- An interview with Michael Young
- About Michael Young:
- Originally born and raised in Tennessee, Michael Young currently calls Bangkok, Thailand home. Michael started his career as one of the directors for progressive firm Vir2l and its world renowned rethinking of web design from 1998-2000. In 2000 he left Vir2l to start the prestigious design firm WeWorkForThem that has worked with the likes of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, HP, Apple and Microsoft. Since then, Michael has also founded, manages and directs daily the world renowned online design shop, YouWorkForThem.
- Age:
- 30 on 31
- Location:
- Bangkok, Thailand
- URL:
- Visit Michael Young's site
MONARKH would like to thank Michael Young for this interview. All work featured in this interview is copyrighted by Michael Young. MONARKH has written permission from Michael Young to use the selected pieces for this interview.
You may NOT copy or redistribute any of images within this interview without the written permission from Michael Young. For more information please contact: Michael Young
Interviewed by: Tony for MONARKH magazine on the 01/09/2008
1) Please give us a brief history about DesignGraphik:
To keep it simple, basically I created this area to explore my own ideas, a sort of one man show for instance. Till this day (10 years now) I have continued this, exploring storytelling in my own fashion or using the area to post recent works. The site was very important early on as it helped open peoples minds to what the web could be, outside of animated gifs and search engines. Me and a few others at the time, helped form a sort of interactive/web art movement that has sort of vanished for now.
2) Looking back over the years, and seeing how DesignGraphik has grown into what it is today, how do you always stay so original with your work?
I think many people like to find their thing, their style, touch, whatever be it. I think this is good because people always know your work, or if someone is making a hack of your style it’s easily to point out. But for me, it’s too boring, monotonous and I have too many ideas and am way too curious to stick to one thing/style. This past year I have been programming for the most part, but I am not a programmer, it just happens to interest me for the time being.
3)How did you meet Michael Cina?
Friends of a friend and started collaborating together online back around 2001. Speaking for myself, I think I was quite intrigued by the strange work we were creating because we both had very different outlooks on design and art. These days we think a bit more alike when it comes to visual work, but there is still this odd result in our work when we do collaborate together. For the most part, our main collaboration now is the progress/management of YouWorkForThem and its role in supporting Graphic Design and Designers today.
4) Both yourself and Michael Cina started WeWorkForThem in 1999, what was it like to start up your own design agency back then?
I think we started around 2000, but it was quite easy really. Although around 2001-2002 it was very hard with the economy dropping out in USA, but we made it through that. We are very low profile; we didn’t even have a real office(s) up until the past two years. Even though we now have studios, we are very modest people. We don’t have investors nor take loans from banks, so we reap what we sow 100% and keep it very independent.
5) Have you always combined music with your projects? Are there some artists you always prefer to work with? 4
I find music very important for any video or interactive artworks, to me this just seems basic knowledge there everyone must have as well. Recently, I create my work music for my videos and on DesignGraphik. But my next DVD (coming out soon), Cina composed the soundtrack, but we also worked with Ghostly records (Dabrye, Cepia) to help compose a bonus tracks soundtrack. I have worked with a handful of musicians, but I no longer work on a client/designer relationship, only in non-commercial collaborations.
6) When you where just 23, you was nominated for the highly prestigious Chrysler Design Award, what was it like to be nominated for such a prestigious award?
At the time I had no idea really. Someone contacted me saying, hey I nominated you, and I needed to submit all these items. So I went on with it all, but found out I was not picked in the end. I think that same year the NASA Mars Rover team or something won. How can I compete with that, ha-ha? I was very young, this was before starting WeWorkForThem and I think I had only been freelancing on my own for 3 months.
7) Do you collaborate with other designers on various projects, or do you mostly work on your own projects?
These days I mainly work on my own or within my own studio YouWorkForThem. The past few years I have found it really difficult to collaborate with any talented people. Everyone is either too busy or just not interested. The atmosphere is much different than say 10 years ago. During that time online, there was a lot of energy, so many things were being uncovered and found. I think its just part of getting old too; people grow up, have families and have less time. I have found it even more difficult here in Thailand, due to the language and over all social barrier, I have tried to reach out to designers here, but have come up short with no results.
8) Over the years you have been a guest speaker at some of the most renowned design festivals worldwide, what’s it like to showcase your work in front of so many people?
Quite nice, I love it actually. It gives me my time to explain my work and for people to see who I am as a person. That really helps define the work I feel. Many times, just by speaking about the work the concept is finally realized by myself. I do not really explain to my work to my friends in everyday life, so to have events or venues ask me to speak, it’s really the first time I get to speak about most of the work. I find speaking about the work, putting my thoughts into understandable words, helps me better understand my work as well. I also just find it very rewarding people enjoy the work as well.
9) What has been the high point in your career?
Not sure I have had one yet, but I really feel the power of not having to do client work has made my life much more enjoyable for the past 5 years or so.
10) When working on your own projects, how would you normally start?
What is your process? I used to just jump right into things. These days I think more, no need to rush, I might sit on something for 5 months before doing it now. I am just too busy to sometimes jump into things and waste time. That being said, I still enjoy from time to time one day distractions into various small ideas.
11)Who has inspired you the most?
I think my parents, because they sort of held in there with me while I explored this strange idea when I finished high school. My mom actually encouraged me to look into all this, quite amazing really. Even as a kid she always pushed me towards art and let me explore it, even though for a while it looked as though I was set to play football all my life, ha-ha. Now I cannot stand sports, funny how things change.
12) Do you often combine video in your projects?
Depends, right now, today, I have no interest in anything via video. But tomorrow is a new day.
13) What is the graphic design scene like in Thailand?
No idea, but I know it’s very national, but that’s the country as a whole. For the time being, I have given up trying to get involved. I usually do not get too involved with my local arts where I live anyways. I just never seem to fit into what is going on locally.
14) What does the future hold for DesignGraphik?
For now, I am using the area to keep tabs on what I am up. I have continual thoughts of killing the site off as a whole, but I doubt I will.
15) What web site(s) do you visit the most?
YouWorkForThem and Gizmodo
Any final words?
It’s about to rain like all hell outside. Thank you for parting in this interview Michael, It was a pleasure!