Interview with Kansaranat Pear Nerngchamnong

I’ve always been interested in the creative field and got start my career in film and television, wanting to help people tell their story and bring their creative vision into reality. I was fortunate to have met great mentors and and received opportunities to work on different projects and industries that led me into practicing Design Thinking, and using this methodology as a way to creatively help solve problems and foster innovation.

The top three important stages when I’m designing are the research phase, where I understand the customers’ needs and motivations, then recognising patterns and insights that can help me form the concept of the design, and the third step is to create a mock-up to see the overall concept.

I generally feel calm and at ease when I design. The most exciting phase of the design process is when I translate insights from research into the concept.

I have been living abroad in different cities around the world for the past fifteen years. Being exposed to different cultures has helped me be comfortable in change, ambiguity, inspired by different types of environment, and remain open minded personally and professionally.

I want to be more involved in Design for Social impact and innovation. I am currently considering relocating to a new city and continue to develop my skills as a designer.

One of the best pieces of advice I received was “to be a sponge”, which means to be open to absorbing new learning even when you are in doubt.

I was once told to never forget to have my sensors on, meaning that you need to always be aware of what’s around you, what is going on in the world and asking why. Design helps shape the culture, so it’s important to pay attention to what’s happening in STEEP: Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, and Political.

I begin each day with at least 15 to 20 minutes of quiet time during breakfast before I go to work. I use that to think about the day and what I plan to accomplish. I always try to have some time on the weekend or at the end of the day to reflect on my day and the work I’ve done during the day. A good music playlist always helps during the day as well.

I think great design is the one that really responds to the customer’s needs. It's designed for what people need rather than what you think people might want.

I think the three important keys when working with other designers or clients are respect, transparency, and flexibility.

I have been involved in humanitarian work as a volunteer teacher, but I look forward to contributing my skills as a designer more in the social impact sector.

A’ Design Award is one of the largest award competitions that features many innovative ideas on a global scale, and I think this competition really helps expand the design community. One of the most exciting things is to see inspiring work from other designers and connect designers and creators together.

My passion for storytelling and problem-solving has always been my main driver in everything that I do, and that led me to combine my former training to focus my practice on Design Thinking.

I chose to become a designer, but also my past personal and professional experiences have formed my path to be in a design field.

I wish to be more involved in the field of Service Design and Design for Social Impact.

To continue to learn. I am still learning and still have so much more to learn, and I think it’s important to have your sensors and curiosity turn on no matter how many years you have worked in the field.

I think a good designer delivers an amazing project. A great designer brings what they learned from past projects to continue to improve.

A design that responds to the needs of users. Design can’t just be visually appealing; it has to function well and serve the purpose.

A good design is sustainable. It benefits long-term impact and usage.

Empathy. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and understand their needs, their pains and gains. That way you’re really designing something that will truly benefit your customers.

I really admire the work that comes from Ideo and their practice in human-centred design.

I am always open to new challenges and new learnings. If there is something I don’t know how to do, then I try to understand it. Even if I failed on the first attempt, at least I learned from it.

Design is a way to improve human interactions, and it comes in various forms: whether it's in the form of how human relationships interact with space, how products help improve our daily lives, how design helps communicate, or how design help better services and communities.

My sister, her boyfriend, my mother, and my boyfriend are my biggest supporters. I’m also very grateful to have great friends, have opportunities to have met inspiring teachers and supportive bosses from companies I’ve worked for.

My Colleagues, friends, and employers all have helped shaped my skills and learnings.

I think self-doubt was one of the main obstacles. You always doubt if this will be enough. I think the best way to overcome that is to focus your energy on your passion and directly on the work that you do. Focusing on the joy of creation.

Design helps shape our society and is embedded within everything we interact with on a daily basis. And I think that is why any design work with a good purpose can be very impactful. Some of the issues around the world only speak to a specific group of people, and that’s when design can come to help expand the communications to a larger audience.

My recent passion project called Bear is a platform that helps address End-of-Life preparation and communications. The End-of-Life issue itself is a sensitive subject and considered a taboo among society due to its association with sadness. Despite a few doubts that I received from other people, I chose to continue to develop the concept because I truly believe that there must be a better way to design and help those that are in bereavement. I recently received acknowledgements from a different awards competition, and that help validates that this project has a potential to help the people in bereavement and tackle the issue of End-of-Life conversations.

I think the design field will continue to grow and become very involved in technology and innovation. As the world continues to change and influenced by technology, the design field will help bridge the gap between computers and humans.

I think it takes two to tango.

Technology is a powerful tool. I mainly use Adobe Creative Suite, but I also appreciate the impact from a program like InVision for prototyping, or even project management software to help streamline the workflow within the company.

I always start with a pencil and a paper to group my thoughts and ideas before I take it to Adobe Creative Suite.

