Interview with Mu Ya Chen

I am motivated by the possibility of improving everyday life through space. Design allows me to transform aesthetics, function, emotion, and human needs into something people can actually experience every day.

I chose design because it naturally matched the way I observe people, space, color, and everyday life. Over time, it became more than a profession; it became the way I understand and solve problems.

I mainly design residential and commercial interiors. I would like to continue working on projects where aesthetics, brand identity, healthy environments, technology, and real-life functionality can be integrated.

I would not encourage anyone to aim for the title of “legend.” Focus instead on observing carefully, learning continuously, solving real problems, and taking responsibility for what you create.

A good designer can create a strong solution. A great designer understands why that solution matters to people and takes responsibility for how it performs in real life.

I first ask whether the design solves the right problem. It should then balance aesthetics, function, comfort, durability, context, and human experience.

Good design improves more than appearance. It can make life easier, spaces healthier, businesses more effective, resources better used, and everyday experiences more meaningful.

I would like to create spaces that explore how design can improve long-term health and quality of life, especially environments used every day by families and communities.

I would love to create a complete healthy-living environment where architecture, interior design, air quality, lighting, climate control, materials, nature, and technology are designed as one integrated system.

Curiosity, responsibility, and persistence. I keep asking questions until the solution feels both beautiful and right for the people who will use it.

I am less influenced by one particular designer than by designers and architects who demonstrate clarity, restraint, craftsmanship, and respect for people. I am especially interested in work where the idea remains powerful without unnecessary decoration.

I am drawn to designs that appear simple but reveal great depth when experienced closely. I admire work where materials, proportions, light, function, and detail come together so naturally that the design does not need to explain itself.

Real Explorer Residential is one of the projects that best represents my current design philosophy. I value the way it brings aesthetics, function, comfort, materials, and real living needs together rather than treating them as separate concerns.

Keep observing, keep learning, and spend time understanding how things are actually built and used. Experience has taught me that real projects, real constraints, and even mistakes can be excellent teachers.

I would probably still work in a field related to creativity, people, and problem-solving. I find it difficult to imagine a life in which I am not constantly observing and improving things.

Design is the process of making thoughtful decisions that improve the relationship between people and their environment.

My family, team, clients, and professional partners have all played important roles. Design may begin with an individual idea, but meaningful work is rarely achieved alone.

Experience, curiosity, and the willingness to keep questioning my own decisions. Every completed project teaches me something that influences the next one.

The greatest challenges were learning to balance creativity with budgets, construction realities, schedules, regulations, and client expectations. These limitations eventually became an important part of how I learned to design.

Present the idea and the problem behind the images, not only the finished photographs. People should understand why the design exists, how it works, and what changed because of it.

I will continue exploring residential and commercial interiors with a stronger integration of healthy environments, technology, measurable performance, and human-centered design.

To create spaces that remain valuable, comfortable, healthy, and meaningful long after the project is completed.

I believe people expect not only creativity but judgment, responsibility, and the ability to turn complex requirements into clear solutions.

Design shapes the environments where people live, work, learn, rest, and interact. Better environments can support better health, behavior, accessibility, efficiency, and quality of life.

We are currently developing residential and branded commercial projects. I am particularly interested in projects where business needs, spatial experience, healthy materials, and environmental quality can be addressed together.

The most satisfying projects are those where clients continue to appreciate the space after living or working in it. When design improves everyday routines rather than only producing beautiful photographs, I feel the project has succeeded.

I hope the industry places greater emphasis on measurable performance, health, durability, sustainability, and real user experience instead of focusing primarily on visual impact.

Design will increasingly combine creativity, artificial intelligence, environmental data, new materials, and human-centered thinking. Technology will expand our tools, but understanding people will remain essential.

There is no fixed timeline. Interior projects may take several months or longer depending on scale and complexity, because design continues through coordination, detailing, and construction.

I start by understanding the people and the problem before drawing anything. The right questions usually lead to the right design direction.

Design for real life, not just for the image.

