I had the true pleasure of working nearly a decade with Bill at ID Two, first above the mortuary in Palo Alto, and then in our trendy flat in North Beach. One designer teasingly nicknamed him our ‘modern day Renaissance man,’ and even now I can’t think of a more fitting title. His brilliance as a designer is clear, but there are so many other qualities about Bill that made those years for me some of the most memorable in my working career. He led us with a special touch, with sensitivity, creativity, humor, compassion, wit, immense generosity, and that’s only a beginning.

Thank you Bill. I remain ever grateful for the privilege of sharing ‘Phase II’ with you.

Bill – Your gifts will live on in all of us.

Some 20 odd years ago we were nervously sitting in a conference room packed with software engineers at Claris, Apple’s software subsidiary, as Bill gave a presentation of application window designs that we had been working on. After going through a progression of slides showing minor improvements he came to the first more radical approach and exclaimed, “Aha and here we have a bit of floating loveliness.” He went on to win the room over with his usual wit and charm but to this day we still chuckle whenever we’re working on a presentation and ask “where is the floating loveliness?”

Bill impacted my life through the work environment and culture that he and his founding partners created and nurtured in the early days of IDEO. A place that put people first, and forever instilled and inspired in me a passion for uncompromising excellence in design. I never found a place like IDEO before or after my “apprenticeship years” there. His spirit lives on in all the people who were fortunate to encounter Bill’s IDEO and his fluent approach to work and life. It influenced me beyond my work as a designer. For that I am grateful.

It was the ’80s. ID2 had relocated to San Francisco but Bill decided the company Christmas party would be held in Palo Alto. Where would we sleep after partying? Over several rounds at Mario’s, we decided – a sleepover! a surprise sleepover! at Bill & Karin’s! Their last present at the party was a T-shirt reading “ID2 Xmas Sleepover”. “Ah,” Bill said, ever quick on the take, “I guess you’re coming with us!” We followed them home. Played charades by candlelight next to Karin’s beautiful Christmas tree. And we slept EVERYWHERE. The next morning Bill roused us with his son’s heavy metal music. Cultural sharing or retribution? Karin, you were so gracious. It is a night we never forgot.

Bill was without doubt the most influencial person in my professional life. Soon after I joined IDEO in the mid-90’s, Bill asked if I could help him with the production of a series of videos to describe IDEO’s process. That inquiry began a process that led me, with Bill and David’s support, to create and lead the in-house media discipline there for a long and fulfilling tenure. As my skills in media production grew, I struck and informal deal with Bill: I’ll show you what I know about video while you help me understand interaction design. I believe I got the better deal.

Bill was that rare human who could simultaneously embody profunditiy and goofyness in such a way that each quality enhanced the other. The word ‘exuberant” always comes to mind whenever I think of Bill, but it’s an exuberance that’s not exhausing to be around – it’s inviting, gentle, and wise.

I also blame Bill for getting me addicted to coffee.

On my last day at IDEO, Bill hosted my going-away party, serving up (at my not-to-be-taken-seriously-request) gin martinis to the group. He was his usual gracious self, and I knew I had been given a great gift. Not just the party, but the amazing opportunity I was given to have worked with him for ten good years.

But it didn’t end at IDEO. A few months after I left, Bill asked if I had time to work on finalizing the DVD for his first book project. Easy answer. For a solid couple of weeks, I drove up to Bill and Karin’s beautiful home in the hills and we would sit down (with salubrious servings of coffee) and crank out the final touches to meet the publishing deadline. It was my chance to see another side of Bill; the intense, focussed, get-the-thing-done side.

Five years later Bill’s influence in my life was revealed again, when a design team at Apple used Bill’s name as a search query in their applicant database and my name came up. Bill had written me a lovely recommendation on LinkedIn. The hiring manager was Bill’s first American employee at ID2. I landed the job, the best one I’ve had since IDEO.

I resonate deeply with Naoto’s beautiful tribute to Bill on these pages. Bill made me a better designer by his guidance, and a better man by his example. I feel as if I’ve lost my professional father. Thank you for being such a wonderful one, Bill. I will still strive to make you proud.

I met Bill at a HighGround user experience workshop in 2000. Between his leadership of the workshop and time driving together back to Denver and delayed flights, I began to understand what a marvelously talented, creative and gracious man he is. I was transitioning careers from working in family planning in developing countries to experience design. Bill was inspiring and encouraging. I organized a day-long event about Product Design in the 21 Century at the Smithsonian, and Bill came as a panelist and suggested others to invite. In that and many other events Bill was a mentor and friend. It has been a joy to spend time with Bill and Karin over the years, in Palo Alto, Woodside and New York. Thank you Bill, you are beloved and missed!

All of my memories are happy ones of Bill. One early one: not long after joining IDEO, in 1996, Thomas Overthun and I were on one of our many trips to Grand Rapids to work with Steelcase, and our Hertz rental car had been upgraded to some giant Buick. While the car seemed appropriate to tooling around West Michigan, we were soon mortified when we ran into Bill at the pyramid, folding himself out of a purlpley-pink Ford Festiva rent-a-wreck. I think I said “Bill, why are you driving such a car?” and he said something like “a consultant should always rent a humble car”. Too right, and it really says a lot about Bill and what mattered to him.

Another happy memory is his farewell and parting shot to us IDEO partners, where he boldly declared “just because I’m a wrinkly, doesn’t mean I’m giving up… I’m going to go do _this_ now”, and sang us a custom crafted tune, gave us a stern but loving assessment of where the firm was, and bid us a fond farewell. As for so many others posting here, I count myself lucky to have known such a happy and smart man. There was always a twinkle in his eye.

Bill at the National Design Awards 2010

I have had the pleasure of knowing Bill and Karin as friends for many years.

It wasn’t till I picked up a catalogue of IDEO history at their house one day that I realized just how important Bill was in the industrial design world. Here is a favorite picture of Bill unwrapping a “silly” Christmas present in keeping with part of the ritual of Christmas at the Moggridges.

We will miss Bill so very much.