Interview with Hannah Sun and Jesseter Wang

We became designers in different ways. Hannah came through graphic design and a fascination with typography and moving images. Jesseter began in architecture and later moved toward 3D and animation. We deepened our practice with an MFA in Computer Arts at SVA, and our paths converged in motion design.

We start by defining the message, the audience, and the feeling we want to create. We explore the story first, then choose a visual language that can carry it through animation, with small, earned moments of surprise.
We rely mostly on digital tools for production, while hand drawn sketches help us quickly test ideas. Tools serve the idea, not the other way around.

Designing brings a mix of curiosity, anticipation, and disciplined persistence. The most exciting phase for us is when a rough scrap of an idea becomes solid and complete, and the design starts to align with the intention. There is satisfaction in seeing imagination become something tangible and finished.

Problem solving and critical thinking are central to our background. Hannah's graphic design training taught her to analyze a problem, reduce it to what matters, and build clear hierarchy. Jesseter's architecture education developed structured thinking, spatial reasoning, and the ability to translate constraints into form. Those skills support our work in motion, where we test ideas, refine intent, and turn choices into readable, confident outcomes.

We want to keep growing as designers who move between disciplines and fuse different techniques with intention. Typography, 3D, animation, and design systems become one language instead of separate skills. The dream is a project that invites experimentation and lets cultural storytelling evolve through motion, with moments of playful surprise. We hope our work continues to feel curious, fun, and fluid.

Watch great work closely, then practice and practice. A project does not have to be ambitious. Quick but steady practice will pay off more than you expect.

Start with intent, then design toward readability and feeling. Build transitions that carry the concept forward. Learn to cut what does not serve the idea. Do not rely solely on trends, and do not treat software as the solution. Build a library of references, share knowledge, and keep making work.

Day to day starts with notes, references, and a plan for the day. We block in ideas, develop motion tests, and refine typography and pacing. Later comes polish, checking readability, timing, and consistency. Small joys include a good song loop, a well aligned grid, and the moment when a transition finally clicks.

We follow motion releases, festival highlights, and design communities, and we revisit classic work to understand why it lasts. Trends can inform vocabulary, but they matter only when they serve intent. The goal is to make work that feels current and timeless at the same time.

A product or project is well designed when intent is clear, hierarchy reads instantly, and the audience feels something specific. Good design aligns concept and execution, removes unnecessary noise, and leaves room for delight. A common mistake is adding details without purpose, or letting style overwhelm meaning.

A design feels ready when the idea is immediately readable and the pacing feels natural. When peers respond with the same interpretation, and no change increases clarity or emotion, the work can be released. There is always room to improve, but at some point improvement becomes ornament. When the work holds up after a break, it is done.

The project we are most proud of is Year of the Rabbit. It blends motion, typography, and 3D, and balances cultural symbolism with a modern design language. The challenge was keeping the visuals coherent while leaving space for surprise. It stands out because it is disciplined and playful, and because it is meant to create joy.

We admire designers who combine concept with craft. We are especially inspired by title designers such as Saul Bass, and by contemporary motion designers who create strong systems and unexpected transitions. We admire animation storytellers such as Hayao Miyazaki for emotional clarity.

We were born in China and we live and work in the greater New York City area now. That mix matters a lot to us. Culture shows up in our projects as stories, symbols, and references, but it also acts like a lens that changes what we notice and how we interpret things. We see design and culture feeding each other, shaping taste, values, and habits over time. When design is thoughtful, it can reshape culture and shift how people relate, remember, and respond.

We collaborate as individual designers, not as a company. It is easy to work with us when expectations are clear. We value partners who are curious, reliable, and comfortable giving and receiving feedback. Our responsibilities range from concept to delivery, and we believe good work culture is built from respect and follow through.

We believe design can give back through generosity. We share process notes, answer questions, and exchange critiques with peers. When time allows, we like to support community projects that benefit from clear communication. We see humanitarian work and design education as important forms of service.

A positive experience for us in the A' Design Award is the recognition and motivation that comes from an international audience. The main benefits include credibility, visibility, and a reason to reflect on practice. Awards can help with career by opening conversations and reminding designers to aim high. Being featured as Designer of the Day would be energizing, because it celebrates craft, story, and the ability to delight.

We are motivated by curiosity and the desire to understand how ideas, emotions, and systems can be translated into visual experiences that people can feel and connect with. Design gives us a way to think through the world, communicate across cultures, and turn abstract concepts into something tangible and meaningful.

We became designers because we were drawn to both creativity and problem solving. What excites us most is the intersection between concept and execution, where storytelling, motion, typography, space, and technology come together to create something larger than the sum of its parts. Over time, design became not just a profession, but also a way of observing, learning, and making sense of the world around us.

We both chose to become designers. It was a path driven by genuine interest and curiosity rather than external pressure. Over time, design became a natural way for us to express ideas, explore different forms of storytelling, and combine creativity with analytical thinking. The more we learned and experimented, the more certain we became that this was the field we wanted to grow in.

We design motion driven visual systems that live across animation, branding, digital experiences, and spatial storytelling. Our work often combines graphic design, motion, typography, and 3D to create visual languages that feel dynamic, expressive, and adaptable across different mediums.

