David Trubridge is a furniture designer/maker and architect. He first graduated as a Naval Architect from Newcastle University in Britain and then settled in New Zealand. His design process combines innate craft knowledge, sculptural abstraction, computer design technology and more recently an emphasis on sustainable design.

He is New Zealand's best known furniture designer and in 2007 was given the country’s highest design award, the John Britten Award, by the Designer’s Institute of NZ for his contribution to NZ design.

In 2004/5 David travelled on an Antarctic Arts Fellowship, and regularly exhibits internationally, including at 100% Design in London, the Pompidou Centre, Paris, the Salone del Mobile in Milan and the ICFF in New York.  For two years in a row Abitare picked out one of his designs for their preview of the best things to see in the Milan Furniture Fair. 

In 2006 the French editors of Elle Décor magazine judged his lighting to be the best of the year. 

In 2008 another French magazine Express listed him as one of the top 15 designers in the world. His ‘Body Raft’ design is being manufactured by Cappellini.

David’s work has been used in shops for displays supporting fashion designers Kate Moss in London's Top Shop, and Stella McCartney in Printemps Paris, and on the catwalk in Milan fashion week. 

In 2006 David was the ‘Wornick Distinguished Visiting Professor’ at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.  His artwork ‘On Thin Ice’ has been shown at the Natural World Museum/UN exhibition on global warming in Oslo/Brussels/Monaco/Chicago in 2007/8 where it won the award for the best sculpture.

In New Zealand David has set up his own manufacturing workshop and an incubator for design graduates.