It helps generate the personality, looks, feel, and meaning of the design. Certain colours resembles certain specific emotions, attract different target audiences, and represent brand presence.

Amazing! I want to find out more! What’s the functionality?

I feel extremely grateful for the awards and recognition. I'm also very grateful for the people that helped contribute and teach me along the way.

My favourite colour is blue, and vanilla. My favourite place is the home that I share with my boyfriend in New York because it is the place where I feel most at ease. My favourite food is Thai and all things spicy. Summer is my favourite season.

Good sleep, food for all meals, a pencil and notebook all contribute to a clear mind to design. But a good Spotify playlist is always a bonus point.

I don’t think it was obvious but I’ve always have a keen interest in the arts and sports growing up.

I think automation/technology will still play an important role, but I also see (and hope) that the future will dedicate to sustainability, continue to design our cities to be resilient (hoping that we learn that we’ve done enough harm to the world and learn from the continuous impact we made on global warming).

Design is a way to improve human interactions, and it comes in various forms: whether it's in the form of how human relationships interact with space, how products help improve our daily lives, how design helps communicate, or how design help better services and communities.

I enjoyed the design research and strategy the most. More specifically on the process of design, I enjoyed the research to uncover insights and forming concepts the most. This initial process before landing on the direction/solutions (service design, product design) is what got me excited the most.

A pencil and a paper are my go-to for all the work I do. Before using any software or platform, I always start with sketching, doodling, and writing notes. To me, sketching on paper is what helps me organize my thoughts and make sense of how I want to further the design process.

I always find a quiet time at home to lay down, reflect on what I’m currently working on and clear my head. That’s usually when I start forming new ideas/inspiration and feel the most creative.

I focus more during the research phase because this aspect helps me discover what users need and design a product/service that will truly benefit them.

I mainly feel at ease.

Excitement, but also nervous because I don’t know how people will respond to it.

A design that responds to the needs of users. Design can’t just be visually appealing; it has to function well and serve the purpose.

The purpose of the design itself. Does this design serve its purpose? Can it help improve the user's experience?

I think as a designer, we are part of the system (community, organization, the world) and that means we have to think about responsible innovation and consider our contribution because Design plays a big role in shaping the culture.

I think design has become very involved in technology and innovation. I think the future of design will continue to grow and remain heavily involved in technology advancement. Some of the examples can be seen in UX design and service design, and I think as the world continues to change and be influenced by technology, the design field will help bridge the gap between computers and humans.

My inspiration for my works usually comes from three types of sources. Personal interest (or frustration and the need to fix something), my environment (friends, family, a neighbourhood where I live), and the work in the world by others (other designers, products, businesses). I think it’s important to be aware of what’s around you and always stay curious. I think inspiration and creativity stop when you stop learning.

I’m currently living in New York. I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand before moving to Australia, Savannah (Georgia), and currently based in New York. I am grateful for the opportunity to be immersed in different cultures and it has helped me remain open-minded and continue to improve my growth, personally and professionally.

Skills are important. But I think most importantly it’s the designer’s perceptions. The best work often comes from great collaborations. Is this designer easy to communicate with, open to embrace their comfort zone, and willing to work with the company rather than only fulfill the design brief?

I practice the Design Thinking process and use that method when I have the opportunity to integrate that into my work. The Design Thinking process starts from Empathy (putting yourself in customer’s/client’s shoes), Defining the problem/context, Ideate (generate possible ideas and direction), Prototype, and Test your idea.

•Coffee table: it functions as a coffee table with the right size/height/surface but it’s also the main furniture piece that makes my apartment feels cozy.•Skylight: This window located in my living room, which provides great sunlight even on a cloudy day. •Blender: Small, easy to clean and doesn’t take up much space. The container to put the ingredients in also serves as a to-go cup.•Bedroom door with curtains: Glass window to let the lights from both bedroom and living room, but can be easily blocked and keep the room dark from the curtain. •Amazon Alexa: Small, convenient, and it ‘meows’ when I say ‘mi amor’.

I always make sure that there are at least 15-20 minutes to sit down, have breakfast, and think about what needs to be done today before I go to work. At the end of the day, I make sure to sit down, reflect, unwind, and connect with loved ones (especially with my sister that is living on the opposite side of the world).

To be a sponge to absorb knowledge and open to new learning.

Empathy. Be empathetic and put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re designing for.

Curiosity, flexibility, and empathy. Be empathetic and put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re designing for.

Apart from pencil and sketchbook, I use Adobe Creative Suite, Post-Its, sometimes InVision. Most importantly, a good playlist on Spotify.

I generally make a list of what elements/layers the work needs to be completed and prioritize. Then I allocate specific time (hours/days) that I will work on each specific element. And make sure I try to factor a time for a good night sleep to continue to have a clear mind on for the next day.

I enjoy both aspects.

Pear.k.n@gmail.com