page_title: George Sowden
hierarchical_section_title: George Sowden
caption_attribution_description: English: Olivetti Linea L1. George Sowden for Olivetti
context_page_description: George J. Sowden is a designer and product developer. He studied architecture at Gloucestershire College of Art in the 1960s. He moved to Milano in 1970 where he started working with Ettore Sottsass and Olivetti. In parallel to the industrial design work on early Olivetti computers, he was involved during the 1970s in experimental "radical" design projects which enabled him to become, in 1981, one of the co-founders of the Memphis Group, the design movement that had a significant impact on design in the eighties.
  In the same year, 1981, he founded his design studio SowdenDesign collaborating with numerous companies such as Olivetti, Alessi, Bodum, Guzzini, Lorenz, Rancilio, Steelcase, Swatch, Segis, Memphis, IPM, Moulinex, Telecom Italia, Tefal and Pyrex.
  George Sowden has received design awards including, in 1991, the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award for design excellence for Olivetti, Fax OFX420.
  In 2010, Sowden developed the SoftBrew coffee brewing device which is distributed and sold throughout the world, notably in collaboration with the design company HAY.
context_section_description: George J. Sowden (born 1942 in Leeds, UK) is a designer and product developer. He studied architecture at Gloucestershire College of Art in the 1960s. He moved to Milano in 1970 where he started working with Ettore Sottsass and Olivetti. In parallel to the industrial design work on early Olivetti computers, he was involved during the 1970s in experimental "radical" design projects which enabled him to become, in 1981, one of the co-founders of the Memphis Group, the design movement that had a significant impact on design in the eighties. 
  In the same year, 1981, he founded his design studio SowdenDesign collaborating with numerous companies such as Olivetti, Alessi, Bodum, Guzzini, Lorenz, Rancilio, Steelcase, Swatch, Segis, Memphis, IPM, Moulinex, Telecom Italia, Tefal and Pyrex.
  George Sowden has received design awards including, in 1991, the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award for design excellence for Olivetti, Fax OFX420.
  In 2010, Sowden developed the SoftBrew coffee brewing device which is distributed and sold throughout the world, notably in collaboration with the design company HAY.
caption: L1 system, Olivetti, 1978-79
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