Jolyon Yates

Born in Durham, England in 1968, Jolyon studied Industrial Design at Sheffield Hallam University and then Automotive Styling at the Royal College of Art, London.

After a spell at Opel in Frankfurt, working on the development team of the World’s first wholly ‘virtual’ car design, Jolyon was invited to Style Porsche in Stuttgart. In this capacity he worked on major internal and external projects. In a freelance role, Jolyon went on to work with Stefan Stark, Seymour Powell and The Product Group. Returning to New Zealand in 1998, Jolyon taught Design at Massey University in Wellington before taking up a role at Bakewell-White Yacht Design in 2000.

Jolyon now participates in various international transport and design projects: his specialisms include conceptualisation, development, rapid prototyping, visualization, print and web.

ODEChair is a new venture, launched in 2008 involving the design and making of unique and distinctive one-off and low volume furniture.

About ODEChair by Jolyon Yates
An ODE is a lyrical poem that pays respect to that which inspired it. The subject of that respect is those who have lent thoughts, inspiration or kindness in the development of these pieces; friends and family, mother nature; the Atlantic Ocean; Northumberland; New Zealand; the rain.

Specifically, this ODE is to those that we meet and learn from on our journeys. In a world of loveless volume manufacturing ODEChairs display soul by reflecting the care and honesty with which they have been conceived and crafted.