Max spent the first few years of his life in Hong Kong before returning to his native London, where he still lives today.  He studied Product Design at Nottingham Trent University for a short time before realising that his passion lay with promoting the design industry in the media.

An author, curator and journalist, Max has spent many years nurturing new design talent.  He is founding author of the 'DESIGN UK' series of books, and co-author of 'Designers on Design' with Sir Terence Conran.  He also writes for a wide range of publications including Icon, Time Out and The Independent.

Max has previously judged the Design Week Awards 2004 and is a member of the 100% Design selection committee.

Ben is the Director of the London Design Festival which he co-founded with John Sorrell in 2002. The Festival celebrates and promotes London as the creative capital of the world. It is an annual event and involves over 170 partner organisations and has an audience of 350,000. He is also the Director of the World Creative Forum. It is an international event that looks at the impact of creativity on business and society. 

 

Before he was a partner and creative director of LIVE, a branding and marketing business that he founded with others in early 2000.

 

Previously he had been the content editor at the Millennium Dome where he lead the development of the exhibition areas which involved working closely with numerous design teams, the sponsors and Government to create the UK’s biggest paid visitor attraction.

 

He has worked closely with politicians, organising and creating election campaign visits for both Neil Kinnock and Tony Blair in the 92 and 97 elections. Alongside that he originated and drafted numerous policy documents including the first ever national design policy. He also worked closely with film producer, Lord Puttnam, on a wide range of initiatives and projects and helped John Sorrell create the blueprint for the new Design Council.

 

He has also lectured extensively principally at the Royal College of Art and Central St.Martins.

 

Elsewhere, since 1997 he has been a trustee of Artangel, one of the nation’s leading contemporary arts organisations. He was also a trustee of the Roundhouse and Chairman of its development committee, and helped raise £25 million to secure its future.

 

He is 43, has 3 daughters, and lives in London.