Interview with Shengtao Ma

Shengtao Ma ("SM") interviewed on Friday, 3 January.

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

SM : I am a science student. During my university years, I came into contact with painting and art and began to like the feeling of creation. Later, by chance, I chose product design as my major, received a certain theoretical foundation of product design, and received some training in modeling and rendering software, which gave me a three-dimensional expression of my design, which laid a solid foundation for my future design.

How did you become a designer?

SM : When I was a kid, I was just a curious kid who was obsessed with taking apart toys and trying to put them back together. I enjoyed playing with objects and exploring their internal structures, and I never associated this with any high-end design profession. In class, I loved art class the most. I liked to doodle on paper with colored pens, depicting the wild imagination in my mind, whether it was a flying house or a car with wings, but I just thought drawing was fun and didn't rise to the level of career planning. It was later when I entered university and systematically came into contact with design courses, and learned about the huge knowledge system behind design, unlimited creative potential, and the power to change lives, that I gradually became determined to make a name for myself on this path. So, when I was a kid, I just had a love for creation and hands-on work, and I didn't foresee the design life I have today.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

SM : I think my design style is not a fixed one. At different stages or in different situations, I will find a suitable design language to convey my design ideas.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

SM : When a new idea comes to mind, it is like suddenly seeing a beam of light in the dark. For example, when designing a lamp, it suddenly occurs to you that you can incorporate natural elements such as the veins of leaves into the shape of the lamp. This moment will bring you a strong sense of excitement. This excitement is like an explorer discovering a new treasure, and you can't wait to implement this idea on the design drawing to see what it will look like in the end.

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

SM : First of all, I want to thank my mother, whose persistence made me continue on the path of design. Secondly, I want to thank my school teachers, who taught me a wealth of professional knowledge and design thinking. My current achievements are inseparable from their support and help.

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

SM : When I was a child, I never thought that I would become a great designer. When I was a child, I was just a curious baby who was obsessed with taking apart toys and trying to put them back together. I just enjoyed the fun of playing with objects and exploring their internal structures. I didn't associate this with any high-end design profession at all. In class, I loved art class the most. I liked to doodle on paper with colored pens and depict the wild imagination in my mind, whether it was a flying house or a car with wings, but I just thought that drawing was fun and didn't rise to the level of career planning. It was later when I entered university and systematically came into contact with design courses. I learned about the huge knowledge system behind design, unlimited creative potential, and the power to change lives. I gradually became determined to make a name for myself on this path. My ultimate goal is to promote exchanges between different cultures, guide social values, and improve social aesthetics by creating beautiful works. Of course, these are just my imaginations, but I will continue to work hard towards my dreams.

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

SM : Before young designers rush to design, I think they should read more and think more, and have the courage to overturn their own ideas. Only by continuous improvement can they polish out good works.

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

SM : Have a pair of glasses that can discover beauty, a brain that can be active at any time, and a heart that is always passionate.

What is your day to day look like?

SM : I like to stay up late, because the night time can stimulate my desire to create.

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

SM : Design fairs are a great place to learn about industry trends. Social media platforms play an important role in spreading design trends. Joining a professional design association or organization network can help you build close connections with your peers. These organizations hold events, publish industry reports, and members can share experiences and insights.

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

SM : Good design should conform to basic aesthetic principles, such as balance, proportion, symmetry, rhythm, etc. In addition to basic aesthetic principles, good design can also trigger emotional resonance. A well-designed product can make people feel warm, comfortable, relaxed or energetic.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

SM : The primary purpose of design is to meet the needs of users. It is important to judge whether the design is balanced and coordinated from a visual perspective. Make sure that the design is technically feasible and meets relevant technical standards and specifications. To judge whether the design is reasonable from a production perspective, production costs and production efficiency should be considered. The design should reduce production costs and improve production efficiency as much as possible while ensuring quality.

What is your biggest design work?

SM : The Explorer research vehicle that I designed is the project that I am most satisfied with, as it won the Italian A Design Award and many well-known national awards.

Who is your favourite designer?

SM : Philippe Starck.The alien juicer he designed has a unique appearance that makes it not only a practical kitchen appliance, but also an artistic decoration.

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

SM : I currently live in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. Life here is relatively comfortable and the people I meet are relatively easy-going, which has laid a certain foundation for me to devote myself to design.

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

SM : All my designs are created personally. The division of labor in the studio is clear. I am responsible for the design, and the other business is left to my partners.

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

SM : I have designed posters for charity organizations free of charge many times, speaking out on important issues such as environmental protection and anti-discrimination. On the theme of environmental protection, I use very impactful images, such as endangered animals surrounded by garbage, with eye-catching appeal texts to arouse the public's attention to ecological deterioration; when designing for anti-discrimination activities, I harmoniously integrate the images of people of different skin colors, genders, and disabled groups into one picture to spread the concepts of equality and inclusion, and help these concepts spread more widely on social media and offline events.

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

SM : I designed a product during my college years, and its name is "W-3E Mask Expressive Emotion". This is my first independently completed design work, and I was fortunate to win the Futuristic Award of the Italian A Design Award. This great achievement for my first independently completed work gave me great confidence and encouraged me to continue to work hard to create better works. It also made my name and works spread quickly on major platforms and web pages, which provided great help for my future design journey.

Shengtao Ma Profile