DAVID ROWLAND (1924 - 2010) was a pioneering American mid-century designer, who's elegant, meticulously engineered 40/4 chair stands as one of the most significant and masterful designs of the 20th century.

Rowland believed that the purpose of the industrial designer was to build more constructive, useful products that filled a need. By this definition, Rowland was the definitive industrial designer. He understood the value of mass production as a means to “design for the greatest good for the greatest number.” He lived by an approach to design that he cultivated while studying at Cranbrook Academy of Art, where professors encouraged students to find their own work: to go out into the world, see what there was a need for, and find a way to address it. Thus, Rowland always sought in his work that which could best serve the public. In other words, design should be purposeful and problem-solving—in fact, he considered this a moral obligation.

(Image: NYT; Source: David Rowland Design)