Michael Young

Sunderland-born designer Michael Young has been based in Hong Kong since 2006.  Since then he has worked with organisations and manufacturers across the Republic of China to develop products from watches to cars. 

Michael’s Skirt Vase will feature in Design Event’s forthcoming Create:Digital exhibition.  The vase was made as part of a range called Co-constructions, in collaboration with Tittot. Tittot are a Taiwan-based glass manufacturer, specialising in the ancient and labour-intensive process of lost wax casting.

 

What motivated you to make the Co-constructions series with Tittot?

Learning a new technique and their enthusiasm to try out new things with me!

 

What was your favourite part of working on the project?

Hanging out with Mr Wang [of Tittot], he knows a lot and through this is very Zen.  Their factory is also amazing…unreal and full of artisans that are very talented.

 

As a designer, what is your favourite and least favourite thing about digital technology?

Favourite:  I guess is [that] I think fast, so that works for me ... you can always turn it off to ponder

 

Least favourite:  I don't know what to do without it now … I used to ponder a lot.

 

What excites you most about working as a designer? 

There is always an unknown turn around the corner which keeps me wondering. 

 

What are you working on at the moment?

We just finished a car which launches on Bondi Beach same time as your show opens [this October], a restaurant in Paris and some public toilets in People’s Square Beijing, and some other bits.

 

What do you have on your desk? 

Embarrassing ….  iMac, MacBook Air, iPad Mini, iPhone 5, iPhone 4, cell phone, Viz, eyewear I should be wearing, Belgian beer, old coffee, scale rule, keyboard, 3 computer mice, Sioux Lakota headdress.

 

What’s the soundtrack in your studio? 

Right now it’s anything from Clouds Taste Metallic [Flaming Lips album].

 

Who or what are the top 3 influences on your work?  

Fear, love and boredom. 

 

Who is your dream collaborator?

I don't have one really, it would not be a person it would be a brand, things have changed … I’m re-launching an old watch of mine and we realised we do not need salesmen, we need young guys who know who to make stuff viral on the www … weird.

 

What would be your ideal project?

A new electric car right now … we just brought an old Moke car back to market and are ready for a new car that can benefit from what we learnt. 

 

Michael’s Skirt Vase will be on display as part of Create:Digital at the National Glass Centre Sunderland, 5 October-10 November 2013. 

Part of Northern Design Festival 2013.