In ninth grade, Tom Newhouse told his school counselor his career choice. He then explained what an “industrial designer” was. Such is the fate of precocious youth.

“I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t planning, designing, or building. If our class put on a play, I built the set. If something broke, I fixed it. I’ve always enjoyed figuring out how things work.”

Tom credits his father, a self-taught engineer, for his fascination with the world of mechanics. “I could ask him any technical question, and he would explain everything with logic and simplicity.” And his mother balanced this pragmatism, as her sculptures, paintings, and aesthetic sensibility “showed me a completely new way of looking at the world.”

The dual and complementary influences of his parents appear throughout his designs and thinking. They are evident in the large solar-powered hillside house he built for his family in the mid-1970s. His professional work in exhibitions, interiors for people with physical disabilities, lighting, commercial furniture, and kitchenware are proof of his broad talents and intellectual curiosity.

Involved in what he calls a “primarily male profession,” which is industrial design, he is also an advocate for women. “More than half of all office workers are women, and I try to design products that offer the same comfort and control that men enjoy.”

Tom continues to focus much of his energy on two “passions”: the study of emerging office issues and the implementation of “ecological” design concepts. He is also dedicated to designing products and utilizing manufacturing technologies that prioritize environmental preservation. “I’ve been passionate about this issue for 25 years and will preserve that love,” he states. “That’s one reason I love working with Herman Miller.”

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