33: Understanding Change & the Change in Understanding
Described by Fortune magazine as an intellectual hedonist with a hummingbird mind, Richard Saul Wurman has been shaped by an epiphany he had as a young man: Embracing his ignorance would lead him to understanding. Driven by a passion to understand and to convey understanding, Wurman left the practice of architecture (where he apprenticed under the legendary Louis Kahn) for what he came to call information architecture, advocating innovative design to make data more comprehensible. Beginning with the publication of his first book in 1962 at the age of 26, Wurman has sought ways to make the complex clear. He has written more than 80 books, including the popular Access city guides. He chaired the International Design Conference in Aspen in 1972, the first Federal Design Assembly in 1973, and the American Institute of Architects Convention in 1976 before creating the TED Conference in 1984, which he chaired through 2000.  He has received several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Graham Fellowships, two Chandler Fellowships, and the Chrysler Design Award. Wurman received a Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Art Center College of Design, and an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Boston.