TIMOTHY JACOB JENSEN

Timothy Jacob Jensen joined Bang & Olufsen’s team of chief designers at just 17. By 24, his first design was included in the design collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

At 28, he took over Jacob Jensen Design from his father, and at 30, he became Chief Designer for Gaggenau. At 48 he was appointed Professor at Fudan University in Shanghai, and at 55, he was named Designer of the Year in China.

Today, he leads Timothy Jacob Jensen Studio, working with a global team of creative associates.
In 2021, alongside colleagues and investors, he launched Designers Trust, the world’s
first design-as-a-service platform for industrial and product design.

Born to an American mother from New York and a Danish father from Copenhagen, Timothy Jacob Jensen grew up in the rural surroundings of Hejlskov, on the shores of the Limfjord in Jutland, Denmark. Recognized as a design prodigy from an early age, he had an unconventional education, spending just 7.5 years in school before joining his father’s design studio in 1978.

At 17, Timothy worked alongside Jacob Jensen and David Lewis, the chief designers of Bang & Olufsen. By 19, he had designed his first car, the Logicar. At 22, he created the now-iconic Jacob Jensen Classic wristwatch, later included in The Museum of Modern Art’s design collection in New York. After running his own studio in Copenhagen for three years, he traveled the world, collaborating with Ross Littell in Como, Italy, and Gerry Musset in Melbourne, Australia.

In 1990, Timothy took over Jacob Jensen Design in Hejlskov, which flourished under his leadership. As CEO and Chief Designer, he expanded the JACOB JENSEN™ lifestyle brand to over 30 countries. At 30, he became Chief Designer of the high-end German kitchen appliances brand, Gaggenau. By 32, he was an advisor to the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Danish government, and by 34, he was featured in Who’s Who.

Timothy’s influence extended beyond design–he became an international keynote speaker at 40 and was appointed Professor at Fudan University in Shanghai at 48. In 2011, he was appointed Master of the DeTao Masters Academy and established the Jacob Jensen Design I DeTao Shanghai studio. Three years later, he founded Jacob Jensen Design I KMUTT Bangkok in collaboration with King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.
Named Designer of the Year in China in 2017, Timothy later joined the jury for the prestigious iF Design Award in 2019. At 56, he sold his shares in Jacob Jensen Design and launched Timothy Jacob Jensen Studio.

In 2020, alongside colleagues and investors, Timothy Jacob Jensen laid the foundation for Designers Trust, which was launched in March 2021. Born from his vision to prioritize designers’ interests, the platform ensures fair pay, proper credit, and access to exciting projects for creators worldwide. As the first design-as-a-service platform for industrial and product design, Designers Trust connects brands with talent in consumer, product, and packaging design. By streamlining the design process, it boosts efficiency, reduces costs, and fosters innovation, delivering value to both designers and brands.

Timothy’s latest venture, BY TIMOTHY, is a design brand created in partnership with global collaborators. Grounded in the belief that creativity is universal, BY TIMOTHY champions diversity and sustainability, offering high-quality, thoughtfully designed products at accessible prices. The brand also serves as an opportunity for emerging designers, fostering their growth and independence.

In September 2022, Timothy’s hometown of Skive, Denmark, had the honor of hosting former U.S. President Barack Obama. As an official gift, Mayor Peder Christian Kirkegaard selected four BY TIMOTHY wristwatches– designed in collaboration with Timothy’s daughter, Freja–for Obama and his family, a symbolic nod to Timothy’s own American heritage.
In 2024, Timothy served as a Global Elite Jury member at Shanghai Design 100+.
With the support of colleagues, clients, and partners, Timothy remains the most awarded Danish designer, leading the world’s most decorated industrial and product design family–a legacy that dates back to his grandfather, Alfred Jensen, who established the family business in 1920.

GLOBETROTTER

Timothy Jacob Jensen is a true globetrotter. He has visited 58 countries. During his travels for pleasure and business alike, he has stayed with hill tribes in the Himalayas, sailed the canals and rivers of Europe on his own boat and dined with vagabonds and heads of states. His lifelong experience with design and travel adds a significant global and multicultural perspective to his work and his way of life.

Timothy has visited: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saint Martin, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican State, and Vietnam.