WASHINGTON — The designer of the first laptop computer has been named director of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City.
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough announced the appointment Wednesday, calling Bill Moggridge a visionary leader in the design world.
The 66-year-old spent years as a designer and author and has taught at Stanford University. He has designed high-tech products, including the Grid Compass laptop computer in 1980, and co-founded the design firm IDEO, based in Palo Alto.
Moggridge will start at the museum in March. He succeeds Paul Thompson, who led the museum for eight years before leaving to lead the Royal College of Art in London.
The Cooper-Hewitt is undergoing a $64 million expansion of its home at Manhattan’s Carnegie Mansion.
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Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum: http://cooperhewitt.org