Both influence each other, but I do not believe designers should simply follow trends. Good design should understand its time while remaining relevant after the trend has passed.

Technology helps us visualize, analyze, communicate, and increasingly measure design decisions. I see it as a tool that should support better human experiences rather than become the purpose of the design itself.

We use CAD, 3D modeling, visualization, project-management, measurement, and increasingly AI-assisted tools throughout the design process. Physical material samples and on-site observation remain equally important.

Color, materials, light, texture, sound, temperature, and atmosphere work together to shape how people experience a space. They should support the overall purpose of the design rather than exist only as decoration.

I would like people to ask, “Why was this decision made?” Design becomes more interesting when the conversation goes beyond appearance and explores the thinking behind it.

I usually wonder how the designer arrived at such a clear solution. Great design often looks simple only because a great deal of thinking has already happened behind it.

Yes. My ideal design partners are people who bring strong expertise, communicate openly, and are willing to challenge assumptions. Collaboration often produces solutions that one discipline alone could not achieve.

Clients, craftspeople, engineers, contractors, and the people who actually use the spaces have all influenced my thinking. Real interaction constantly reminds me that design cannot exist only inside a designer’s imagination.

No single book defines my approach to design. I learn from architecture, design, materials, human behavior, environmental health, travel, and especially from observing how people actually use spaces.

Through continuous practice, observation, collaboration, and reviewing the results of my own decisions. Every project is both professional work and an opportunity to refine judgment.

I would enjoy speaking with people from different periods who changed how we understand architecture, craftsmanship, technology, and human life. I would be more interested in understanding how they thought than simply discussing their famous works.

Awards are meaningful because they provide an independent perspective on our work and allow it to reach a wider audience. However, recognition also reminds me that the next project still has to earn its own value; an award cannot replace responsibility.

My preferences change with context. I am usually drawn to calm and natural colors, places with culture and character, simple good food, comfortable seasons, meaningful objects rather than expensive ones, and brands that combine quality with clear values.

One funny thing about being a designer is that people often begin by saying, “I don’t really have any particular preferences,” and a few minutes later they can describe very precisely everything they dislike. Sometimes discovering what people do not want is actually the fastest way to understand what they truly need.

A good day is when a difficult problem finally becomes clear or when I see people genuinely enjoying a space we created. Progress itself is usually enough motivation for me.

Not necessarily. But looking back, I was always sensitive to colors, details, atmosphere, and the way environments made people feel. Those tendencies eventually found their place in design.

I cannot imagine the technologies people will have a thousand years from now, but I believe one fundamental need will remain unchanged: people will still need environments where they can feel safe, comfortable, connected, and human.

I hope my work reminds people that good design is not only something we see. It is something we experience every day, and its true value begins when real life begins.

Muse Aristo is an interior design and renovation studio based in Taiwan. I serve as the Design Director, leading the creative direction and spatial design of our projects.

Our work covers residential and commercial interiors, but what distinguishes our studio is our belief that healthy renovation should be a fundamental part of good design rather than an optional feature.

We integrate aesthetics, functionality, construction management, green renovation principles, indoor environmental quality, and third-party verification into the design process. Our goal is to create spaces that are visually distinctive, practical in everyday life, and healthier for the people who use them.

We believe that good design should continue to perform well long after the photographs are taken.

Design, for me, is the process of making life better through thoughtful decisions.

A successful space must balance beauty, function, emotion, safety, and health. None of these elements should exist independently.

I believe design is not about adding as many beautiful things as possible. It is about understanding what people truly need, removing what is unnecessary, and creating an environment that feels natural, comfortable, and meaningful to them.

I especially enjoy residential and commercial projects where design can solve more than one problem at the same time.

I am most interested in projects that allow us to combine visual identity, spatial experience, practical functionality, and healthy environmental considerations into one coherent solution.

I also enjoy working with clients who are willing to challenge conventional ideas. When there is a real problem to solve rather than simply a style to reproduce, the design process becomes much more meaningful.

One of the projects closest to me is Real Explorer Residential.

