Rob Forbes is an American designer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the furniture company Design Within Reach,[1] and of the bicycle retailer Public Bikes (stylized "PUBLIC").[2]

Early life and education

Forbes grew up in Pasadena and Laguna Beach, California.[3] He studied aesthetics at UC Santa Cruz and received an Masters of Fine Arts in ceramics from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.[3][4]

Career

Forbes received a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and spent his early career as a potter[5] and exhibiting artist; he also taught at Philadelphia College of Art.[4] After earning his MBA at Stanford University,[6] Forbes worked as a marketer at Williams Sonoma, Smith & Hawken, and the Nature Company.[7]

Design Within Reach

In 1999 Forbes founded the company Design Within Reach, which marketed European modern furnishings to American buyers.[8] Products were shipped directly to the buyer through catalogue and online ordering.[7] After rapid initial growth, Design Within Reach became a public company in 2004. Shortly thereafter Forbes left the company;[9] by 2009 it was in financial difficulty, delisted from the stock exchange and was sold to hedge fund Glenhill Capital Management.[6][10]

Public Bikes

In 2010 Forbes founded Public Bikes, an online bike retailer.[11] The company designs and sells European-style bicycles aimed at urban cyclists.[12][13]

Other art and design work

Forbes opened an art studio in San Francisco. In 2011, he curated an exhibit of pottery and ceramics at Frakn Lloyd Gallery in Santa Monica.[14]

Forbes writes and lectures on visual thinking and modern design. He presented a TED Talk, "Ways of Seeing" in 2006,[3] and has also spoken at AGFA SF. Forbes has written a book called See For Yourself, released in May 2015. He created and contributes to DWR Design Notes, a monthly newsletter on modernism and design.

Publications

  • See For Yourself by Rob Forbes. ISBN 978-1-4521-1714-0
  • Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes, 2010 by Jane Thompson and Alexandra Lange, foreword by Rob Forbes. ISBN 0-8118-6818-4
  • How to See, 2nd edition by George Nelson, foreword by Rob Forbes. ISBN 0974491802
  • Bent Ply by Dung Ngo, Eric Pfeiffer, a book about the story of plywood in Modernist furniture design, foreword by Rob Forbes. ISBN 1568984057
  • Heath Ceramics, a book about the history of the ceramics company by Amos Klausner, contributor Rob Forbes. ISBN 0811855600

References

  1. ↑ "Modern furniture for middle America", SF Gate
  2. ↑ "Public, from Rob Forbes (interview)". Sarah Rich, Dwell, February 5, 2010
  3. 1 2 3 Los Angeles Times "Rob Forbes' ruthless vision" Los Angeles Times, March 23, 2006|Janet Eastman
  4. 1 2 ArtWeek.LA
  5. ↑ Sloane, Julie (November 1, 2003). "Designing Men In This Economyy, Can an Upstart Furniture Store Really Persuade People to Spend $2,000 on a Single Chair? You'd Be Surprised". CNN Money.
  6. 1 2 Bernstein, Fred A. (December 30, 2009). "Is a Solution Within Reach?". New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "A Catalogue Comes to Town". By Deborah K. Dietsch, The Washington Post, June 3, 2004
  8. ↑ "The rise and fall of Design Within Reach", Fast Company.
  9. ↑ Gara, Gara (July 19, 2014). "Herman Miller Targets Modern Consumer With Design Within Reach Acqusition [sic]". The Street. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Herman Miller Acquires Design Within Reach, Aims To Become A Lifestyle Brand". Fast Company
  11. ↑ "Public Bikes' founder has eye for art". San Francisco Chronicle. Daniela ProvinceSeptember 14, 2012
  12. ↑ "Bike style shifts gears". SF Gate, Sarah Adler April 22, 2012
  13. ↑ "Great European cities inspire bikes for S.F.". SF Gate, Leilani Marie Labong April 18, 2010
  14. ↑ "Art review: 'Rob Forbes Selects' at Frank Lloyd" Culture Monster, August 19, 2011
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