Interviews with Chi-Hao Chiang

I majored in mechanical engineering, and then I found out what I have a passion for in mechanical engineering is actually overlapped with industrial design. Therefore, I made a turn to this design industry, and I really enjoy it.

I found myself really focus on the feasibility, details, and how users would interact with the product.
I really enjoy making physical prototypes while designing, but also feel satisfied when a computer-aided design model or rendering is finished.

I usually feel excited when starting a new project, pretty much like exploring an unknown area.
Overall, the moment that a prototype is proved to work is my favorite part when designing.
I think designing help fulfill my curiosity and provide feeling of achievement once a project is finished.

I would say the experience of being trained in mechanical engineering supports me to understand the foundation of manufacturing. This helps a lot in communicating both the concept and production sides, and faster and smoother the whole process, also lowering the cost.

I'm at the beginning of my design career path, so still thinking about the possibility. Overall, I would like to be remembered as a thoughtful designer who makes collaborators feel comfortable to work with and the process be as smooth as possible. In the future, I want to finish a successful consumer electronics project well-finished in details and a piece of furniture.

I am also one of the young designers, not having lots of experience yet. However, what I have learned from my professors and colleagues is to stay curious and keep improving myself. Even just a tiny bit of progress a day can make tremendous change in the long term.

I'm too young to provide valuable opinions, but I like one quote from Pratt founder Charles Pratt, "Be true to your work and your work will be true to you."

I like waking up a bit early in the morning and going to gym before work. I believe exercising can energize my brain and generate more creative thoughts.
Having a short walk between work can motivate me back to focus on projects.

I would browse news and articles from various design social media. Understanding the trend can be helpful for inputting new concepts into my head and become an inspiration.

I would focus on how well the details are finished and the feasibility of a project. Finding a balance between concept and manufacturing limits is something I would like to evaluate.

I believe there is always a way to improve designs. As time passing, some concepts and inspiration can ferment from the initial design.

So far, I don't have a super huge design work yet, but I'm developing an NDA project right now and I think it's pretty groundbreaking.

It's Thomas Heatherwick. He is the one that inspired me to change my field to design, and let me know that what I learned in mechanical engineering can be helpful while pursuing design.

I'm a Taiwanese now based in Brooklyn, New York. I think the difference between East and West does bring me a unique perspective to understand designs. With the design mind, I would be able to appreciate tiny but thoughtful details in life, and encourage myself to bring the same feeling in my projects.

I'm now working with a sports tech startup. I think it is very important that people are encouraged to express their thoughts and cultivate an environment of friendly communication.

So far as a recent graduate working within a year, I think I haven't done any contributions to society, but that's definitely one of my goals as I grow and gain more experience.

I think the A' Design Award provides a huge opportunity to expose awarded designers and designs. That's very helpful for new designers to catch attention and have potential collaborations, also conveying their thoughts more thoroughly.

I want to make it as small as possible when folded and have a proper seat height when unfolding. Thus, it can be user-friendly for both carrying and sitting.

I would like to research more to modify the design to make it more manufacturing efficient. Also, I believe the form factors can be more consistent.

This is a semester-long project. It's about 12 to 14 weeks.

I decided to pursue to challenge myself by designing a piece of folding furniture with my background in mechanical engineering.

Not yet. However, I would like to lease the rights if there is an opportunity.

I think it's because I realized I might be able to take the knowledge of mechanical engineering to solve the problem that tenants feel hassled when dealing with bulky furniture.

It would be my classmates who were in the same studio course. They did help a lot with inspiration while we were chatting casually.

It's the tenants who live in a relatively small places in big cities like New York.

I think it's the feature that how small it can be while folded and can also achieve a normal seat height while unfolding.

The inspiration came from a briefcase. That's what I want the users to feel while carrying it, as small as a briefcase.

I used rapid prototyping by using existing materials and fine-tune the mechanism with 3D printing. In the end, I used CNC to help make the final model.

I think it's the pivot design. The male and female can interlock with each other at a certain angle to provide strength to bear the users' weight.

I found a company that helped me produce metal 3D-printed pivot components for my final model. This was helpful as I couldn't afford the cost of molding.

I think it's CNC machining and metal 3D printing. These were both very helpful to finish the final model.

Unfortunately, it isn't for this particular project.

It was to find a way to bear enough weight but also stay simple in appearance. I did a lot of calculations to find the correct angles and dimensions.

I would like to see other professional designers' opinions about this design that I am satisfied with what I fulfilled.

I got more understanding about doing precise modeling in CAD software and operating a CNC machine. Also, I realized I can integrate my mechanical engineering background with design better

No, thank you so much.