I value this project not simply because it received recognition, but because it represents many of the principles I believe in as a designer. We wanted aesthetics, everyday functionality, comfort, and healthy renovation considerations to exist as one integrated system rather than as separate design decisions.

The project reminded me that a home does not need to be visually excessive to have character. When proportion, materials, light, function, and the needs of the people living there are carefully considered, the space develops its own identity naturally.

For me, that is one of the most rewarding aspects of interior design: creating a space that continues to feel right after people actually begin living in it.

My earliest professional design work was focused on residential interiors.

Those early projects were very important to me because they taught me that interior design is never only about aesthetics. A designer has to understand construction, budget, materials, human behavior, communication, and the realities of everyday life.

Those experiences shaped the way I still work today: I always try to balance creative ideas with practical responsibility.

I do not have one single favorite material. I prefer materials that are honest, durable, comfortable to touch, and appropriate for the people who will actually live with them.

I am especially interested in materials and technologies that can improve indoor environmental quality without compromising aesthetics. Low-emission materials, good ventilation, lighting, temperature and humidity control are all important parts of the design process for me.

Technology is most valuable when people do not constantly notice it. The best technology quietly makes a space healthier, more comfortable, and easier to live in.

I feel most creative after I truly understand the people and the problem behind a project.

Creativity does not usually come to me from a completely blank page. It often begins with constraints: the client's habits, the limitations of the site, budget, construction conditions, or a difficult functional requirement.

Once I understand these conditions clearly, I enjoy finding a solution that feels simple and natural, even if the process behind it was very complicated.

I focus first on how people will actually experience the space.

Circulation, proportion, natural and artificial light, material relationships, storage, comfort, safety, and indoor environmental quality all influence the final experience.

I also pay close attention to the relationship between beauty and practicality. A detail may look beautiful in a drawing, but if it becomes inconvenient, difficult to maintain, or uncomfortable in daily life, I do not consider it a successful detail.

I usually feel a mixture of curiosity, excitement, concentration, and responsibility.

At the beginning of a project, there is always curiosity because every client and every space presents a different story. During the design process, excitement is often accompanied by pressure, because every decision eventually becomes part of someone's daily life.

That responsibility is important to me. Design is creative work, but it also affects how people live, rest, work, and feel every day.

There is always a strong sense of satisfaction when an idea finally becomes a real space, but the most meaningful moment is not necessarily when the project is photographed.

It is when I see people naturally using the space and realizing that the design has become part of their everyday life.

When a client tells me that the home feels comfortable, that their routines have become easier, or simply that they enjoy coming home, that feeling is more rewarding than seeing the space only as a completed design object.

A successful design is one that continues to work after the designer leaves.

It should be beautiful, but beauty alone is not enough. It should function naturally, respond to the needs of its users, age well, remain comfortable, and support a healthy living environment.

I believe the best designs eventually feel almost effortless. People may not notice every design decision, but they can feel that the space is simply right for them.

The first question I ask is whether the design actually solves the problem it was created to solve.

After that, I consider the human experience: Is the space comfortable? Is the circulation intuitive? Are the proportions appropriate? Does the lighting support the atmosphere and activities? Are the materials suitable and responsible? Will the design still make sense after years of use?

A visually impressive design can attract attention, but a truly good design must also survive everyday life.

I believe designers have a responsibility to consider the consequences of every decision beyond appearance.

The materials we specify, the resources we consume, the quality of the indoor environment we create, and the durability of a space all affect people and the environment over time.

For me, responsible design means creating spaces that are not only beautiful, but also healthier, safer, more durable, and more respectful of resources. A designer should not simply ask, “Does this look good?” but also, “Is this the right decision for the people who will live with it and for the environment around them?”

I believe the design field is moving from creating attractive objects and spaces toward creating better systems for living.

Technology, artificial intelligence, environmental data, new materials, and healthier building standards are giving designers more tools than ever before. However, technology itself is not the goal.

The future of design will require us to combine creativity with evidence, technology with human understanding, and aesthetics with responsibility. Designers will increasingly need to understand not only how a space looks, but how it performs and how it affects people's lives over time.

