Michael Yarygin: Make Something Useful
Product Designer
by Elizabeth Lavis
|15 Aug 2025
Michael Yarygin, Product Designer, is driven by the desire to do something valuable and good. “Useful things are quite self-explanatory, and ‘good’ means that they bring people positive emotions,” he says.
Yarygin comes from Moscow, Russia, a city that certainly shaped his personal philosophy and design approach. “Growing up in a city with a fast-paced environment and vast distances shaped my habits and outlook on life,” Yarygin says. “Even though I no longer live there, the experiences I had continue to influence my life.”
Even as a child, Yarygin knew he would spend his career creating. “Generally speaking, I always wanted to be a designer,” he says. “I noticed the way that things were designed, and wondered why they were done that way and not another. When I was four, I wanted to become an architect. I used to spend time building things from my LEGO sets.”
Yarygin’s career path crystallized in his last year of university, when he began to realize that he had a true knack for design. “In university, while working on a study project, I was surprised by the difference in my presentation and work compared to others,” he says. “Today, the principles I applied in my schoolwork are called audience-centric design.”
"Random Reminder", Mikhail Yarygin
He started creating user-friendly designs, which gave him a jump-start on his post-collegiate portfolio and experience. “One of my projects was an app for students,” Yarygin says. “It had everything a student needs for day-to-day life; a schedule, a campus map, and lecture topics,” he says. “In making this app, I solved my own problems by finding my way around. My passion for good user experience continued while working as an economist at an insurance company. I suggested some ideas for an app for clients, and they were pretty well-received despite it not being my area of expertise at all. These two events led me to pursue a design career.”
When it comes to motivation, Yarygin believes that it comes from within. “The drive or will comes internally,” he says. “So, no tips or advice are useful. If a person is convinced they are a designer, they will be.” He also gives himself plenty of room to explore and grow. “Nothing is true, and everything is permitted,” Yarygin says.
Becoming an Indigo Design award winner has been instrumental for his personal worth and career. “It has certainly transformed how I evaluate my skills,” Yarygin says. “The reason I applied was that despite how good my job was, I didn’t feel my skills were valuable or worth much. It cast a shadow on me as a person, so I started doubting my personal abilities to create something good. Winning an Indigo Design Award, especially a gold award, was very pleasant and restored my confidence.”
When he’s not working on his next great design, Yarygin turns to comfort food to unwind. “French fries and burgers are a guilty pleasure once in a while,” he says. “I can’t deny it.”
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