I had the opportunity to meet with one of our most distinguished alums, Mr. Peter Yang ID ‘50. Peter was an active leader in the early days of the Industrial Designers Society of America. In addition to working at GM during its heydays in the 50s, Peter designed one of the most iconic elements used in kitchens of the 60s and 70s: the Salton Food-Warming Tray.

Talking with Peter’s experiences working as a designer at GM sounded a lot like the world of AMC’s Mad Men with the proper dress of suits and a hat, and also a time when the word “design” was still stuck in a time of being synonymous with the less-attractive word of “styling.”

Listening to his times at Cranbrook (where he got his MFA) when he engaged with Eero Saarinen and Ray and Charles Eames was absolutely delightful conversation. -JM