Interview with Andrew Chong

I love to draw since I was a kid and that has been an ongoing, and at times, all-encompassing passion. When I began to draw spaces and object from a three dimensional perspective, I naturally I started to read about, and get interested in interior design.

I think I've chosen to be one.

At the beginning of college, I wasn’t sure whether go for interior design or graphic design. Eventually, I found my passion and this was because I felt that decorating and styling a space is an extremely satisfying in addition to drawing, so this lead me to choose interior design.

Passion for design is important.

I think it involved with alot of complex ingredients, but the most important is the love and passion for design.

Good designer is all about maximizing your creativity and thinking. I can say it’s more conceptual; but being a really good designer is more about maximizing profit and staying highly creative while also earning a living.

Good design is timeless, it won't be out of date and it's always look good and lasts forever.

I would love to design a collection of furniture for my favourite fashion house Louis Vuitton.

My own home perhaps!

I always loves James Dyson's work. He is not only a designer but a successful businessman and engineer.

The new Dyson Hairdryer! can you imagine you drying your hair with a vacuum cleaner?

I am proud with my project with Absolut Elyx portable bar (www.andrewchongdesign.com), we spent so much time to think about how to engineer a container into a bar, and also the thematic decoration and styling.

Travel. I've learnt so much just walking around everywhere!

I can't imagine if I am not a designer right now. Because the first 3 of my ambitions was architect, designer and artist. Everything still work around design.

Design is aesthetic + function

I do think it's my passion for design.

Language barrier. I was born and raised in Asia and at some point I have difficulties to present and describe my design to international audiences.

as creative as possible and always think out of the box.

Currently I am working on a private branding project for a renewable energy company. Very exciting project and I've been involved in every design aspects of the company. For me this is the future of design, a multidisciplinary and all rounded design solution under one roof.

Able to solve problem and improves life.

A happy working relationship.

Initiative to do good. Nothing too small or too big to contribute.

My new company website - www.andrewchongdesign.com

Commercial projects have a clear brief, sharp vision and usually we get straight to the point and the design gets completed quickly. But for residential projects, it’s all about personalising and getting the right mood and feel. Doing this takes time and it is best to let ideas evolve so the client is happy with the choices presented and even happier with their final choice. A unique home design is far more difficult because every detail is different and needs to be considered.

The industry works so different nowadays. More and more young creatives have a mind of entrepreneurship and always want to run our own design practices. The European country is a great platform for new designers to explore themselves and we have an equal chance to shines, although in a really competitive ways; unlike the Asian side of the creative world, which slightly more depending on the networking, for me it’s seems a little old school way of thinking.

People in the Far East will prefer more experience, more mature designers, or someone introduced through connections to work for them; while here we all share a chance. If the design is good, the designer will have a great chance to showcase, to design and to build it

1week to 3months.

It depend on projects, but I will always start with mood boards and sketches, and then visualise them in 3D software. Love to play around in 3Ds Max, it creates amazing conceptual presentation.

As a designer, we not only need to know how to draw and style; but also need to make sure we keep up with advances in industry specific software. . I am constant updating my knowledge of 2D tools and 3d rendering programmes and using iPad apps for sketching, etc. But my next move is going to be less technical and I will concentrate more on business development and marketing my own brand.

Super important. I can't survive without my computer.

Adobe, Autodesk CAD softwares.

I am meticulous over texture and surfaces. I believe Interior design is all about details and the surfaces people touch, see and feel means everything!

Cool and innovative!

let me see if it's work.

I love throwing ideas and sketching with other designer because I think challenges will made us better.

Client. Because they always result driven but as a designer we are the one seeking a balance between budget, design and outcome.

Brutal London : Construct Your Own Concrete Capital. It's an amazing book and I love to get inspiration from architecture.

Always learning. We need to catch up with new technology and methods, just to make sure we are in-lined with all new and upcoming technology.

Time. WE ALWAYS RUN OUT OF TIME!

Awards does help to level us up, but most importantly is the passion for design.

YELLOW, LONDON, DIM SUM, WINTER, CHANEL J12, LOUIS VUITTON

I always wanted to re-design my childhood room, in fact, I’ve started to make my current office shelving unit into my childhood dream cabinet. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Japanese animated series Pokémon. When I was working in London, my client’s (The Absolut Company Great Britain) office was just located next to The Pokémon Company, so I always find a reason to sneak in and wonder around. My childhood room would be redesigned to have multiple ‘curiosity type’ cabinets filled with Pokémon figures, stickers, posters and even have a slide and a small pool. Of course there would be unlimited supplies of Jelly Belly jelly beans!

A coffee with some pretty dessert!

I love to draw since I was a kid and that has been an ongoing, and at times, all-encompassing passion. When I began to draw spaces and object from a three dimensional perspective, I naturally I started to read about, and get interested in interior design.

We will be moving to other planet and of course communicating with aliens!

I love role playing games and I have an extensive collection of digital game consoles including the Nintendo Wii, 3Ds and PlayStation. My iPad and iPhone are loaded with tons of games. Yes it's a bit ‘geeky’, but sometimes they do inspired my design thinking because many game makers are great designers. I also love taking pictures with my new Sony Alpha 5000 camera, especially of my miniature pinscher Taisho.

Andrew Chong Design is not only providing interior design service but I am also a brand strategist and graphic designer. This means I am not an ordinary designer, but also one who specializes in branding and graphic design. This added training and specialization give me different insight into the interior design process and make me more marketable to different clients across industries.

Design is a method, solution and a complex recipe to solve problem aesthetically.

Mostly my projects are Interior Architecture and design, but simultaneously I did cross all design platforms and trying to be an all rounded designer.

I would say an Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair or a Lounge chair by Charles Eames is timeless. . Both improve the look of any room immediately, especially if they are tan leather.

