Just thinking about Bill makes me smile. He was a beautiful person and an incredible designer…today, I miss him lots.

I learned the principles of user interaction design from Bill. At the time way back in the mid 1980’s the whole notion of metaphors and icons were so new but Bill had a way of patiently explaining his thougts and point of view in a way that us young designers at HP (at a that time) could understand and visualize. Ever since I always remembered the simple principles he had taught us in creating compelling yet understandable user experiences. He was always welcoming and had time to say hi and have a chat at conferences and design events. One of my all time design hero and mentor. I will miss his guidance and wisdom.

I met Bill when we worked together on the Stanford Design Conference committee.

Bill brought that impish sense of humor and expansive knowledge of, and delight in design to every meeting. Despite his demanding schedule at IDEO he brought brilliant speakers and unbridled enthusiasm to every moment of the conference and beyond.

He always took time to tell us about his son’s band schedule and Karin’s projects and had an amazing balance , or perhaps it was merging, of work and family. I feel so fortunate to have known him and experienced his brilliance, generosity, curiosity and humanity.

Bill, it seems, found a way to make everyone feel at home. I’d only been a couple of months in Palo Alto, but was beginning to feel the pangs of longing for home when Bill sidled up to me, unsolicited, to share some Moggridge wisdom. With a reassuringly familiar accent, he clearly and quickly jotted down directions for a certain shop in SF stocking Marmite, Shreddies, Digestive biscuits and other British delights. It made all the difference. Thank you Bill. A wonderful man, sorely missed.

After meeting with Bill, my friend was always happy and energetic. I always wanted to meet with my friend post-Bill meetings so I could benefit from Bill’s contagious spirit. Thank you Bill for energizing many people directly or indirectly.

I still remember the day an all staff meeting was called at Cooper-Hewitt. We all knew it was the announcement of our new Director. I truly had no idea who it would be. There were some long shot rumors that it might be Bill, but I convinced myself that the institution would not make such a radical choice; it wasn’t typical of most museum’s culture to choose a director outside of the field. When I walked in the room and saw him standing there my face lit up and I knew the future of the Museum was going to be extraordinary and I was lucky to be a small part of it.

My favorite story of Bill was described in a blog post I wrote when he chose to move his office into the Cooper-Hewitt’s education department. Here is the story.

Miss you Bill.

—*kim

Bill above all else was an extremely nice man. He cared greatly about the people he worked with and consequently brought out the best in all his staff. A true one off who will be greatly missed.

I cannot really say that I knew Bill well; I met him in the early 90s when doing my MBA at London Business School (a time when Angela Dumas & Peter Gorb were active there). Even though our encounters were few, I just feel so strongly about wanting to share (not least triggered by the short video we saw of Bill at the d.confestival in Potsdam a couple of days ago). Whenever I was in his presence I felt embraced by his kind and wise eyes as just who I was; there was a calm and empathy that made me feel safe, and allowed my thoughts and understanding to wonder in new directions. Thank you Bill.

Bill – The wonderful ‘Mr. Moggridge’ – Our very special ambassador and friend – Having read all the stories and memories from Bill’s friends, colleagues and contemporaries – I would like to make an observation – Bill was not just a fantastic creator, academic, practitioner – he was a person who has left so many people in awe of his personality, charisma and charm – I am so very pleased to have witnessed and spent time with the unique and wonderful ‘Mr. Moggridge’.

Thank you for everything – I will miss you.

Bill was always there, somehow. I was working at Sottsass Associati over 20 years ago when I first met him. He was, like Ettore, a design mystic, a seer of the things human and beautiful that we were all searching for. The second time we met, I had started working with IDEO in Boston and made a pilgrimage to the California mothership. Bill remembered me and invited me to his home for dinner. Karin made a delicious meal while Bill showed me his collection of Japanese food models. Legendary. A few years later, I found myself back in Italy guest lecturing at Ivrea, when Bill walked in. He made me feel instantly at ease, like an old friend would. Fast forward to London and the book launch of “Design Interactions”. While he wrote a lovely dedication in my copy of his book, the warmth of his smile and the gleam of his eye never left him. The last time I saw Bill was in New York a year ago, where he shared his desire to expand the reach of his design mission across the United States. I volunteered to help him in any way I could. He was always there. He still is.