BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICH.- Chris Whittey, the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Interim Director of Cranbrook Academy of Art, proudly announced today that Leon Ransmeier has been appointed faculty and the new Head of the Industrial Design program at the Academy. Ransmeier will succeed Scott Klinker, who is leaving at the end of the academic year to pursue his full-time industrial design practice.
Ransmeier will also help shape the new Architecture and Design department at the Academy. Beginning in the fall of 2025, the Industrial Design program will begin working in collaboration with the Architecture program next year under the newly formed Architecture and Design department in order to enhance collaboration and foster connections across disciplines.
Ransmeier is the founder and director of Ransmeier, Inc., a New York-based design office he launched in 2010 that has collaborated with iconic brands such as Droog, HAY, Herman Miller, Maharam, and Mattiazzi. His notable designs include the Revolver Bar Stool for HAY, and the Chiaro chair for Mattiazzi.
His work has been exhibited at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Friedman Benda Gallery; Swiss Institute; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and is included in the permanent collections at SFMOMA and the Corning Museum of Glass. Ransmeier holds a BFA in furniture design from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Ransmeier’s design philosophy is rooted in simplicity, usability, and a profound understanding of materials and manufacturing processes.
“We are thrilled to welcome Leon to Cranbrook Academy of Art,” said Whittey. “Leon’s work transcends the boundaries of industrial design, inspiring both established and aspiring artists while shaping contemporary design practices around the world. We believe Leon’s experience will provide our students with valuable insight into launching a design career, while his deep roots in the design community will create extraordinary opportunities for them to network and showcase their work. We look forward to the impact Leon will have on our Design program as we shape Cranbrook’s future.”
Beyond his design work, Ransmeier has enriched the field with his writings on design, art, and architecture for esteemed publications such as Apartamento, Disegno, and PIN-UP.
Over the past two decades, he has shared his expertise as a guest lecturer and visiting critic at several national and international design schools, including the Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, Melbourne School of Design, California College of the Arts, Aalto University, and Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Regarding his new position at Cranbrook, Ransmeier says, "I am sincerely honored to join the Cranbrook community, a crucible of American Modernism and forum for international creativity for over 90 years. Cranbrook’s exceptional architecture and legacy of design provide an inspiring context for the education of future generations of designers. It is thrilling to be given the opportunity to facilitate an ambitious program for our current time."
Leon Ransmeier will begin his tenure in September of 2025.
The Design department has existed at Cranbrook Academy of Art since the school’s founding, with Pipsan Saarinen Swanson serving as the first Artist-in-Residence from 1932–1935. Since then, the department welcomed 13 Artists-in-Residence, with the longest serving being Katherine and Michael McCoy (1971–1995). In 1995, the Design department was split into two departments: 2D Design (now Graphic Design) and 3D Design (now Industrial Design). Leon Ransmeier will be the third Head of the 3D Design/Industrial Design program, after Peter Stathis (1996–2000) and Scott Klinker (2001–present).