An exhibition design for Panasonic.

I love browsing through Behance, Dribbble and Instagram because they are so many great and inspiring designs out there.

Afternoon after 12PM, not sure why.

Functions and usability. Beauty came after.

I always feel excited and passion, and of course very anticipating for the outcome.

Of course... tired after sleepness night! But always worthy and fullfilling.

Love. As a designer we need to love what we create.

Well, frankly saying the outlook made it's first impression. People loves looking at beautiful thing. But I will also think about the usability and it's function.

We need to give some loves back to the society, that is why I often involved in Pro-bono work and helping organisations with my specialties.

I do think 3-D printing will be the next 'BIG' thing and everything will be evolving around it.

It was couple of years ago in Italy, not sure when will be the next one.

I always skectch and theres where I got my ideas from.

Responsive!

Currently I lived in North Queensland in Australia. It's a small beach town and the design scene is not so establish. Lot
s of opportunities tho.

Mouth to mouth, always introduced by connection. And I run my business mostly online.

Don't only look at their skillset, their attitude is the most important aspects.

It depend on projects, but I will always start with mood boards and sketches, and then visualise them in 3D software. Love to play around in 3Ds Max, it creates amazing conceptual presentation.

My Louis Vuitton Steamer Bag, Ipad, my vintage Versace glasses, Arne Jacobsen chair and my japanese animation figures.

I spent my day mostly in front of my computer, most of the meetings are carried out on Skype. But I am lucky to have my dog with me and makes me go out more often.

The industry works so different nowadays. More and more young creatives have a mind of entrepreneurship and always want to run our own design practices. The European country is a great platform for new designers to explore themselves and we have an equal chance to shines, although in a really competitive ways; unlike the Asian side of the creative world, which slightly more depending on the networking, for me it’s seems a little old school way of thinking. People in the Far East will prefer more experience, more mature designers, or someone introduced through connections to work for them; while here we all share a chance. If the design is good, the designer will have a great chance to showcase, to design and to build it.

We got to do what we love! But when time comes by, we will do more client management and liaising instead of designing. We just need to balance it up a little.

I am really enjoying the process of designing and being creative, and the creative thinking can be apply every moment. I particularly love the challenges every time I’ve seen the brief from the client. As a designer we are not only been paid to make things pretty; but to make thing works and benefits people’s life. We always struggle to balance up the functionality & the aesthetics. That’s our job to make things works and look pretty. Design will change the world and make lifes easier; and I am glad I am part of the people who are in the top roll to implement this.

Communication skills. We need to communicate our ideas, and lead our clients on communicating their ideas.

As a designer, we not only need to know how to draw and style; but also need to make sure we keep up with advances in industry specific software. . I am constant updating my knowledge of 2D tools and 3d rendering programmes and using iPad apps for sketching, etc. But my next move is going to be less technical and I will concentrate more on business development and marketing my own brand.

This is the only thing I am still learning!

The momentum of Interior Design is quick. Commercial projects have a clear brief, sharp vision and usually we get straight to the point and the design gets completed quickly. But for residential projects, it’s all about personalising and getting the right mood and feel. Doing this takes time and it is best to let ideas evolve so the client is happy with the choices presented and even happier with their final choice. A unique home design is far more difficult because every detail is different and needs to be considered.

I hate being asked 'Whay is your style'...

I’ve worked with Shaun Clarkson for the Absolut Projects. All of the project are about designing a brand focused environment for all Absolut Vodka and Absolut Elyx globally. I was leading a team alongside Shaun Clarkson on proposing suitable décor and styling elements to put into their global catalogue. The team’s goal was to ensure Absolute has a specific and ‘cool’ collection to use in their event, party and branding activities. Shaun Clarkson also has a long term relationship with the Pernod Ricard Group and I’ve worked on Chivas, Pernod Absinthe, Perrier Jouet Champagne and Oddka branding projects as well. I recently lead on the design of Pernod Absinthe and Perrier Jouet Champagne theme room for The Box London, an exclusive cabaret nightclub.

For the Selfridges project, I worked under the Pitfield London label, to design a home décor product and furniture collection for their Home and Accessories Department for Christmas 2013. Pitfield London used to have several products selling in Selfridges’s Home and Accessories Department so they’ve invited Pitfield to have an exclusive collection for them during the best sale season- Christmas. This collection is all about bespoke and one-off pieces. It was a fun and exciting project with four themes: Creature Comfort; Embellished; Precious Metal and Electric Eclectic. I was also lucky to work alongside my friend who used to work with Alexander McQueen, Eley Kishimoto and Richard James London produce the furniture collection with handmade and limited pieces.

Absolut Vodka; Absolut Elyx; Chivas; Perrier Jouët; Pernod Absinthe; Selfridges; Harvey Nichols; Pitfield; Prime Burger; Clink 78; Rotisserie Excel London; The Box London; Bloomsbury; Omega; Converse; Temperley London; Cîroc; Ketel One Vodka, Smirnoff; Johnny Walker Gold Label; Don Julio Tequila; Remy Martin; Gordon’s Gin; Ron Zacapa; Schweppes; & Zeo

Commercial projects, because the pace is really quick.

Will establish my own design studio here in Australia and hope to gain more exposure nationally and internationally.

I often develop designs myself, but I do work with other designers when needed.

I am currently planning to set up my own design practice in Australia and I am currently completing a global brand activation project for Absolut Vodka.

www.andrewchongdesign.com, or email andrew@andrewchongdesign.com

One thing I really want to tell the new designers that being the creative industry has never been easy; there are always new people with new skills and better price to beat us down. But what make us special is our personality and the style that distinguished each of us. Out there there is always competition, but the competition makes us a better person.