Knoll Designer Bios

Jonathan Crinion

b. England, 1953

A promoter of sustainable design solutions, British-born designer Jonathan Crinion spent many years living in Canada where he first became interested in environmental stewardship. He completed an undergraduate thesis on solar energy at the Ontario College of Art and Design, in the Department of Product and Systems Design. Crinion went on to study architecture and industrial design at Carleton University and the University of Toronto. In 1986, he founded Crinion Associates, a design consultancy working across disciplines to pursue smarter solutions to the problems of today.

Crinion first collaborated with Knoll as a consultant during the development of the Reff System. His first solo product, the Crinion chair, was introduced in 1999 and was followed two years later by the Crinion Collection, a contemporary version of the traditional wooden executive office. That same year he designed the Crinion Open Table, a concept which revolutionized open plan office design and helped keep Knoll at the leading edge of the industry.

Crinion is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Visual Sociology at Goldsmiths University of London. He continues to consider the problems of environmental management and ecological impact.