Ralph Caplan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ralph Caplan, born January 4, 1925 in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, is a well-known design consultant, writer in the field of design, author and public speaker.

Caplan grew up in Ambridge when the town's steel mill, American Bridge Company, was in its heyday. The son of Louis and Ruth Caplan, who ran a small grocery store, he entered Earlham College for a term. After World War II broke out, Caplan enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was 17 years of age at the time.

Upon discharge from the Marines, Caplan re-entered Earlham College, graduated, and went for his Masters Degree at Indiana University. He later taught at Wabash College. While teaching at Wabash, he wrote his first book, a novel entitled "Say Yes," which was loosely inspired by his experience at Earlam.

Author of "By Design: Why There Are No Locks on the Bathroom Doors in the Hotel Louis XIV and Other Object Lessons", Caplan also writes about design for major design magazines and is a Director Emeritus of the International Design Conference in Aspen, Colorado.

Caplan has written extensively for and about Herman Miller Incorporated of Zeeland, Michigan.