Peter Bressler graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in industrial design in 1968 and continued graduate work at RISD under Mark Harrison, IDSA for another nine months working on the Standup Wheelchair, a thesis project that received the IDSA Student Merit Award, The Alcoa Ventures in Design Award and the American Iron and Steel Institute Awards for both design and engineering. In 1970 Bressler formed Designs for Medicine Inc. in Philadelphia, PA, and successfully licensed the project to a manufacturer.
Bressler has remained principal of Designs for Medicine, later practicing as Peter Bressler Design Associates and later renamed Bresslergroup. In the early 70s Bressler was an instructor in the Industrial Design Department, Philadelphia College of Art and a consultant to the Franklin Institute Research Laboratories "Center for the Enhancement of the Capabilities of the Handicapped." Since the 70s, Bresslergroup has developed a broad range of projects in the medical, office, commercial, consumer and industrial products fields and has won over 60 design awards. In addition to 11 Industrial Design Excellence Awards, Bressler and the firm have won awards from ID magazine, CES, AIGA, Krupps, Good Design, Package Design Council, Japanese G Marks, IF Hanover Awards, Desi Awards, Appliance Magazine and PD&D Awards. Bressler is listed as author or co-author on over 70 US and foreign patents. Bresslergroup products have been selected for exhibit at the Katonah Museum and in The United States Information Agency Traveling Exhibit for Eastern Europe, "Design America."
Bressler has made invited presentations to the National Housewares Manufacturer's Association, IDSA Annual Conferences, ICSID Washington, DC and Nagoya, Japan, Temple University, Lehigh University, The EEC Design conference, Toulon, France, Taidi' 91 & Design forum '90 Conferences, Taipei, Taiwan, The National Academy of Sciences and The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1987 he was an invited consultant and lecturer to The Peoples Republic of China.
Bressler has been an invited juror for the IDSA Industrial Design Excellence Awards, The Krupps International Design Competition, ID magazine Design Review and Reebok Designovation Competitions. In 1995 he served as the jury chair for the IDEA competition.
Bressler has taught courses achieving the level of associate professor at Lehigh University, The University of the Arts, and The Rhode Island School of Design.
Bressler joined the IDSA in 1973 and co-founded the Philadelphia Chapter. Since then he has served as IDSA annual conference chair, co-chair, National Committee for development of a professional field definition and entry level professional qualifications, director at large, national vice president, , ICSID Worldesign '85 Planning Committee, Chair, Design Excellence Gallery, Worldesign '85, secretary/treasurer, executive vice president, president, chair of the board, National Special Awards Committee, 1996 National Conference Committee, North East District VP, and most recently practitioner member, IDSA Education Committee. Bressler was awarded fellowship in IDSA in 1992.
