Ralph Caplan
Encyclopedia
Ralph Caplan, born January 4, 1925 in Ambridge
, Pennsylvania
, is a well-known design consultant, writer
in the field of design, author
and public speaker.
In 1941 Caplan entered Earlham College
for a semester, then enlisted in the Marine Corps
. He was 17 years of age at the time.
After his discharge from the Marines, Caplan re-entered Earlham College, graduated, and went for his Masters Degree at Indiana University
. He later taught at Wabash College
, then moved to New York City, where he became editor of Industrial Design
. He left ID to write his first book, a novel, Say Yes, which was loosely inspired by his experience at Earlham and Wabash.
Author of By Design: Why There Are No Locks on the Bathroom Doors in the Hotel Louis XIV and Other Object Lessons, Caplan also writes about design for major design magazines and is a Director Emeritus of the International Design Conference in Aspen
, Colorado
. He is the author of The Design of Herman Miller, and was a consultant to that Michigan furniture manufacturer for more than 20 years. His book Cracking the Whip, published in 2006, is a selection of his essays on design and its side effects.
Caplan teaches design criticism at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and writes for various print and online journals.
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1905 and named after the American Bridge Company. Ambridge is located 16 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, alongside the Ohio River. In 1910, 5,205 people lived in Ambridge; in 1920, 12,730 people lived there, and in...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, is a well-known design consultant, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
in the field of design, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and public speaker.
In 1941 Caplan entered Earlham College
Earlham College
Earlham College is a liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. It was founded in 1847 by Quakers and has approximately 1,200 students.The president is John David Dawson...
for a semester, then enlisted in the Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He was 17 years of age at the time.
After his discharge from the Marines, Caplan re-entered Earlham College, graduated, and went for his Masters Degree at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. He later taught at Wabash College
Wabash College
Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
, then moved to New York City, where he became editor of Industrial Design
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....
. He left ID to write his first book, a novel, Say Yes, which was loosely inspired by his experience at Earlham and Wabash.
Author of By Design: Why There Are No Locks on the Bathroom Doors in the Hotel Louis XIV and Other Object Lessons, Caplan also writes about design for major design magazines and is a Director Emeritus of the International Design Conference in Aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. He is the author of The Design of Herman Miller, and was a consultant to that Michigan furniture manufacturer for more than 20 years. His book Cracking the Whip, published in 2006, is a selection of his essays on design and its side effects.
Caplan teaches design criticism at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and writes for various print and online journals.