Skip to main content directly

Knoll Designer Bios

Stephen Peart

b. England, 1958

A graduate from Sheffield City Polytechnic with a master’s degree in Industrial Design from the Royal College of Art in London, Stephen Peart has collaborated with several of today’s preeminent industrial designers. Primarily a computer and ergonomics expert, he has worked on design projects for many top companies and two of his designs, the Animal Wet Suit (designed for O’Neill, Inc in 1988) and Adjustable Keyboard (designed for Apple, Inc. in 1993) are part of The Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.

In 1993, Peart partnered with Ross Lovegrove to design the Surf Collection for Knoll ― a wrist rest, mouse pad, and lumbar support to support workplace ergonomics. Informed by Peart’s dual expertise in computers and ergonomics and styled by Lovegrove, the collection’s design advantage is in its simplicity. Surf has earned several awards and remains a thoughtful complement to Knoll seating and system products.