Designer Interview
15 Froen
I studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where I initially majored in Graphic Design. However, feeling constrained by the rigid rules during the design process in academic learnings, I eventually switched to…
Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where I initially majored in Graphic Design. However, feeling constrained by the rigid rules during the design process in academic learnings, I eventually switched to General Fine Arts and graduated with that degree. After graduation, I took on some freelance design projects to make a living. To my surprise, my work was well received by clients, which rekindled my passion for design.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
"A design studio" is a small design studio founded in 2022 by my partner Vince Zhang and me, based in Beijing, China. Vince comes from an advertising background and brings boundless imagination and creativity, while I’m a visual designer who excels at integrating ideas and solving problems through visual design. Sharing a common vision, we teamed up to create a studio that approaches design challenges from a perspective that sets us apart from conventional graphic design studios, helping clients from various fields find effective and thoughtful visual solutions.
What is "design" for you?
To me, design is like a puzzle game — my goal is to solve it in the most elegant and efficient way possible.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
Way-finding.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
A customized wall-paper for Amazon's office in Bangkok.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
Illustrator for life.
When do you feel the most creative?
When I'm a little bit tipsy
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
Sit down and talk through, initiate the brief together, meet as more as you can in order to get every stage on track and know your client better.
What skills are most important for a designer?
Critical thinking
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
Always start after lunch, and never interfere my dinner. Shorter period of work time makes me more concentrate.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
It varies from 2 weeks to 6 months.
Who are some of your clients?
We mainly serve small to medium corporates, help them from scratch or grow bigger. Our clients include Solid Order, KisKis, and many local retail stores in China.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
Moving to Shanghai and trying to explore different fields like music, fashion, etc.
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
Me and my partner Vince Zhang work together as a team. Vince comes from an advertising background and brings boundless imagination and creativity, while I’m a visual designer who excels at integrating ideas and solving problems through visual design.
How can people contact you?
adesignstudio@yeah.net
