About
Furniture designer, artist, and educator Scott Klinker heads the graduate 3D design program at the renowned Cranbrook Academy of Art as Designer-in-Residence, where he also received his MFA in 1996. His work there builds on the Cranbrook tradition of modern design - searching for new forms to address our changing needs. In line with Cranbrook's tradition of integrating Design, Art and Craft, he believes that the best forms are not conceived in the mind, but discovered with the hands. His broad approach to form giving is driven by an interest in remixing the categories of industrial design, architecture and sculpture.
After years of designing in larger corporate contexts - as an in-house designer at Ericsson, and as senior staff at IDEO exploring advanced concepts for Steelcase - Klinker ventured to Japan in 1999 to lead a product design program at the Kanazawa International Design Institute and founded his independent studio, Scott Klinker Design Studio to develop licensed designs for furniture, household goods and toys. He moved his practice to Cranbrook in 2001 and began to build partnerships with small, design-driven companies that shared his fascination with new materials, digital fabrication, modular systems, and new typologies for live/work environments. In 2004, Scott’s Spaceframe Builder’s Kit for Offi & Co. was selected by Fortune magazine as one of the top 25 products of the year. In 2006, he was featured as one of Newsweek’s annual ‘Design Dozen’ selection of best new designers. In 2009, he launched the Mix Modern Collection with a major Michigan-based retailer. In 2012, Scott completed a new product with Alessi, the Italian 'Design Factory', and led a collaborative project between Cranbrook and Herman Miller that earned the 'Best School' award at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC. Scott has also curated design exhibitions in Kanazawa, Chicago, Detroit, New York and Milan. As an active agent in education, culture and commerce, Scott is building new works, connections and discussions to inspire design culture in America and abroad.
Contact
Cranbrook #801
39221 Woodward Ave.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
248 - 645 - 3335
Facebook: Scott Klinker Design Studio
Instagram: scottklinkerdesign
News
May 2017
Lightforms featured in 'Cranbrook: A New Domestic Landscape' Exhibition thru January 2018 at the Cranbrook Art Museum. This exhibition will also feature the work of prominent recent alums from the Cranbrook 3D Design Department.
March 2017
Scott is invited by the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art to speak on panel discussion exploring new connections between design, art, and craft. Other panelists included Jennifer Scanlon, former curator of the Museum of Art and Design in NYC.
December 2016
Scott's appears on Detroit Public Television in a 'conversation' about Eero Saarinen's legacy at Cranbrook to support a new documentary film about Eero's life and work. Additional clips from the conversation were used as commercials to promote the screening.
November 2016
Scott's Superset is featured on the design blog/magazine Sight Unseen.
November 2016
Scott's Lightforms are exhibited with Playground Detroit in a group show called 'Ambience'.
October 2016
Scott talks about developing design culture in this interview on the Core77 design blog.
August 2016
Scott gives a talk entitled 'Prototyping Culture' at the national conference of the IDSA - Industrial Designers Society of America - in Detroit.
July 2016
New article about Cranbrook 3D's recent exhibition at the Collective Design fair during NYCxDesign in May.
June 2016
The Low Rider Lounge designed for Offi made its debut at Neocon in Chicago, the largest trade show of contract furnishings in the US. The chair will be ready to ship in September.
May 2016
Cranbrook 3D exhibits 'Fine Design for the End of the World' at the Collective Design Fair in NYC during design week, with creative direction by Scott Klinker. See the exhibition here.
December 2015
SKDS appears in a beautiful video about 'Detroit: City of Design' by Stephen McGee. Look for it at 1:25.
October 2015
Check out my sabbatical lecture at Cranbrook if you'd like to learn more about my recent lighting designs.
September 2014.
Scott is interviewed by Core77 design blog on the future of design education.
March 2014.
Scott is guest-editor for INNOVATION magazine on the theme of design/art/craft. The magazine is the quarterly journal for the IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America) with a circulation of over 12,000 readers. In addition to directing the theme of the magazine, Scott also conducted an interview with Italian design master Andrea Branzi.
November 2013.
SKDS is a finalist in Metropolis Magazine's 'Workplace of the Future' competition. The top twelve (of over 200) submissions are shown here.
October 25 - November 30, 2013.
"Life Support: Art -Design Sustenance"
Scott's Tower Book Displays will be part of an exhibition at the David Richard Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico featuring functional artwork.
September 17 through October, 2013.
"Doing it, and Doing it, and Doing it Well"
Scott's Spaceframe Builders Kit was featured in this Cranbrook Alumni Show at Studio Couture in Detroit.
May 18 - 21, 2013.
'Hands-On: Conceptual Craft Research"
Scott co-curated this alumni show with Chris Schanck at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC. Several of his pieces we also featured in the show. A website documenting the exhibition can be found here:http://www.cranbrookhands.com/
September 2012. Scott Klinker for Alessi
After nearly two years in development, the Italian 'design factory' Alessi will launch a small group of products from Cranbrook, including the new 'Trellis' bowl by Scott Klinker. Available at Alessi retailers and the Alessi website.
2012 Design Week in NYC
Scott leads two major projects exhibited in NYC. 'Metal Workshop: Cranbrook for Alessi' at the Alessi SOHO showroom presents prototypes and new products from a recent workshop. 'Rest and Concentration in the Workplace' presented six prototypes from a recent student project for Herman Miller at the ICFF which earned the Cranbrook 3D Design program the prestigious 'Best School' award.
July 2010 Maker Faire Detroit
A two-day Spaceframe Installation at The Henry Ford Museum invited thousands of visitors to help in building the most monumental structures to date.