Interview with Chia-Min Lin

Chia-Min Lin ("CL") interviewed on Thursday, 7 May.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

CL : I've working as designer for over 10 years now. I used to work for OEMs, advertising company and done some commercial design. But I also worked in a small studio, handling some independent projects from renown choreographers, theaters, and museums. Before I graduate, I studied graphic and interaction design both back home and in United States.

How did you become a designer?

CL : I used to want to be a Manga artist but I obey to reality. I always has interest in drawing, but I don't want to be an artist so I choose to be a designer. I guess I have lots of small factors that drove me into the life I had now, but never was someone or individual event that makes me immediately to be designer in one day. Life is a continuous journey for me. Everything is intertwingled.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

CL : My principles when it comes to design, is to figure out "what's the problem?" I need to define the scope of a project to think about solutions. The scope includes discussion of constrains, resources, possible points of views...etc. Then I start ideating. Once I have the idea, I build multiple versions of mock-ups to iterate and collect feedback. Once I have all the bones of the materials, then I think about how to polish and aesthetics.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

CL : I always have lots of ups and downs along the way. Design is an exhausting activities no matter how interesting and exciting it was. The beginning of design is usually chaotic. Lots of thoughts and debates from different perspectives.cBut once it reaches to the execution and development, things will become easier — if you're lucky enough.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

CL : I think my background of being a graphic deigns who worked with many editors helps a lots. The learning of information architecture has helped me to observe how people thinking and how that relate to their final decisions. It makes me think deeper of cognition load and bias analysis. So eventually I am able to handle multiple decision making points at the same time, without loosing the context and relations in between. This is crucial to designers especially when you need to work with people come from different background. Observing how they think helps you advocate on your argument from their perspective.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

CL : I read lots of Manga when I grow up so it provides a wild world of imagination. But it kinds of limits my way of drawing. Then I studied art in high school, mostly focus on skill training, sharpen your eyes to observation. Then design liberate me into a dazzling world. Sometimes I still get confused of what' the real purpose of design should be. But my overall goal is to push my limitation and never feel regret. So whatever the next the project would be, I will do my best to finish it.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

CL : Design is not an easy job. New challenges always waiting for you so you need to prepare yourself. Prepare to proactivly learn new skill and new knowledge along your career. And you'll have to be very resilient and rigorous while not losing your imagination. Work hard on the basic solid and work strategic on the high level stuff.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

CL : Don't focus on the surface level and attracted by the fancy appearance. Focus on the design process when you're attracted by some projects. Studying how designers solve problems — why they propose this point of view, what are they trying to achieve, what's the context that drive them propose this — will give you more than mimicking the style.

What is your day to day look like?

CL : I have been working over 12 -16hrs for the past year. But that's what you can expect as a designer. I usually wake up at 8am and sleep at 2am. Drink coffee and quietly woking because I don't like discussion in the morning. I like to leave meeting and conversation to the afternoon. Then I slept until 11am over the weekend. Sleep makes me happy if you ask.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

CL : I guess I like the motion graphic and that's the only trends I'm following. I like it because it's a results of pursuing illustration and animation at the same time. I like the goal behind the trend. For the rest, I do believe rather develop my conclusion on something, rather it's a form factor or style or way of thingking. But if I need to follow some guidelines, I usually refer to Pinterest.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

CL : I tend to look into its goals and context to help me decide if this project is great. A good design need to seamlessly thrive from its background. Then I will judge if this design has made something different? Is this has the capabilities to seduce behavior or awareness change? A good design needs to fit into its social context.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

CL : When you feel there's not much you can do. And usually a project comes with a deadlines. You have to consider the resources you could use.

What is your biggest design work?

CL : Musiac is my biggest work so far. But I use to spent over a year study how movie lens applied to Manga narratives. I analyzed over 10,000 pages of comic books and map out the hidden camera behind the scene, to testify why comic worth the name of the ninth category of art.

Who is your favourite designer?

CL : I refer to some Japanese designers like Kenya Hara, his design on 2005 Japan EXPO is nicely connect to local and traditional culture. His opinion on the color white has affect me so much on design philosophy. Also I have my favorite illustrator — Steven Simpson, the very few creative artist who could transform a visual style into an innocent and playful language.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

CL : As a foreign worker in America, I definitely feel some culture differences that affect my way of design thinking. Grow up with a high context language, I like to start with high-level conceptual goals and go down. But in english culture, it usually start with single point and then gradually grow up. Both of them have pros and cons and I find this differences somehow complete my design strategy and philosophy.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

CL : I work in an international agency so I meet diversified colleagues on daily basis. It's not an easy job to work with people with different background. Confrontation happens every day since we're so enthusiastic about the work. But we've learned how to cope with our differences and cooperate. I am more like systemic designer and experience architects in our studio. My job mostly focus on the interaction system but from time to time I do illustration and animation to help depict ideas.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

CL : I used to train some young designers in my previous work. I listen to their concerns and provides suggestions in terms of professional and person life. But I haven't had any chance to do a pro bono project. If I had the opportunity I am happy to try.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

CL : Won the A Design awards gave me some power to keep moving so I'm really excited about it. Hoping this is a good sign that more positive things will come in 2020. I gain some software skills because of this competition so I think young designer should try to attend as much as possible. It helps not only in PR but also to sharpen your skills.

Chia-Min Lin Profile