Two prominent design professionals recently acknowledged the successful Crown design reputation on a nationally syndicated public radio program.

Leading author, John Heskett, a design professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Kristina Goodrich, COO for the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA), spoke highly about the design philosophy used by Crown Equipment Corporation.

“They similarly have a marvelous reputation for the ergonomic qualities of the drivers’ cab,” said Heskett. “Their reasoning is that if people are going to work efficiently, the machine should be built around the person, not people fitting in the machinery in some random way.”

Goodrich also praised Crown’s design work. “Their work is so consistently outstanding,” she said. “They have won almost every award we can give them.”

The comments came on the National Public Radio (NPR) program, Public Interest. The show’s host, Kojo Nnamdi, was leading a live discussion about “How Design Affects Our Lives” when the two panelists mentioned Crown.

Based in Washington, D.C., the program was heard on 30 NPR stations across the country. Nnamdi has earned acclaim as the best interviewer in D.C.

The show’s originator, Radio Station WAMU, is considered one of the three top public radio stations in the country because of its award-winning coverage of indepth and comprehensive topics.

Over the years, Crown has won more than 40 design awards for their lift trucks and gained a reputation for effective design and an well-engineered and manufactured industrial line of material handling products.