often presented with little care or order. Wurman said, "I thought the explosion of data needed an architecture, needed a series of systems, needed systemic design, a series of performance criteria to measure it."Wurman created the popular ACCESS travel guide books, which were innovative in their use of mapping content by neighborhood. Simple but effective use of colored text allowed readers to separate, locate and evaluate restaurants, museums, parks, and other categorical destinations quickly. With this series of books, Wurman firmly established the purpose of information architecture.
Wurman has been awarded several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
, two Graham fellowships, and two Chandler fellowships. He was made an AIA Fellow
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
in 1976 and entered the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 2003. He was a 2004 Medalist of the AIGA
Aiga
‘Aiga is a word in the Samoan language which means 'family.' The aiga is the family unit of Samoan society and differs from the Western sense in that it consists more than just a mother, father and children. The Samoan family, also referred to as an 'extended family' is based on the culture's...
– formerly the American Institute of Graphic Arts – which honored him as a design conference impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
. He is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council
Design Futures Council
The Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges, and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment...
. His current project is an attempt to create and standardize measurement tools as a means of understanding cities.
Personal life
Wurman moved from Philadelphia to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1978, then to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
in 1993. At one point, he was married to Dorothy Horseman, with whom he had two children, Reven Wurman and Joshua Wurman. He is married to Gloria Nagy, an author, and has four children, including Joshua Wurman
Joshua Wurman
Joshua Michael Aaron Ryder Wurman is an atmospheric scientist and inventor noted for tornado, hurricane, and weather radar research.-Life and career:Wurman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Radnor High School...
, a noted atmospheric scientist.
Works
1960s- Cities: A Comparison of Form and Scale;
- The Notebook and Drawings of Louis I. Kahn;
- Urban Atlas: 20 American Cities (with Joseph Passonneau);
- Various Dwellings Described in a Comparative Manner.
1970s
- Aspen Visible;
- Guidebook to Guidebooks;
- Making the City Observable;
- Man Made Philadelphia (with J.A. Gallery);
- The Nature of Recreation (with Alan Levy & Joel Katz);
- Our Man Made Environment Book 7 (with Alan Levy);
- What-If, Could-Be: An Historic Fable of the Future;
- Yellow Pages Career Library (12 volumes);
- Yellow Pages of Learning Resources.
1980s
- Baseball Access;
- Dog Access;
- Football Access;
- Hawaii Access;
- Las Vegas Access;
- London Access;
- Los Angeles Access;
- Medical Access;
- New Orleans Access;
- New York City Access;
- Olympic Access;
- Paris Access;
- Polaroid Access;
- Rome Access;
- San Francisco Access;
- Summer Games Access;
- Tokyo Access;
- Hats;
- Information Anxiety;
- Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money & Markets;
- Washington, DC Access;
- What Will Be Has Always Been, The Words of Louis I. Kahn;
- Winter Games;
1990s
- Barcelona Access;
- Boston Access;
- C, The Charleston Guide;
- California Wine Country Access;
- Chicago Access;
- Danny Goodman's Macintosh Handbook (with Danny Goodman);
- Florence/Venice/Milan Access;
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road (with Loring Leifer);
- Fortune Guide to Investing in the 90's;
- Information Architects (co-published with Graphis);
- N, The Newport Guide;
- On Time, Airline Guide to North America;
- Office Access;
- San Diego Access;
- Twin Peaks Access (with David Lynch);
- USAtlas.
2000s
- Understanding USA;
- Can I Afford To Retire?;
- Information Anxiety2;
- Drugs, Prescription, Non-prescription & Herbal;
- Heart Disease & Cardiovascular Health;
- Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning;
- Diagnostic Tests for Men;
- Diagnostic Tests for Women;
- Understanding Children (with Civitas);
- 1000 - Richard Saul Wurman's Who's Really Who;
- Understanding Healthcare.