The main focus is to find a way to connect the interaction between behaviors of humans and water. The natural movement of humans and water can form a contrast in this piece.

We would like to keep making this design more practical and feasible, then seek any collaboration to make the design come true and help the environment.

It's a semester-long project, about 12 to 14 weeks.

We started from finding inspiration from various combinations of natural materials. In the end, we decided to combine filtering and flowing together for this project.

No, not yet, but we are happy to discuss collaboration to make this design come true.

It began from designing a kind of staircase for any kind of community, then we thought a community of humans and nature can be possible and interesting.

They would be the professors of this studio course, Swati Piparsania and Ariane Harrison.

It's the residents or visitors on Governor's Island.

It uses the local material to be the filter which is crushed oyster shells. This is more sustainable and linked to the local culture and environment.

The design was inspired by Karst terrain, which is famous for solutional caves, with its cave form and the process that acid rain can act with the crushed oyster shell.

They are Rhino 3D, Fusion 360, Keyshot, and 3D printers to help finish this project from scratch.

I think this is how we connected the local material to the environment and also made it sustainable, in the end having an educational project.

It was my teammate Zhixian Song from Pratt Architecture Department. We worked together by combining perspectives of industrial design and architecture.

I think we all took a part of the responsibility to complete the technology.

We did research about the history of Governor's Island to find inspiration and connections between communities and the environment.

The challenge was to find an elegant way to combine the concepts of flowing and filtering, but also to have space for humans to interact.

I thought this design is good in appearance, meaningful for the environment, and educational in its function.

I think is how to work with other expertise and find a good balance to combine different knowledge seamlessly and smoothly.

No, thank you so much.

I found myself being curious to observe things, and pretty much enjoy the process and results of trying to solve or improve a problem. This becomes my motivation to design and make experiences better.

I chose by myself, at the moment to decide on the next step after graduating from undergraduate.

Currently, I design more about consumer electronics and soft goods. If I have a chance, I would love to also design some furniture pieces.

I won't consider myself a design legend. I'm still one of the young designers in the first year of my career.

I think great is a good designer who has the power to influence a bigger group of the design community.

Personally, I focus on the finishing of details and how practical and feasible a design is. I believe these can enhance the quality and smoother the production.

Good design is thoughtful in user experience. People can spend the lowest time cost to understand how to use it and feel friendly.

I would like to thoroughly design a video game controller as I am an avid video gamer.

I'm still looking for it but I believe it would be a game-changer in specific fields. I hope the object that I design can support the function of the project perfectly.

Don't have a solid answer yet but I do focus on details and how practical and feasible it can be manufacture-wise.

They would be Thomas Heatherwick, Oki Sato, Kenya Hara, Naoto Fukasawa, Dieter Rams.

It's Spun by Heatherwick studio. As the first design-inspiring object for me, it makes me understand there is a strong connection between design, form, mechanical engineering, and manufacturing process. They can all achieve each other by collaborating tightly.
I also like the Muji wall-mounted CD player by Naoto Fukasawa. It combines its form factors into function so precisely and intuitively.

Probably my thesis project "TANDEM," a set of video game controllers, as I did make a working prototype to demonstrate my concept of how to interact with it.

Stay curious and keep in mind that there is always a better solution.

I may be a mechanical engineer doing some industrial component design.

I think design is a mindset and thought that stays curious to improve things.

Of course it's my parents who supported me to change my major to design.

It's my classmates at the design school. They broadened my vision of any design-related expertise. They are amazing.

Having a well-design portfolio website could be basic, and also show up actively on media and competitions.

It would be a soft good product for the company that I'm working for.

Have an influence on or can educate the next generation.

Perhaps it's about the positive influence not only in the design community but also outside of the field.

I think design helps people to think about improving. That would make communication more thoughtful and therefore form a better society.

I'm now working with a wearable tech startup, and we are collaborating with some industry leaders in athletics. This is pretty exciting to understand insights from their perspectives.

Still thinking about it. There are so many outstanding designs.

Such as how to make concepts come true more efficiently with the help of VR/AR technology.

Integrate the digital and physical world more seamlessly I think.

Usually, three to six months I believe.

I would start by doing research to provide enough background knowledge or potential resource.

I would like to quote the motto from Charles Pratt, the founder of Pratt Institute, " Be true to your work and your work will be true to you."

I think the greatest design sets the trends, then good designs follow.

It helps so much for exploring potential solutions and higher the efficiency of designing.

Currently for work, I use Fusion 360, Adobe Illustrator and Keyshot the most, and gradually use Rhino Grasshopper more.

I think they define the quality of design and how well it is presented.

I don't know yet.

