Michael Young

Michael Young (born 23 August 1966) is a British industrial designer and creative director based in Hong Kong. He works in the areas of product, furniture and interior design with studios in Hong Kong and Brussels. He is known for unconventional use of materials and manufacturing processes, and collaborations with brands such as Brionvega, Cappellini, KEF, La Manufacture, and MOKE International. He is interested in "how disruption in society always has a design response, because it usually creates a need for things that perform." Life and career Young was born in Sunderland, England. He studied at Kingston University and graduated in 1993. Early in his career, he worked with the designer Tom Dixon in London. Sir Terrance Conran selected Young as the Most Inspirational British Designer (1997). In 1994 he started his own studio and operated in England, Iceland, Taiwan before settling in Hong Kong in 2006 to avoid becoming a "European design casualty, wandering from trade fair to trade fair.” Young has been the Creative Director for 100% Design Shanghai (2010, 2011, 2012), prior to which he was the Creative Director for 100% Design Tokyo (2008), and Creative Director of the Asian Aerospace show (2009). He is a frequent public speaker, panellist, and design award jury member. Young has designed a wide variety of objects such as headphones, glassware, watches, bicycles, furniture, lighting, suitcases, as well as limited edition experimental furniture. He is interested in combining design with technical abilities of the local industry and often works directly with Chinese manufacturers and industrialists. Throughout his career, he worked with clients such as Bacardi, Cathay Pacific, Coalesse, Coca-Cola, Emeco, Giant Bicycles, Gufram, M2O, , Georg Jensen, Trussardi, Schneider Electric, and Steelcase.