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IGNITION, INC. EXPANDS DESIGN OPERATIONS INTO TAIPEI AND HONG KONG PLANO, Texas, United States (December 1, 2005) – Ignition, Inc., a worldwide human-centered design firm, announced today that it is expanding its operation into Asia with the opening of two new design centers in Taipei and Hong Kong. Already a diverse consultancy in the U.S. with broad core competencies, Ignition now plans to extend their service offerings to clients around the world. According to Douglas Laube, Ignition Founder and CEO, opening design offices close to major global manufacturing centers will bring a new dimension to the company's strategic design services. "The growth into Asia is part of our overall mission to become one of the most influential design firms early in the 21st century," commented Mr. Laube. "Elements of this strategy include deploying a team of established international designers right into the manufacturing hub, creating cross-disciplinary synergies, unprecedented depth of understanding of Asian manufacturing, and a unified vision." Two prominent designers have joined Ignition to oversee the newly formed Asia operations. Michael Young, Ignition's Director of Design – Asia, is based in Hong Kong, with the design team headquartered in Harbor City, Kowloon. The signature Michael Young brand has appeared on everything from watches and consumer electronics to bicycles and interior spaces. A collection he created for E&Y Tokyo was reported to have created a new formal language in design. His works have appeared in shows and galleries all over the world, including renowned institutions such as Centre Pompidou, the Louvre Museum, Die Neue Sammlung Museum Germany, Design Museum London, and Phillips in New York. Prior to launching his career in design, he studied furniture and product design at Kingston University in London. As Asia’s Director of Design, Mr. Young will set design strategies and collaborate with his counterparts in the U.S. The Ignition Asia office is already engaged locally with several companies in both Hong Kong and Guondong, and is lending design expertise on high-profile projects, including wireless phones for nearby India. Lawrence Weng has also joined Ignition as Director of Operations - Asia. In this new role, he will be responsible for optimizing international product development processes and strategic business development. His base of operations is Taipei, but he also works in Hong Kong and ShenZhen. Mr. Weng has over 15 years of design experience for such prominent Taipei firms as I+U and SQV. He has also taught industrial design for over 14 years at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. An award-winning designer, he is the recipient of the Industrie Forum (IF) Design Award in Germany, the Japan Award of Good Design and the Taiwan Award of National Design. He has a BS in Product Design from Art Center College of Design in California and is currently working on his MS in Design Management at the National Taiwan University. Mr. Laube leads Ignition’s international business strategy, along with two additional principals of the firm, Ron Guillard, Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Jeff Garrett, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). According to the principals, with design offices close to global manufacturing centers, a portfolio of renowned designs from the signature Michael Young brand, and a team highly attuned to project management/product development best practices, Ignition is poised to provide unparalleled design services to the world’s leading companies. "This sets the tone for our future," Mr. Laube commented. "We want our clients to have a level of comfort in knowing we can execute across multiple platforms, and provide unparalleled cultural understanding and global perspective." About
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