Niles Fromm is a Designer, Creative Technologist, and Sound Artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Raised off the grid in northern Vermont, his design process is influenced by the natural world, an interest in geometric form, and a practical, hands-on design approach.

What is your favorite design book?

The Design Continuum, by Stewart Kranz and Robert Fisher, Van Nostrand Reinhold. I found a copy of the Design Continuum at a used bookstore a few years ago and realized that it follows the same approach to thinking about 3D form that I learned from the 3D program developed by Rowena Reed Kostellow at Pratt. The book outlines a framework for seeing and categorizing 3D forms in the world around us, starting with 2D surfaces and adding layers of complexity and dimensions before reaching 3D linear form. I love that the authors use a variety of references including objects from nature, historical artifacts, modern industrial objects, and even the human body to help explain each step in the continuum.

What is your favorite design object?

Braun TP-1. The first portable music player, and was way ahead of its time. I've always loved the modular form of this object and think it's one of the best examples of Dieter Rams' design principles.