Dear Bill,

I first met you twenty-five years ago in your London Office. I later had an opportunity to work with IDEO in Japan and San Francisco and you taught me that designing really requires love and care.

When I decided to leave design work and Japan to study management, you gave me heartfelt encouragement and wrote me a wonderful recommendation letter. In London Business School, I was blessed to learn what design management is from you and how a designing mind is important in all aspects of business even when one is not working as a designer. All your teaching has been my asset to this date.

Thank you for welcoming me to your home in the United States and in London. Thank you also for empowering me with your warm smile when I was heart-broken and down. Bill, when think of your blue eyes, it makes me miss you even more. Thank you and I shall see you again. I look forward to that day…

Potsdam 30.03.2007 11:20; Bill Moggridge , INNOVATIONSFORM INTERKTIONSDESIGN – Ein Kongress der Interaktionsspezialisten in Deutschland – Danke für die Impulse und den Bericht auch über Doug Engelbart, Entwickler der Computermaus. Großartige Präsentation, liebenswerter Kollge.

As a student of Industrial design circa 1987-1990 at Central School of Art and Design (latterly Central St Martin’s) I intuitively adored the work of Moggrdige associates & ID two. Then circa 1995 I met Bill (once), I was in IDEO’s Kentish Town Modelstudio, I was on my knees- labouring away at some prototypes for a Steelcase Strafor video, Bill walked in, cheerily, observed progress and mentioned something about how long it takes to embed a concept/pitch within a commercial….15 seconds as I recall.

Later on after work was finished we all retreated to the local “acid yellow pub” (Quinns) and Bill was there (most likely jet lagged) just sitting observing -soaking up the atmosphere.- just as designers should.

In hindsight, our earlier interaction lasted about 15 seconds-his concept as a design leader/thinker/sage has been embedded as part of my practice as a designer and educator ever since.

Thank you.