Interview with Christia Cheuk-Ying Fung
Christia dabbled in carpentry, fried a few resistors, destroyed a cymbal or two, and designed some things.
Designer of the Day Interview
15 May 2019
I've been working mainly in advertising agencies for the past few year, and recently gone solo as a freelancer. During the advertising years, I was lucky to work with clients like Red Bull, Smirnoff, Nike, Nestle Canada, etc. Nowadays, I'm working with mostly start ups with interesting ideas.
I became a designer because I lost interest in engineering. I liked the idea of creating something different on a daily basis and wanted to try it out. I saw some funny ads, and thought that it would be fun to make those someday.
The concept is the most important, if the concept is weak, the design will be weak as well. Next I would say mockups/sketches are very important, since sketching allows you to make many ideas in a short period of time for you to test the layout/concept. Without mockups, you'll spend many hours trying to refine things on computer when it doesn't even work. I usually go to the computer last for refining and finalizing.
The initial idea is usually the most exciting and stressful at first, once you have that down, the finished project becomes the most exciting for me.
Before I studied engineering, and that allowed me to learn coding easier for web design. I guess all those numbers and math stuff helped in the long run. As for actually designing something, doodling helps me design since you're mindlessly sketching, and sometimes those random sketches become an inspiration for a project.
I would like to try a whole bunch of things, like furniture design, a illustration series, prop making for movies. I just like to take on new challenges and see if I can handle it. My dream design project would be making movie props, since it involves building things and design, and the fact that I love movies.
Always go in with confidence. I remember during my interview for an intern position, the design director at the time told me to "own your shit", and present with confidence. Don't worry about what people may think of the design, just go in there and tell them why you made those decisions and why it works. That has always stuck with me, and I thank her for saying that.
Just do you. Don't worry about what other people are doing, do what feels right to you. You'll like that project more.
Stumble out of bed and rush to work is pretty much my daily get go. I'm not a morning person, so I suck at waking up. I usually start off by browsing some design blogs to see what's happening and then I'll start working. If there's a fun project, that keeps me excited throughout the work day, sometimes just knowing I have lunch is pretty exciting.
I usually look at what the latest trends are to see what people are doing and to keep myself up to date. If it involves using new tech, I usually do a deeper dive to see what I can learn and how I can apply that tech.
If the design functions without compromising anything, then it's a good design.
I don't think a design can be complete, there's always room to make it better. I stop when I can't remove anything else from it while still maintaining it's main function. In the future when I look back on projects, I always say that I could've done this or that to improve it.
The work done for The Wood Workshop would be the biggest one, since it involved naming the brand, creating an identity, creating storefront signage and website. It was challenging because it had to be bilingual and initially, I wanted to make it look modern and sleek. In the end, it became something that is completely different from what I initially thought I would take that brand. It more homey and rustic looking because of the roots of that company.
Pum Lefebure is currently my favourite designer. She has a great eye for typography and layout and the designs that come out of her company are visually stunning.
I believe culture definitely plays a big role in design, since culture is part of your background. Also, your lifestyle shapes the way you approach things and how your design turns out to be. I'm blessed to be working in Toronto to be surrounded by all these different cultures that you can learn from.
I'm pretty laid back and would think I'm pretty easy to work with. When selecting business partners, I always look for people that are better than me, so I can learn from them. That way you can push each other to do better.
Design Legend Interview
15 May 2019
I was lucky to be accepted in the York University/Sheridan College Joint Program in Design. I barely took any art classes before that, so I felt it was a fluke to be accepted to that program.
I became a designer because I liked the idea of making something different on a daily basis. I didn't want to be in a job that is the same everyday.
I chose to be one, since I originally had a diploma in engineering, but I lost interest in electrical engineering.
I design all things graphics related: print and digital design. I would love to dabble in some furniture design in the future.
I wouldn't consider myself a design legend. But young guns should just, trust their gut and try new things.
Great designer is able to push an idea to somewhere unexpected.
Good design communicates an idea effectively.
Good design is influential and can start a movement of some kind.
If I had time, I would design a chair for my parents, so they can take a break.
An illustration series.
Just keep working, and remember to eat something, so you don't starve yourself.
Pum Lefebure, Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh
"Never Stand Still" campaign by Design Army
My bandage packaging concept called, "Fail Bot". It's a fun packaging piece that combines profanity with the size of the band aid you need to use for your injury. I had so much fun making it.
Keep experimenting and trust your gut.
I wanted to be a stunts person so bad when I was younger. But ended up getting an electrical engineer diploma, so I guess that would've been my move.
Design is something used to communicate an idea to the masses.
Learning from other designers I've worked with.
Biggest obstacle will always be conceptualizing an idea.
Go in with confidence.
Expect something different.
To keep creating things that is functional.
Making things more accessible and educating people.
Cabinet maker's website
Peppers & Circumstance, since the client gave me complete trust and allowed me to do whatever I wanted.
Something incorporating new tech
More towards the digital space.
It depends on what type of project.
Pen and paper, I'm old fashioned.
Go for something that scares you
Does both count? Since people draw inspiration from somewhere and some people are able to inspire others.
It creates new opportunities to create something.
Mainly adobe software and some Sketch.