We would love to design more projects that allow deeper experimentation and world building, especially work that blends culture, narrative, technology, and motion in unexpected ways. We are particularly interested in projects where motion is not treated as decoration, but as a core part of the identity and experience itself.

Observe good work carefully, stay curious, and keep practicing consistently. A project does not have to be ambitious to be meaningful. Small but continuous exercises often teach more than waiting for the perfect opportunity.

It is also important to develop your own perspective instead of only following trends. Design skills can be learned over time, but the way you see the world and communicate ideas is what makes your work memorable. Staying open to different disciplines, learning from others, and continuing to experiment will help shape a stronger and more personal voice as a designer.

A good designer can execute ideas well and create work that is clear, functional, and visually strong. A great designer goes beyond execution and brings a distinct point of view, deeper thinking, and emotional resonance to the work.

Great designers understand not only how something should look, but also why it should exist and how it should make people feel. They are able to connect concept, craft, storytelling, and systems into a cohesive experience. They also stay curious, continue evolving, and remain open to learning throughout their careers.

A really good design feels both intentional and effortless. It communicates clearly, solves the right problem, and creates an emotional connection at the same time. The strongest designs are often the ones where concept, form, motion, and execution all support each other naturally.

We usually evaluate good design by asking a few simple questions: Does it communicate its idea clearly? Does it feel memorable and meaningful? Does every design decision have a purpose? We also value work that reveals depth over time, where the more you look at it, the more thoughtful details and systems you begin to notice.

Good design creates clarity, connection, and trust. It helps people understand information more intuitively, experience products more naturally, and connect emotionally with ideas and stories. Beyond aesthetics, good design shapes how people interact with the world around them.

Investing in good design is valuable because design influences perception, communication, and experience. Thoughtful design can make something more accessible, memorable, and meaningful. It also has the power to shape culture, encourage curiosity, and improve everyday experiences in ways that people may not immediately notice, but deeply feel.

Our approach is rooted in curiosity, consistency, and collaboration. We try to stay open to learning from different disciplines, whether it is motion, graphic design, architecture, technology, or storytelling, and bring those influences together in a way that feels cohesive and intentional.

One of the most important things for us is balancing concept and craft. We care deeply about ideas, but we also believe strong execution is what allows those ideas to truly resonate. At the same time, we try to keep a sense of play and experimentation in the process, because some of the most interesting discoveries happen through exploration rather than planning everything perfectly from the start.

We are inspired by designers and artists across many different disciplines, especially people who have shaped strong visual languages and expanded the possibilities of their mediums. We admire figures such as Saul Bass for his timeless sense of motion and storytelling, Paul Rand for his clarity and simplicity, and Issey Miyake for the way he combined systems, material, and experimentation.

We are also deeply inspired by contemporary studios and artists working across motion, technology, and visual systems. What inspires us most is not only technical skill, but the ability to create work that feels thoughtful, culturally resonant, and emotionally memorable. Many of our inspirations also come from outside traditional design fields, including film, architecture, music, nature, and everyday observations.

For us, design is a way of thinking and communicating. It is the process of giving form to ideas, emotions, and systems so they can be experienced and understood by others. Design exists everywhere, from objects and interfaces to motion, spaces, behaviors, and human interactions.

We see design as both expressive and functional. It should solve problems clearly, but it should also create feeling, curiosity, and connection. At its best, design helps people navigate complexity while making experiences more meaningful, intuitive, and memorable.

Our ultimate goal is to create work that feels meaningful, memorable, and emotionally lasting. We want to continue building visual experiences that connect people through motion, storytelling, and design systems, while constantly evolving and exploring new ways of working across disciplines.

Beyond creating beautiful work, we hope to contribute ideas and experiences that inspire curiosity, imagination, and cultural connection. We also want to keep growing as designers who can bridge creativity and technology in thoughtful ways, while collaborating with people who are passionate about experimentation and pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling.

We think the relationship goes both ways, but the strongest design usually leads rather than follows. Trends often emerge because designers, artists, and creators collectively respond to cultural shifts, new technologies, and changing behaviors. In that sense, design can shape the direction of culture and influence what later becomes a trend.

At the same time, trends can also influence design by reflecting what people are currently interested in or emotionally connected to. The challenge is knowing when to engage with trends and when to move beyond them. For us, the most lasting work comes from having a clear point of view rather than simply reacting to what is popular at the moment.

Technology plays an important role in both how we think and how we create. It expands the possibilities of design, allowing us to experiment with motion, interaction, systems, and new forms of storytelling that would not have been possible before.

At the same time, we see technology as a tool rather than the goal itself. What matters most is how it supports the idea, the experience, and the emotional impact of the work. We are especially interested in using technology in ways that feel human, intuitive, and expressive, where technical innovation and creative intention work together naturally.

Hannah and Jesseter are individual designers, not a company or design studio. They collaborate as a duo when a project needs both motion and graphic design and 3D animation. Jesseter specializes in 3D, and Hannah focuses on motion and graphic design. Together they build pieces that feel crafted, layered, and playful.

