Philip H. Stevens, FIDSA passed away Jan. 28, 2013. Stevens was a consummate industrial designer dedicated to excellence. He was a strong advocate of safety in design and was called upon to testify before a Senate Committee in support of the establishment of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. He also served on a presidential commission on fire safety and control.
Stevens was committed not only to design, but to design education. He was very active with students of industrial and interactive design at his Alma Mater, Syracuse University. He was associate professor for 15 years in the Industrial and Interactive Design Department where he was the impetus behind their 360 Competition. His students gained much from him by learning to fully explore the boundaries of design. He cultivated their professionalism, thereby giving them an edge and making their transition from student to professional designer that much smoother.
IDSA bestowed its highest honor of fellowship upon Stevens in 1975 in gratitude for his contributions to IDSA and the field of industrial design as a whole. He is also being honored by Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts by the establishment of the Philip H. Stevens Award.
Philip Stevens will be missed by his family, his students and his industry. Our best wishes go out to his wife, Margueritte, his son, Andrew and granddaughter, Erica.