George J. Sowden is a designer and product developer with extensive experience in various fields of industrial design, from the development of mass-market electronic products to limited-edition artisanal products, including ceramics and glass, textiles, and carpets. He studied architecture at Gloucestershire College of Art in the 1960s. He moved to Milan in 1970, where he began working with Ettore Sottsass and Olivetti. In 1981, he co-founded Memphis. That same year, he opened his own design studio, through which he developed an industrial design consultancy practice while continuing to develop his research.