Richard Saul Wurman
Richard Saul Wurman is an American architect, graphic designer, information theorist and founder of the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference.
Born in Philadelphia in 1935, Richard Saul earned his Bachelor and Master degrees in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. After his studies, he practiced architecture for several years working with notable architects like Louis I. Kahn. In the 1970s, Richard Saul shifted his focus to information architecture, a term he coined to describe information structuring, organization and visualization. He was interested in how information can be made more understandable and accessible and her has authored numerous books on this topic.
In 1984, he founded the TED Conference, an annual event initially focused on technology, entertainment and design. In later years, conference topics expanded to include science, business, the arts and global issues. Today, the conference is known for its engaging 18-minute presentations, known as TED Talks, which are widely shared online. Richard Saul sold TED to Chris Anderson's non-profit Sapling Foundation in 2001. In 2012, he launched a new conference called the WWW Conference (standing for World Wide Web) that focuses on improvised conversation between pairs of experts across various fields. Through his career, Richard Saul has received several prestigious accolades including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and the Annual Design Award from the National Arts Club.