Overview

Designers

George Nelson

Product Designer George Nelson

Products by George Nelson

  • White Nelson Swag Leg Armchair, viewed from the front. White Nelson Swag Leg Armchair. Select to go to the Nelson Swag Leg Armchair product page.
    Nelson Swag Leg Armchair Herman Miller
  • Gray Nelson Daybed. Gray Nelson Daybed. Select to go to the Nelson Daybed product page.
    Nelson Daybed Herman Miller
  • Black Nelson Marshmallow Sofa. Black Nelson Marshmallow Sofa. Select to go to the Nelson Marshmallow Sofa product page.
    Nelson Marshmallow Sofa Herman Miller
  • Nelson Cube Sofa in oak and leather. Nelson Cube Sofa in oak and leather. Select to go to the Nelson Cube Sofa product page.
    Nelson Cube Sofa Herman Miller
  • Black Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair. Black Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair. Select to go to the Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair product page.
    Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair Herman Miller
  • Nelson Cube Armchair in oak and leather. Nelson Cube Armchair in oak and leather. Select to go to the Nelson Cube Armchair product page.
    Nelson Cube Armchair Herman Miller
  • A round Nelson Pedestal Table with a medium wood finish. A round Nelson Pedestal Table with a medium wood finish. Select to go to the Nelson Pedestal Table product page.
    Nelson Pedestal Table Herman Miller
  • A Nelson Cane Bench with a walnut frame and metal legs, viewed from the side. A Nelson Cane Bench with a walnut frame and metal legs, viewed from the side at an angle. Select to go to the Nelson Cane Bench product page.
    Nelson Cane Bench Herman Miller
  • Maple Nelson Platform Bench with ebonized wood legs, viewed from the front. Maple Nelson Platform Bench with ebonized wood legs, viewed from the front at an angle. Select to go to the Nelson Platform Bench product page.
    Nelson Platform Bench Herman Miller
  • A door and drawer Nelson Basic Cabinet Series storage unit. A door and drawer Nelson Basic Cabinet Series storage unit. Select to go to the Nelson Basic Cabinet Series product page.
    Nelson Basic Cabinet Series Herman Miller
  • Blue Nelson Pedestal Stool with white base. White leather Nelson Pedestal Stool with black base. Select to go to the Nelson Pedestal Stool product page.
    Nelson Pedestal Stool Herman Miller
  • An elevated six-drawer Nelson Miniature Chest. An elevated six-drawer Nelson Miniature Chest. Select to go to the Nelson Miniature Chests product page.
    Nelson Miniature Chests Herman Miller
  • A round Nelson Pedestal outdoor table with a white stone top. A round Nelson Pedestal outdoor table with a white stone top. Select to go to the Nelson Pedestal Table Outdoor product page.
    Nelson Pedestal Table Outdoor Herman Miller
  • A Nelson Swag Leg Desk. A Nelson Swag Leg Desk. Select to go to the Nelson Swag Leg Desk and Tables product page.
    Nelson Swag Leg Desk and Tables Herman Miller
  • A four-drawer Nelson Thin Edge cabinet. A four-drawer Nelson Thin Edge cabinet. Select to go to the Nelson Thin Edge Group product page.
    Nelson Thin Edge Group Herman Miller
  • A rectangular Nelson X-Leg Table with a medium veneer top. A rectangular Nelson X-Leg Table with a medium veneer top. Select to go to the Nelson X-Leg Table product page.
    Nelson X-Leg Table Herman Miller
  • Three white Pendant lamps. Three white Pendant lamps. Select to go to the Nelson Bubble Lamps product page.
    Nelson Bubble Lamps Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Bell Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Bell Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Cigar Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Cigar Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Orbit Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Orbit Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Ball Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Ball Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Roll Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Roll Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Angled Sphere Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Angled Sphere Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Pear Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Pear Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Apple Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Apple Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Propeller Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Propeller Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Lantern Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Lantern Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Saucer CrissCross Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Saucer CrissCross Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Cigar CrissCross Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Cigar CrissCross Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Pear CrissCross Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Pear CrissCross Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • A white hanging lamp. A white hanging lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Ball CrissCross Bubble Pendant product page.
    Nelson Ball CrissCross Bubble Pendant Herman Miller
  • Three white hanging lamps. Three white hanging lamps. Select to go to the Nelson Triple Bubble Lamp Fixture product page.
    Nelson Triple Bubble Lamp Fixture Herman Miller
  • A white wall sconce. A white wall sconce. Select to go to the Nelson Cigar Wall Sconce product page.
    Nelson Cigar Wall Sconce Herman Miller
  • A white wall sconce. A white wall sconce. Select to go to the Nelson Ball Wall Sconce product page.
    Nelson Ball Wall Sconce Herman Miller
  • A white wall sconce. A white wall sconce. Select to go to the Nelson Saucer Wall Sconce product page.
    Nelson Saucer Wall Sconce Herman Miller
  • A white wall sconce. A white wall sconce. Select to go to the Nelson Pear Wall Sconce product page.
    Nelson Pear Wall Sconce Herman Miller
  • A white table lamp. A white table lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Cigar Tripod Lamp product page.
    Nelson Cigar Tripod Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white table lamp. A white table lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Ball Tripod Lamp product page.
    Nelson Ball Tripod Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white table lamp. A white table lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Pear Tripod Lamp product page.
    Nelson Pear Tripod Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white table lamp. A white table lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Lantern Tripod Lamp product page.
    Nelson Lantern Tripod Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white table lamp. A white table lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Cigar Lotus Table Lamp product page.
    Nelson Cigar Lotus Table Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white table lamp. A white table lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Ball Lotus Table Lamp product page.
    Nelson Ball Lotus Table Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white table lamp. A white table lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Pear Lotus Table Lamp product page.
    Nelson Pear Lotus Table Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white floor lamp. A white floor lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Cigar Lotus Floor Lamp product page.
    Nelson Cigar Lotus Floor Lamp Herman Miller
  • A white floor lamp. A white floor lamp. Select to go to the Nelson Pear Lotus Floor Lamp product page.
    Nelson Pear Lotus Floor Lamp Herman Miller

