Meet Michael Joseph David, Huawei’s head of design

US born and Philippine-raised Michael Joseph David is soft spoken, shy and very low key, yet he heads one of the most prestigious divisions in the mobile world today. David is the head of design for Huawei’s Dreamlab, which is the innovative design team of Huawei Device Consumer Experience Design Center. It’s hard to imagine a Filipino heading the design arm of the third largest manufacturer in the world today, but that’s exactly what he does.

David pursued a degree in product design at the Art Center College of Design in California, one of the best in the field of design. Despite his parents’ inclination towards the medical field, David forged his own path and eventually gained his parents’ support. “Before I learned how to write, I was already drawing and building things from my surroundings and from my imagination. In the design industry, I felt I could be the best at what I do. It may have been a little selfish but I was confident I could make it. When my father saw this, he worked hard and sacrificed a lot to put through design school,” he said.

David also owes his success and discipline to hard work. “Competition was strong. I worked hard and embraced it. It builds character, strengthens relationships, and enriches experience,” he said.

David has a personal connection with every project he works on, “There’s so much effort and thought put into every detail and I am a bit of a perfectionist. This is not unique to Filipinos per say but I see these attributes in many Filipino people around me who work in different fields.”

Watch our interview with David below: