Interview with ECUST | CRE+ Design Hao SHAN

Brand and visual design have been the core of my professional focus.

The difference lies in the ability — and in the great opportunity to realize design ideas.

In my view, a successful design is one that empowers a brand to establish its influence, expand its market presence, and elevate its value. It must also embody creativity and artistic expression — distinctive, impactful, and genuinely solution-oriented.

Good design creates value.

I think it would be doing something playful and wildly creative with my children — just letting our imaginations run free.

Creating design that is distinctive, unconventional, and truly solves problems — once you set this as your standard, the expectations you place on yourself naturally become much higher.

Probably an artist or a painter.

Design is art, a form of expression and strategy — a fusion of beauty and functionality.

My teachers at school and senior design mentors after I started working; my biggest supporters are definitely my parents and family.

It is a brand design project for a Chinese city.

To help them solve problems through outstanding design work and concepts.

First, one must be a better person oneself.

An unavoidable reality is that AI is rapidly transforming the design industry. While it enhances efficiency and accelerates development, it also raises expectations for creativity. Skills that cannot be replaced by algorithms will become increasingly valuable.

The timeframe for completing a design project is difficult to generalize; it depends on the size of the project and the time the client can provide. I tend to avoid projects with tight deadlines that compromise the quality of the design.

I think about the difficulties of the design process.

Design is art, but it is also expression and strategy — a fusion of aesthetics and functionality.

Creative and playful design is what I value.

There’s a bit of pressure, but I perform best when I’m in a good mental state.

What I focus on most during the design process is choosing the right form of expression and finding a unique creative idea.

Dedication and focus are the foundations of good design.

It brings me great joy when a thoughtfully designed piece is executed and implemented effectively.

Design success depends on multiple factors — the professionalism of the design team, as well as the client’s understanding, execution, and commitment to the design.

From a market perspective, a good design should help a brand build influence and open up its market. From a design perspective, originality and distinctiveness are key.

An unavoidable reality is that AI is rapidly transforming the design industry. While it enhances efficiency and accelerates development, it also raises expectations for creativity. Skills that cannot be replaced by algorithms will become increasingly valuable.

An open mind and a broad knowledge base are essential for finding true inspiration in design.

What makes this industry truly appealing is the ability to create work that holds both aesthetic value and creativity.
On the downside, for visual designers, our work can often feel like that of a doctor — many complex problems require a hands-on approach. Our productivity is inherently limited, and there are often no viable alternatives or shortcuts.

It's difficult to generalize timelines — they depend greatly on the scale of the project and the time the client can allocate.
I do not take on projects that are rushed to the point where the quality of design cannot be ensured.

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