Brian Kane Full Profile

“It’s very easy to design something that’s complicated. It’s really difficult to design something that’s simple, and offers uniqueness through its simplicity.”

Brian’s products for Turnstone exemplify a graceful purity of form: Crew™ seating, Jenny® lounge, Sweeper seating line, Martini Table®, and more.

Brian operates a design studio based in San Francisco.

Kirt Martin Full Profile

Kirt leads and directs all industrial design activities at Turnstone. Kirt has designed and developed many new products including Tour™ workspace, Currency® and storage, Scoop seating, Alight™ ottomans and tables, Burton™ executive chair and Sawyer™ wood side chair.

Kirt was awarded the 2001 IDEA Award, several Good Design Awards and Neocon Awards including Best of Neocon Silver award in 2007 for Tour™ workspace. Kirt’s work has been featured in numerous publications including Metropolis Magazine, I.D. Magazine, & Interior Design Magazine.

Jean-Marie Massaud Full Profile

In 2000, Jean-Marie Massaud formed Studio Massaud with Daniel Pouzet . Together, they have designed the Tanabé House (Fukuoka, Japan), Renault’s displays at international motor shows, the Modern Object concept store (Colombus, Ohio), the HIP spa (Nice, France), and the brand and architectural image of Lancôme (cosmetics) and Poltrona Frau (furniture) worldwide.

Thomas Overthun

Having been with the renowned international design firm since 1993, Thomas’ current position is Senior Practice Lead at IDEO in the Consumer Experience Design practice of IDEO. Thomas directs large design programs at IDEO, coaching mid-level and junior designers. Thomas’ leadership style is based on his own, broad experience in many industry areas, and he makes a point of never leaving active and hands-on design work behind. He has developed strong expertise in the areas of contract furniture and seating, kitchen tools and appliances, personal care, sports products and electronics. Clients include Cisco, Steelcase, Zyliss Switzerland, Oral B, P&G, Audible, National Panasonic, Selle Royal.

PearsonLloyd Full Profile

Tom Lloyd and Luke Pearson met while studying at England’s Royal College of Art in the early 1990’s. The London-based PearsonLloyd studio was founded in 1997 based on their shared desire to combine furniture and product design. They work a number of design disciplines, including furniture, consumer products, transport, and the public realm.
The designers have written that their “desire is to produce compelling solutions that are intelligent, appropriate and timeless, and contribute to what for us, is the still embryonic craft of industrial design.”

Jorge Pensi

Jorge Pensi is prolific in producing new designs for lighting and furniture and became widely known for his fluid, long lasting chair designs. One of Spain’s leading designers today, Pensi has worked internationally as a design consultant and created furniture for a wide range of fine manufacturers. His work for Steelcase includes the elegant Siento chair where he set to create “something different from the typical American executive chair”.
View the interview for more info.

Charles Perry

Charles O. Perry is a creator an artist of many dimensions who ponders the wonderful mysteries of the universe. His large scale and monumental sculptures celebrate and question the laws of nature. As an industrial designer, Perry had invented three unique IBD prize winning chairs. His patents on chair design are licensed to Krueger International, Virco, and Steelcase.

Alan Rheault Full Profile

Alan Rheault has designed practically every form of workplace furniture, using materials of all sorts — from fabric and foam to rotationally molded plastic to high end wood veneer. Whatever he’s designing, from a skateboard ramp for his teenage boys, to Turnstone’s ingeniously functional desk system Smoke™, he looks to add a little surprise: A little something in every product that makes you think, ‘Hey, that’s cool!’

He’s contributed to Turnstone’s Crushed Can and Sweeper along with a variety of other Steelcase and Turnstone products. Alan headed Turnstone design for five years, and now leads product development for Nurture, the healthcare brand of Steelcase

Patricia Urquiola Full Profile

Patricia Urquiola began training as a student in architecture at Faculdad de Arquitectura de Madri before graduating in design from Politecnico di Milano in 1989, where she studied under Achille Castiglione.

In 1991, as head of the product development team at De Padova, Urquiola designed her first commercial furniture pieces (in collaboration with Vico Magistretti). They were highly imaginative yet functionally pragmatic, an appealing combination that has defined her work since.

Hans J. Wegner Full Profile

Hans J. Wegner is one of the 20th century’s most important furniture designers. A leader of the Danish Modern style, Wegner is revered for his iconic chairs with their organic beauty and ample comfort. His understanding of wood joinery was unsurpassed, his views on quality uncompromising. Wegner balanced form and function brilliantly.