ABOUT ME
My name is Nod Young.
I have worked in the design field for over 25 years. My work spans finance, technology, consumer brands, publishing, and art, and has been used by hundreds of millions of people through real-world brands, products, and services. Most of this work took place in China between 2000 and 2022, during a period of rapid economic growth and major social change.
During these years, I worked largely within China’s vast commercial system, staying close to everyday users and real-life situations. I grew up in China and lived through the country’s transition from early market reforms to a fully connected, internet-shaped way of life. Being part of this process — not watching it from a distance — gradually shaped how I understand design, judgment, and everyday behavior.
I am the co-founder and art director of A Black Cover Design (ABCD), a studio founded in Beijing in 2015. I am also the founder of Details Co., a business platform based in California, established in 2025, focused on continuously exploring and developing new ideas.
Over the years, I have worked with many international clients, including Nike, Apple, Disney, and Cartier, and have received professional recognition along the way. Among them, I value the acknowledgment from Tokyo Type Directors Club (Tokyo TDC) for its focus on language, structure, and judgment. Other clients and awards are part of the same long-term practice and are not listed here in full.
Design Forward grew out of these long-term observations and experiences. On the surface, it is a book about design, but at a deeper level, it reflects on how ideals are tested in reality and gradually turned into forms that everyday life can carry. From this perspective, I see myself not only as a designer, but as an artist working and moving within commercial systems and daily life.
I have worked in the design field for over 25 years. My work spans finance, technology, consumer brands, publishing, and art, and has been used by hundreds of millions of people through real-world brands, products, and services. Most of this work took place in China between 2000 and 2022, during a period of rapid economic growth and major social change.
During these years, I worked largely within China’s vast commercial system, staying close to everyday users and real-life situations. I grew up in China and lived through the country’s transition from early market reforms to a fully connected, internet-shaped way of life. Being part of this process — not watching it from a distance — gradually shaped how I understand design, judgment, and everyday behavior.
I am the co-founder and art director of A Black Cover Design (ABCD), a studio founded in Beijing in 2015. I am also the founder of Details Co., a business platform based in California, established in 2025, focused on continuously exploring and developing new ideas.
Over the years, I have worked with many international clients, including Nike, Apple, Disney, and Cartier, and have received professional recognition along the way. Among them, I value the acknowledgment from Tokyo Type Directors Club (Tokyo TDC) for its focus on language, structure, and judgment. Other clients and awards are part of the same long-term practice and are not listed here in full.
Design Forward grew out of these long-term observations and experiences. On the surface, it is a book about design, but at a deeper level, it reflects on how ideals are tested in reality and gradually turned into forms that everyday life can carry. From this perspective, I see myself not only as a designer, but as an artist working and moving within commercial systems and daily life.
Design Forward
is not about design,
but about Reality.
Simplified Chinese Edition
Date: December 2025
Book Design by 王志弘
www.wangzhihong.com