Silicon Valley Design Evolution: 1954 – 2000

For more than forty years, we at StudioRed have been part of shaping Silicon Valley design, helping bring innovative products to life. As we looked back, we discovered that our founder, Phillip Bourgeois, has preserved an incredible archive documenting how design in the region has evolved. We wanted to digitize this history and share it with the wider design community.

Exploring these archives is truly inspiring. They show not only how design has grown but also how the people and studios behind it have shaped the field. By sharing these stories, we hope to encourage conversations about where design has been and imagine together where it can go next.

The Seeds of Silicon Valley Design (1954)

The Bay Area’s design story begins with AMPEX, one of the first venture capital backed design firms in the region. In the 1950s, designers Dale Gruye and Nolan Vogt joined the company, showing how design could play a key role in technology. They combined precise engineering with thoughtful design, creating a mindset that would later shape Silicon Valley’s approach to design.

Design Becomes Multidisciplinary (1960s)

In the 1960s, design began to expand beyond form and function into systems thinking and human experience. The Center for Design in San Francisco, led by Peter Lowe and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, became an early model for interdisciplinary collaboration. Around the same time, NCR began integrating design into business technology, with Frank Guyre and David Kelley joining to bring new creative perspectives to the company’s products.

How GVO Shaped Bay Area Design (1966)

In 1966, Dale Gruye, Nolan Vogt, and George Opperman founded GVO, a consultancy that became a training ground for many of the Bay Area’s most influential designers. Its alumni included Phil Bourgeois, Jeff Smith, Peter Lowe, Gerard Furbershaw, Robert Brunner, Young Kim, and Frank Guyre, designers who would go on to create some of the region’s most important design consultancies. GVO was more than a design studio; it was a place where ideas came to life and design began to connect with Silicon Valley’s growing tech culture.

The Global Influence (1969–1980)

In 1969, Hartmut Esslinger founded Esslinger Design in Germany, a studio that would later collaborate with Apple and influence global design aesthetics. Around the same time, David Kelley, a GVO alumnus and Stanford graduate, launched Hovey-Kelley Design in 1978, later renamed David Kelley Design, connecting design education with Silicon Valley startups. The 1980s then saw a wave of new studios and ideas that helped define the region’s creative landscape.

The Golden Era of Silicon Valley Consultancies (1980s)

The 1980s were a turning point.

• 1980 Smart Design launched in New York before expanding to San Francisco, emphasizing usability and human experience.
• 1982 Interform emerged from former GVO and Frog designers, including Peter Lowe, Peter Müller, and Gerard Furbershaw.
• 1983  Frog Design relocated to Palo Alto, bringing its bold aesthetic to Apple and inspiring a generation of designers such as Dan Harden, Yves Béhar, and Gadi Amit.

And that same year 1983, StudioRed was founded by Phillip Bourgeois in Redwood City.

After years at GVO, Phillip Bourgeois saw an opportunity to create a consultancy that could bridge high-level design thinking with deep engineering expertise. Joined by Ken Wood and Frank Guyre, StudioRed quickly became known for its ability to design and build a dual capability that set it apart in a field increasingly focused on conceptual design alone.

While many studios from that era have come and gone, StudioRed has remained committed to its legacy as a design consultancy, continuously pushing the boundaries of innovative, technically grounded design and thriving into the present.

Expansion and Maturity (1990s)

As Silicon Valley grew, so did its design ecosystem.

• 1984 Lunar Design was founded by Gerard Furbershaw, Jeff Smith, and Robert Brunner, later joined by Ken Wood and Brett Lovelady.
• 1986 Inno Design, founded by Young Kim, brought a global perspective to Palo Alto.
• 1991 IDEO was formed through the merger of David Kelley Design, ID Two, and Matrix Product Design, becoming synonymous with human-centered design.
• 1994–1995 Astro Studios and Bould Design introduced a new generation of designers pushing the boundaries of consumer technology.
• 1999  Whipsaw was founded by Dan Harden, Fuseproject by Yves Béhar, and Surface Ink by Eric Bauswell, each carrying forward a focus on design-driven innovation.

The Continuum of Design Thinking (2000s)

By 2000, the Bay Area had established itself as the world’s center for design innovation.

• 2000 NewDealDesign was founded by Gadi Amit and Chris Lenart in San Francisco, signaling a shift toward integrated experience design and the next phase of Silicon Valley’s design ecosystem.
• 2001 Y Studios was founded in 2001 by Wai-Loong Lim and his wife, Lisa Yong. The firm specializes in designing products that are ‘Useful, Beautiful, and Meaningful,’ with a strong focus on ‘Culture-Driven Design.’
• 2007 Ammunition Group was founded by former Apple design director Robert Brunner. The San Francisco–based studio integrates industrial design, brand strategy, and user experience to create iconic products and ventures.

Continuing the Legacy of Silicon Valley Design 

Over the past decade, many of Silicon Valley’s top design consultancies have been acquired, but the spirit of innovation lives on. At StudioRed, we created caproductdesign.com an interactive map where users can explore the evolution of Bay Area design, share insights, and help shape the story. Designers, creative leaders, and educators are invited to join us and contribute to this living archive.

By sharing these narratives, we hope to inspire the current and next generation of designers, creative leaders, and educators. Understanding where design has been offered valuable lessons for where it can go next.