My work is primarily realized through residential and commercial interior projects rather than traditional exhibitions.

I see each completed space as a kind of living exhibition, because people do not simply observe it; they experience it, use it, and change with it over time.

In the future, I would be interested in presenting an exhibition that explores the relationship between interior design, healthy living, materials, and indoor environmental quality. I believe these subjects can help people understand that good design affects much more than what we see.

My inspiration usually comes from observing people and everyday life rather than following a specific visual trend.

I pay attention to how people move through a space, what makes them comfortable, where daily routines become inconvenient, and how light, materials, nature, travel, culture, and architecture influence the way we feel.

Traveling is also an important source of inspiration for me. I enjoy observing how different cultures interpret space, materials, craftsmanship, and daily life.

I believe creativity grows when we remain curious. Inspiration can come from architecture or art, but it can just as easily come from a street, a conversation, a traditional building, or a small detail in someone's daily routine.

I do not define my work by one fixed visual style.

I prefer a calm, refined, and timeless approach in which proportion, materials, light, functionality, and human experience are carefully balanced.

Every project should respond to its own people, context, and purpose. Rather than applying the same visual language repeatedly, I try to find the most appropriate solution for each project.

My approach is to begin with people and function, develop the spatial experience, refine the aesthetic language, and then make sure that materials, construction, comfort, safety, and indoor environmental quality support the same idea.

I live and work in Taiwan, where traditional culture, dense urban environments, contemporary lifestyles, and influences from many different periods coexist very closely.

This has influenced the way I think about design. Taiwanese homes and commercial spaces often need to solve many functions within limited space, so flexibility, storage, circulation, ventilation, humidity control, and practical construction details are especially important.

Taiwan's climate also makes indoor environmental quality a very real design issue. Heat, humidity, ventilation, and material emissions cannot be separated from the experience of a space.

At the same time, Taiwan offers an interesting combination of craftsmanship, technological capability, cultural diversity, and openness to new ideas. I see these conditions not as limitations, but as reasons to design more thoughtfully.

When working with companies, I begin by understanding the business rather than immediately thinking about the visual design.

I want to understand the brand, customers, operations, products, staff workflow, commercial goals, and the practical limitations of the site. A commercial space needs to communicate the brand, but it also has to work efficiently every day.

I therefore see the relationship as a collaboration between design and business strategy. We work closely with the client to translate brand values and operational needs into spatial decisions, while also considering construction feasibility, maintenance, safety, comfort, and environmental quality.

The most successful commercial projects are those where the space does more than look like the brand—it actually helps the brand operate better.

I suggest that companies choose a designer based not only on visual style, but also on how well the designer understands their business.

A good designer should ask questions before offering answers. They should understand the brand, customers, operations, budget, construction realities, and long-term goals of the company.

I also believe communication and trust are essential. The best results happen when both sides are willing to share information honestly, challenge assumptions, and make decisions together.

A beautiful portfolio is important, but I would also look for evidence that the designer can solve real problems and successfully turn ideas into built environments.

My design process begins with understanding rather than drawing.

I first study the people, their routines, needs, expectations, and the conditions of the site. For commercial projects, I also look closely at the brand, customer experience, operations, and business objectives.

From there, I organize circulation, functions, proportion, light, materials, and spatial relationships. As the concept develops, we continuously test whether the design can actually be built, maintained, and used comfortably.

The final stage is about refinement. I want every detail to support the same overall idea, from aesthetics and construction to comfort, safety, and indoor environmental quality.

If I had to choose five, I would select a dining table that brings people together, a comfortable chair that invites you to slow down, well-designed lighting that changes the atmosphere of a room, a practical storage system that keeps daily life organized, and an artwork or object that carries a personal memory.

I am less interested in objects simply because they are famous design pieces. What matters to me is the relationship people develop with them over time. The best objects quietly become part of everyday life.

No two days are exactly the same, which is one of the things I enjoy about being a designer.

