Michael Shaw is a production designer. He began his artistic journey studying painting, sculpture, and film at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he earned a BFA cum laude. His transition into production design was sparked when a short film he worked on, The Room (1993), won top honours at Cannes, Sundance, and MoMA. That early success solidified his conviction that production design offered the ability to unify all his creative passions in one discipline.

In the realm of independent cinema, Shaw lent his design sensibilities to a number of emotionally resonant films. His credits include Heavy (1995), James Mangold's feature debut; Boys Don't Cry (1999), which earned Hilary Swank her first Academy Award; You Can Count on Me (2000), starring Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo; A Home at the End of the World (2004), based on Michael Cunningham's novel; August Rush (2007); Cop Out (2010); The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009); The Night Listener (2006); Trust (2010); The English Teacher (2013); The Other Woman (2009); Double Whammy (2001); People I Know (2002); and Available Light (1990).

Shaw's television work has been equally impactful, with defining runs on several celebrated series. He served as production designer on The Big C (2010–2013), Orange Is the New Black (2013–2015, seasons 1–3), Billions (2016–2017, seasons 1–2), Lodge 49 (2018–2019, seasons 1–2), and the limited series The Staircase (2022).