Hasta La Ideas

Friends, colleagues, family members, and fans of Bill Moggridge gathered recently in New York City to remember and celebrate the life of the pioneering yet playful designer, teacher, and Cooper-Hewitt director, who died last fall at the age of 69. After a moving introduction by acting director Caroline Baumann (the museum committee tasked with selecting a worthy successor to Moggridge need not look further than his longtime deputy), Smithsonian secretary Wayne Clough took to the podium, describing the man of the evening as “a perpetual pin to deflate our pomposity” and marveling at Moggridge’s take on dressing up: “He could pull off wearing a t-shirt, and I never could.”

A charming video tribute created by one of Moggridge’s two sons was followed by a discussion with Bill Buxton, David Kelley, Bruce Nussbaum, Ellen Lupton, and moderator Helen Walters. “He really knew what the future was going to bring,” said Kelley, who joined up with Moggridge and Mike Nuttall in 1991 to form IDEO and credited Moggridge with instilling an enduring openness in the global design consultancy. “He was just this kind of teacher person,” added Kelley. “I never had an interaction with him where I didn’t feel better afterwards.” Enjoy more Moggridge memories in the below video of the event.

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