A typical day may begin with reviewing drawings, project progress, materials, and decisions that need to be made. During the day, I may move between design discussions, client meetings, site visits, construction coordination, and reviewing details with the team.

Design work does not happen only in front of a computer. Many important decisions are made on site, where you can see how materials, light, proportions, and construction actually come together.

I also try to leave some time for observation and learning. Design is a profession in which you never really stop noticing things.

My advice is to learn how to observe before trying too hard to develop a style.

Understand people, materials, construction, proportion, light, and how things are actually made. A beautiful concept is only the beginning; a designer also needs to understand how to make it real.

Do not be afraid of constraints. Budget, site conditions, regulations, and practical problems often teach us more than unlimited freedom.

Stay curious, communicate clearly, and take responsibility for your decisions. Your style will eventually develop naturally from the way you think and solve problems.

One of the greatest rewards of being a designer is seeing an idea become part of someone's real life.

Every project also brings new people, new problems, new materials, and new knowledge, so the profession constantly pushes you to learn.

At the same time, design carries a great deal of responsibility. Designers work within budgets, schedules, technical limitations, regulations, client expectations, and construction realities. A small decision on a drawing can sometimes have a significant consequence on site.

The pressure can be demanding, but that responsibility is also what makes the profession meaningful.

Design for real life, not just for the image.

Every decision should ultimately serve the people who will experience the space. If something is visually impressive but uncomfortable, impractical, unhealthy, or unable to stand the test of everyday life, I would reconsider it.

Good design should still feel right when the photographs are finished and real life begins.

I believe observation, communication, problem-solving, and the ability to turn ideas into reality are the most important skills. A designer needs creativity, but also an understanding of people, materials, construction, and practical limitations.

My toolbox includes CAD and 3D design software, visualization tools, material samples, site photographs, sketches, and increasingly AI-assisted tools. However, I believe the most important tools are still observation, experience, and communication with clients and the project team.

I manage my time by identifying the most important decisions first and separating creative exploration from execution. Clear communication and good project management are also essential, because many design delays are actually decision-making delays.

For interior design, there is no fixed timeline. Depending on the scale and complexity of the project, the process from concept development to completed construction can take several months or longer. I prefer to give each project enough time to solve the right problems rather than simply finish quickly.

One of the most common questions is, “What style do you recommend?”

My answer is usually that I prefer to understand how the client wants to live before deciding how the space should look. Style should be the result of understanding the people, not the starting point.

My most important experience has been managing projects from the earliest design ideas through construction and finally seeing people use the completed spaces. It taught me that good design requires much more than creativity—it also requires responsibility, coordination, technical understanding, and the ability to make decisions under real-world constraints.

Our clients include private residential clients as well as established companies and brands in Taiwan. One of our notable corporate clients is HeySong Corporation, one of Taiwan's long-established beverage companies, for which we have worked on branded retail interior projects. We value long-term collaboration and often continue working with clients across different projects and locations.

I enjoy projects that require both creativity and problem-solving, especially residential and commercial interiors. The most rewarding projects are those where aesthetics, function, human experience, and real-life needs can be brought together into one coherent solution.

I hope to continue exploring the relationship between design, healthy living, technology, and measurable indoor environmental quality. I also want to work on more challenging residential and commercial projects where design can create lasting value beyond appearance.

I work closely with a team. I lead the design direction, but good interior design requires collaboration among designers, project managers, engineers, contractors, suppliers, and clients. The final result is always stronger when different expertise works toward the same goal.

We are currently developing several residential and commercial interior projects, including branded retail spaces. I am particularly interested in continuing to explore how brand experience, practical operation, healthy materials, and indoor environmental quality can be integrated into commercial design.

People can contact me through Muse Aristo's official website and social media channels. We welcome opportunities for residential and commercial interior design, brand collaborations, and professional exchanges in Taiwan and internationally.

I believe interior design has the power to influence people far beyond what they see. It affects how we move, rest, work, interact, and feel every day.

My hope is to continue creating spaces that are not only beautiful when completed, but remain comfortable, healthy, meaningful, and valuable throughout the lives of the people who use them.