What well-done details or finishings I can appreciate and take inspiration to improve my design.

I don't have an answer yet, but I believe co-design can make a design better through communication and improving ideas from each other.

They are my classmates when studying in the design school for my master's degree.

Probably it's the "Designing Design" by Kenya Hara.

Thomas Heatherwick because he is very inspiring to me in his work.

It is not that hard because I have actually enjoyed having people question me about my previous design and enlightening the next generation of designers.

My favorite color is yolk yellow because it feels so warm and energetic.
The place I like the most is a coffee shop. The smell of coffee always wakes me up and fuels me back to high energy.
My favorite food is curry. For no reason, I like to try various kinds of curry.
I like playing video games and also doing street dancing.
I don't have a favorite brand yet.

I remembered a night before a presentation in my first semester of design school, everybody in my year stayed up till midnight in the studio preparing for the presentation. We ordered some fast food like fried chicken and pizza for night's snack and had them for the breakfast. The food is cold but delicious.

Seeing some other designers' outstanding projects can always motivate me.

No, I don't think so. I thought I was about to be a mechanical engineer because I loved how machines are working with gears and components interacting perfectly.

I like to imagine people can travel among planets so easily just like what I saw in movies.

I'm like any of you who wants to make my design as satisfying to me as possible.

So far, I haven't worked as a personal studio yet, but perhaps I will start my own business in the future after gaining and growing with more experience.

I think design is to make objects become thoughtful for users. Objects can be tangible, digital, or even service.

I like to design both furniture and consumer electronics.

It's Spun by Heatherwick studio. As the first design-inspiring object for me, it makes me understand there is a strong connection between design, form, mechanical engineering, and manufacturing process. They can all achieve each other by collaborating tightly.

It was a trash can. I proposed the concept to a factory to assist them to develop their own brand and achieve industrial upgrading.

I like concrete a lot.
I don't have a favorite platform yet.
The technology I like the most is 3D printing. It makes ideas come true so easily.

While having a aimlessly walk or taking a shower.

I found myself focusing on feasibility the most, perhaps because of the foundation of mechanical engineering.

It's curiosity and hunger, similar to playing a puzzle.

It's a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Currently, I think it's finding the balance between manufacture, aesthetics, and user-friendliness.

The relationship between form and function, and if the appearance or user experience can represent the concept.

I think it's being the bridge between society and the environment, helping them communicate and understand each other better.

In my opinion, it has evolved from physical and visual fields to digital and virtual now, and it will merge into various industries in the future.

My project was exhibited as one of the objects in Sound&Vision in New York in 2019. I don't have a plan for the next one yet.

It usually comes from something irrelevant to the topic itself. I feel my creativity through connecting the experience of playing around with different objects to design

Probably I would say pragmatism and minimalism. I believe it derived from my background in mechanical engineering, and the form would serve the function. I'll start to design from research, and prove the solution for problems.

I'm now living in New York, USA. Yes, I think the culture affects a lot. The pros are to bring up a different life experience or thinking perspective, and the cons are a lack of thorough understanding of local conventions.

I would always like to understand the requirements and limits first.

To see if a designer has good control over how feasible their design can be, and communication is always the most important point to select and collaborate with a designer.

I would list out the requirements and limits first, then research to find problems and potential solutions.
Based on the information I gathered to iterate prototypes and use prototypes to verify different solutions.
In the end, converge to a few working solutions.

ANONYMOUS_NECKLACE_SILVER by Drilling Lab
HMM Slide by HMM
Akari 1A by Noguchi
Wavy Lamp by Wooj Design
Braun Wall Clock Black by Braun

Wake up around 7 am, and go to work after working out at the gym.
Leave the office between 5 and 6 pm, usually go grocery shopping for dinner, and lunch for the next day.
Usually, go to bed after 11 pm.

I don't think I'm experienced enough to answer. I also consider myself one of the young designers as this is my first year after graduating.

The positive is that doing projects can push me outside of my boundary of doing research and understanding new things in various fields.
The negative might be this research process can take a lot of time, even while taking a rest.

Still finding it.

Might be the willingness and sensitivity to observe and understand new things.

I use Fusion360 the most, along with Keyshot.
I like calipers the most.

Force myself to really focus while working and also force myself to take a break while it's off work.

It varies, but usually it might be 3 to 6 months.

How can it be better?

To work with senior designers and understand their perspectives.

Some in the sports industry like NBA.

I like prototyping because it can prove the concept and help improve it to iterate.

Improve myself to be able to handle projects as a manager or director.

I start to develop by myself, but improve designs in the process of discussing with others as a team.

Might not be able to disclose it.

LinkedIn can be the easiest way.

So far, no. Thank you.