Cranbrook Academy of Art Announces Scott Klinker Will Move to Full-Time Design Practice in June 2025

Klinker has served as Designer-in-Residence and Head of 3D Design Since 2001 

Bloomfield Hills, Mich., July 26, 2024— Cranbrook Academy of Art announced today that Scott Klinker, Designer-in-Residence and Head of the 3D Design (now Industrial Design) department, will leave the Academy at the end of the 2024–2025 academic year to move full time to his industrial design practice.  

Before teaching at Cranbrook, Klinker studied at Cranbrook Academy of Art, graduating with his MFA in Design in 1996. He returned in 2001 to take over the 3D Design department, and when he leaves in the spring of 2025, will have marked a 24-year tenure in the role. 

Over the years, Klinker has worked with industry partners such as Herman-Miller, Alessi, Steelcase, Landscape Forms, Burton Snowboards, and many more. His recent work with Landscape Forms earned him a “Best of the Year” award from Interior Design magazine. His studio was also featured in Dezeen magazine as one of “Ten Studios Leading Detroit’s Design Scene in 2024.” His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world and resides in many private and public collections.  

“During Scott’s tenure, he used industry connections and valuable contacts in the design world to provide his students with a world-class educational experience,” said Lynn Tomaszewski, Dean of Academic Affairs. “His program existed in a unique space at the intersection of industrial and fine design, and his leadership expanded the ways that designers can practice. His drive to include students in high-profile events helped to create connections and launch hundreds of careers. We are grateful for his more than 20 years of innovative work that has contributed to Cranbrook’s enduring legacy.”  

Klinker was the second Designer-in-Residence of 3D Design after the Design department was split into 2D Design and 3D Design in 2001. In addition to making space for students to fully embrace their design ideas, he also brought world-class designers to campus to engage with students, including Alberto Alessi, Giulio Cappellini, Niels Diffrient, Dunne and Raby, Joep van Lieshout, Martino Gamper, Stephen Burks, Lindsey Adelman, and many more. 

In the fall, the Academy will begin the process of identifying Klinker’s replacement.