When writing about the course of his remarkable 50-year career, George Nelson described a series of creative “zaps”—moments of out-of-the-blue inspiration “when the solitary individual finds he is connected with a reality he never dreamed of.”

An early zap came in the 1930s, when he was an architectural student in Rome. Before returning home, an idea struck him: He would travel Europe and interview leading modern architects, hoping to get the articles published in the U.S. He succeeded, and in the process introduced the U.S. design community to the European avant-garde. This set in motion a sequence of what he called “lucky”career breaks that were really the inevitable outcomes of his brilliance as a designer, teacher, and author.

The first break was being named an editor of Architectural Forum magazine. Working on a story there in 1942, he was looking at aerial photos of blighted cities when—zap!—he developed the concept of the downtown pedestrian mall, which was unveiled in the Saturday Evening Post.

Soon after, another zap led to the Storagewall, the first modular storage system and a forerunner of systems furniture. The Storagewall was showcased in a 1945 Lifemagazine article, causing a sensation in the furniture industry. Herman Miller founder D.J. De Pree saw the article and was so impressed that he paid a visit to Nelson in New York and convinced him to be his director of design, which spurred Nelson to found his design firm, George Nelson & Associates. The warm, personal, and professional relationship between Nelson and De Pree yielded a stunning range of products, from the playful Marshmallow Sofa to the first L-shaped desk, a precursor of today’s workstation.

Nelson once wrote that Herman Miller “is not playing follow-the-leader.” That’s one reason why George Nelson & Associates worked with Herman Miller for over 25 years as they shepherded design into the modern era.

“Design is a response to social change.”

- George Nelson

During this same period, George Nelson & Associates also created many landmark designs of products, showrooms, and exhibitions for a variety of companies and organizations.

Nelson said that for a designer to deal creatively with human needs, “he must first make a radical, conscious break with all values he identifies as antihuman.” Designers also must constantly be aware of the consequences of their actions on people and society. In fact, he declared that “total design is nothing more or less than a process of relating everything to everything.” So he said that rather than specializing, designers must cultivate a broad base of knowledge and understanding.

Nelson did so as few are able, and, with the help of well-timed zaps, he helped define modern, humane design.

Awards/Recognition

Permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Lifetime Achievement Award, American Institute of Graphic Arts, 1991

Scholar in Residence, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Design, 1984

Chairman, International Design Conference in Aspen, 1965, 1982

Good Design Award, Museum of Modern Art, 1954

Trailblazer Award, National Home Furnishings League, 1954

Best Office of the Year, New York Times, 1953

Gold Medal, Art Directors Club of New York, 1953

Prix de Rome for architecture, 1932

Distribution Rights

Herman Miller and Vitra are two independent companies with a common interest in the designs and legacies of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Alexander Girard.

In 1956, Vitra became Herman Miller’s licensee for continental Europe. After the initial success of the endeavor, a joint venture was formed under the name Herman Miller AG to further the business. The cooperation was accompanied by a warm personal relationship between the De Pree family of Herman Miller and the Fehlbaum family of Vitra. For over two decades the companies successfully collaborated to establish a market for good design, and further the designs of Eames, Nelson, and Girard in Europe. When the partnership was dissolved in 1984, the rights to the designs of Eames, Nelson, and Girard were assigned to Vitra for Europe and the Middle East, while the Herman Miller name and program were retained by Herman Miller.

The two companies continue to have a friendly relationship and together with the descendants of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard keep the spirit of these great designers alive.