Design is the intentional act of shaping meaning, making choices about form, timing, hierarchy, and behavior so a message is clear and the experience feels coherent.

Hannah and Jesseter love designing motion pieces rooted in culture that has symbolism, layered meaning, and a sense of discovery. Their favorite moments are the delightful surprises, such as a transition, a hidden reference, or an unexpected rhythm.

Hannah and Jesseter spend most of their time inside motion tools like timelines, keyframes, and typography. Their main platforms are AE and Cinema 4D.

They feel most creative when they have done enough research to understand the constraints and have cleared mental space to explore. Usually that is early in the day or late at night when interruptions are minimal and they can follow a thought to its end.

They focus most on clarity and rhythm: typography, pacing, transitions, and the emotional arc of a piece. The audience should feel guided without noticing the guidance. Hannah and Jesseter pay special attention to hierarchy, timing, readability, and how design and motion reinforce the same message.

Designing often feels like curiosity, anticipation, and disciplined persistence. There is satisfaction in shaping an idea, paired with humility and a critical eye to continue polishing the piece down to its details.

When a design is realized, Hannah and Jesseter feel gratitude for the collaboration and effort that made it possible, and satisfaction in seeing people benefit from it. They also feel motivated to observe how it performs in the real world and learn what to improve next.

First, they look at intent: what problem is this design trying to solve, and does every choice support that intent? Then they evaluate usability, honesty, cohesion, and the quality of execution. A visually striking design is hollow if it confuses or excludes people.

Design is evolving from stand alone pieces to interconnected experiences across platforms and attention spans. In motion, the future is more interdisciplinary, blending design, storytelling, and technology, with AI accelerating exploration while human judgment still sets intent.

Hannah and Jesseter believe the strongest designers combine craft with strategy and use their skills to communicate ideas responsibly.

Our inspiration comes from culture: typography in the wild, posters, films, animation, music videos, and the way people respond to small, delightful surprises. We feed creativity by collecting references, studying motion, sketching ideas, and experimenting with different visual languages.

Our style is clean, graphic, and playful. We like cultural themes and Easter-egg details that reward attention. Our approach is to define the story, design key frames, and animate with rhythm and restraint.

We live in New Jersey, in the greater New York City metropolitan area. The mix of cultures and the pace influence our design: people here value efficiency and boldness, but they also appreciate personality.

The pros are access to diverse perspectives and constant exposure to new ideas. The cons are that the environment can be noisy and trend-driven, so we stay disciplined about focusing on intent rather than novelty.

Hannah and Jesseter approach design as strategy and storytelling first. They clarify intent, audience, constraints, and the feeling they want to leave behind. They translate that into a narrative arc and a visual system, then explore ideas quickly through sketches and rough motion. Each iteration is judged by clarity, pacing, and cultural resonance. Once the direction is proven, they commit to production and polish the details so the finished work feels inevitable and cohesive.

A typical day starts with reviewing priorities and references. Then we spend deep work time designing frames and animating (with breaks to rest our eyes). We schedule a few short check-ins to keep decisions moving.

Toward the end of the day, we review renders, make notes, and plan the next iteration.

For young designers: study fundamentals (typography, timing, composition, storytelling), and develop your own voice through daily practice. Learn to communicate your decisions clearly and listen to feedback without losing your intent.

Design with empathy and craft—people remember how a piece made them feel, not how hard the file was to make.

Positives: design lets us shape experiences and create meaning through motion. It’s collaborative, creative, and always evolving.

Negatives: it can be subjective and deadline-driven. You make a lot of decisions with incomplete information, and you need resilience to handle critique and rapid change.

Our golden rule is: intention + rhythm. Every decision should support the story, and the timing should feel inevitable.

If something is there only because it looks cool, it won’t last.

Skills we found important to us include observation, empathy, craft, and persistence. Collaboration is a skill too. Ideas become real through shared effort.

Our toolbox is a mix of analog and digital. We sketch ideas and key frames, then move into digital tools—After Effects for motion, Cinema 4D for 3D, and supporting design software as needed.

We keep reference folders, books, and playlists that help us test pacing, tone, and storytelling.

We manage time by breaking projects into milestones: concept, style frames, animation, refinement. We reserve long blocks for deep work.

We also accept iteration is part of the process, but we prevent endless revisions by setting clear goals and a feedback schedule.

It varies by scope and deliverables. Some motion pieces can be designed in a few intense days; others take weeks depending on complexity, 3D needs, and the number of revisions.

We’d rather take the time to make something coherent than rush a fragile result.

We’re often asked: “How did you make that?” or “How long did it take?”—especially when people see motion/3D pieces and are curious about the invisible process behind the visible result.

Hannah and Jesseter are happiest working on short form motion pieces with different techniques well blended together. Because that allows them to play with new approaches, often leading to new discoveries and new directions.

We plan to keep building a shared body of motion work with more cultural narratives, more experiments, and projects that surprise people in positive ways. We want to improve our pipeline, share more process documentation, and collaborate with clients who value craft and clarity.

We can be reached out through email:
sunhanqing@hotmail.com
jesseterwang@gmail.com