It sets the mood of the piece and it makes a huge difference in design.
Someone who is way better than me, so I can learn from him/her. I believe in collaboration and pushing each other to be better.
The funny people. They remind you to not take things so seriously.
Gig Posters, not necessary a book to read, but it has a bunch of concert posters in there done by very talented people.
Ask friends for feedback to double check that most people understand what you're trying to achieve in the design.
Bruce Lee
It's not hard because I'm not famous.
Colour: black, even though it's not technically a colour
Place: Don't have one at the moment
Food: Dumplings, since there are so many approaches to it from different cultures
Season: Fall, the perfect weather
Thing: Drums
Brand: Don't have one
Place: Don't have one at the moment
Food: Dumplings, since there are so many approaches to it from different cultures
Season: Fall, the perfect weather
Thing: Drums
Brand: Don't have one
Having a shot-ski with coworkers is a bad idea, especially when you're short. The entire shot of vodka just got dunked on my face since they flipped the ski so fast and I was nowhere near the height of everyone around me. Moral of the story, don't do shot-skis with tall people.
Being able to work with interesting people to create stuff.
Nope, since I can't even colour within the lines.
Robot apocalypse.
Designer Interview
15 May 2019
Back in the day, I would doodle a bunch when there was nothing else to do. It was one of a few hobbies that helped kill a lot of time and fight boredom. Before design, I was in college for electrical engineering, but I lost interest in it, and was fortunate to be accepted into York University/Sheridan Joint Program in Design once I received my engineering diploma. Nowadays, I am lucky enough to turn those doodles into designs for campaigns, packaging, websites, etc.
My company is a self-run studio that allows me to experiment with both print and digital work. As a multidisciplinary designer, I like to tackle new challenges and create interesting solutions.
Design is an outlet used to help communicate a message to the masses, and creates solutions to everyday problems.
I enjoy branding the most, since I'm creating something from nothing. I find making a visualization of a form from a few descriptive words from a client rewarding.
The design of the xenormorph by H.R. Giger from the 'Alien' movie franchise directed by Ridley Scott is my favorite design. It's the most memorable character of all horror movies and there's something unique about how Giger incorporates both mechanical and organic properties to create the creature.
I made business cards for a snow shovelling/painting/grass cutting service my friends and I started while in high school. We didn't want to work for other companies, so we decided to create a company to do all the things people don't want to do themselves.
My favorite material to work with is paper, since you can do so much with that material.
I feel most creative when I'm trying to sleep because I have the weirdest dreams.
I focus on the concept the most. The idea is the most important part of communicating, and if the concept is weak, the design will be weak as well.
I usually feel under pressure when I'm designing, since the deadlines are usually tight.
Relieved.
The design is successful when people get the message you're trying to communicate, and it gets people engaged with the design.
The use case of the design and if the design is able to create a solution to the use case.
To communicate a message to the masses without confusing them.
The design field is going to become more prominent in the digital side, as next generations are more in tune with that.
Last exhibition was in Taipei, Taiwan for the Adobe Design Achievement Awards. I was lucky enough to be a finalist for that competition and they featured my work in the exhibition.
My inspirations come from just simply walking around outside and taking a minute to relax.
I try to keep my designs minimal, since I find it more effective to keep things simple. My approach is to remove anything unnecessary.
I'm from Canada, the pros of being Canadian is that Canada is a cultural mosaic, so it is made up of a bunch of different people with different cultural backgrounds. From that, you learn something new about a culture just by talking to someone.
I sometimes work in house with companies and sometimes remotely at home. Either way, I make sure I talk to them, so they know where a design is going and the direction it is taking form in.
I would say that communication is key to working and selecting a good designer. Making sure that both sides know what each other is thinking of is always helpful.
I usually jot a bunch of notes down as a form of putting some ideas on paper. Sometimes I doodle little sketches instead of notes, depending on what makes sense for that particular project. From there, I will create tighter concept sketches and send those to client. Then we discuss about the feedback the client may have and I would create computer comps. After that, it's just a bunch of back and fourth until the idea is realized.
Most of my favorite design items in my home are furniture that my dad and I worked on, so my work desk, the coffee table, and the in wall unit of my office are my top 3. It was fun designing and building stuff with my dad. The other two would be some of the vinyl figurines I collect and an accent chair I have.
On regular work days, it's pretty boring: eat, work, work some more, sleep.
Take risks in your design. Always provide at least one option of something you would want to push the client to go towards that you want to do most, and most importantly, just be you.
Positive: You get to make something different everyday. Negative: You have to think of new ideas everyday
Keep it clean and simple
Ability to adapt
Sketchbook, Adobe software, Sketch, Dribbble for inspiration
I'm pretty bad when it comes to time management, since I forget to stop and eat something.
It varies depending on what you're making
What do you do in your job? I don't get it.
Interning at Concrete Design Communications during the summer, which allowed me to see how a design studio runs on a day to day basis. Also, just learning a bunch of stuff from the designers that worked there.
I enjoy all sorts of design work, from branding to packaging to web. They all have their own challenges that make it interesting.
Try something I've haven't done yet.
I work collaboratively with the client, since there is a lot of back and fourth about ideas and concepts during our meetings.
They can reach me via email or phone. Preferably email.