Interview with Ada Wang

Ada Wang ("AW") interviewed on Friday, 30 March.

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

AW : I got my college degree in a fine art school in China and acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in graphic design. After graduation, I become a freelancer and work in graphic design, interactive interface design, electronic game design and illustration design.

How did you become a designer?

AW : To become a designer is my childhood dream. The power of ardent love gets me glued to the job.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

AW : For starters, I would listen to opinions of my clients before figuring out what I should do. Then, I would come up with a set of design pre-plans on creativity, expressive means, marketing feedback and such. I will pull off the work via a computer by referring to effect picture or similar cases before. After acquiring opinions of my clients, I would make constant adjustment on the details for amendment to reach my designing objective. What comes as the most important step is realization of the development technologies. If your graph paper can’t be used in practical development, it is devoid of its designing role.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

AW : Before designing, I would start by choosing a project that suits me, notably in terms of creativity and expressive ability. Though during the designing process, difficulties are inevitable, I would feel joyful and content when I got it finalized.To bring out your talent gives you a sense of happiness.

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

AW : I think reading is quite important. A designer needs to rack up ample knowledge through reading rather than restraining your vision to the designing realm. I would read books related with education, history, religion and philosophy to get to know different viewpoints, for it helps you perceive ongoing events in life in a profound way. Designing attainments are not your whole life. They are just part of your life experience.

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

AW : I don’t have any secret to succeed. Well,it’s just that I would carry on when I encounter difficulties. I just hope that I can become helpful designers, in particular I would deliver information to people about things I need to pay attention to by attending activities on social innovation and public welfare such as environmental protection, education on poor children, women’s rights and so on.

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

AW : I would go for the important of passion. You’ve got to follow your heart when it comes to your career selection. Sometimes, customers would not show respect to a designer’s professional competence and would easily negate our proposals or would fall to the trap of a rival in business activities. When it happens, you have to think it over why you get started in the first place before finding the root of the problem facing it head-on and working it out. The process of conquering yourself far outweighs the designing itself.

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

AW : I think patience is the most important principle of practice. Patience is required to pull it through, from the incipient communication, listening of ideas, learning of demands to the feedback and amendment of the designing process. You have to control the schedule and rhythm during the whole process. It’s something like cooking. Finally the whole project can be finished.

What is your day to day look like?

AW : I would spend time viewing news portal to learn about what’s going on every day. If I have more time, I would read or play games. I would learn about latest style on game designing.

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

AW : I would learn about the latest style of designing, but I would not follow the trend altogether or do the copycatting. I would retain my aesthetic perception in designing so that my creativity can be found in my designing.

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

AW : Curiosity is my standard. For whatever type of designing, I intend to arouse people’s curiosity rather than giving them a mediocre impression. People would exclaim, ‘it’s quite interesting’ when they see it. It would be way better if it can trigger people’s ruminations on some issues.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

AW : Business designing is not manifestation of a designer’s individual will. It should satisfy customers’ willpower. Only after I got the balance point between the two points do I decide that the designing is finalized. But sometimes, I have to make concessions. In this case, I would hunt for new balance points.

What is your biggest design work?

AW : I am the winner of A’ Graphics and Visual Communication Design Award but most of the time, I am engaged in electronic game design. Loads of my gratifying works are on game designing. An art director used to put it, ‘you have to create a game the way you create a world’. So when I do game designing, it’s like I am creating a world. It’s the biggest challenge to me.

Who is your favourite designer?

AW : I fancy artists in ancient China, particularly art work from 960 to 1279 covering drawing, calligraphy, porcelain, jadeware and so on. They still empower me with inspiration. I draw reference from the aesthetic wisdom of the ancient men in many of my works.

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

AW : I was born in China. I went to Germany, Austria, Czech and Italy. I now live in Shanghai. I am subject to the influence of art in ancient China.If I were not a designer, I may live a reclusive life like in the forest. Shanghai is a modernized city with fast living pace. It has a huge marketing demand for designing. Designing can deliver information with graphics rather than languages. It promotes understanding among each other through graphics without a translator. So good designing not just propels social progress, it can enhance communication between different cultures.

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

AW : Work is tough, notably for a freelancer like me. I sometimes work with friends, and sometimes complete a project independently. I value whether my partners would have a profound knowledge on the designing career. Many people master designing skills but do not have adequate knowledge on the profession of designers. Only knowing of how to design would not make you a good designer. You have to learn more about things outside skills, particularly your understanding on business. From the very beginning to the end, all of a designer’s behaviors are constitutes of business cooperation.

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

AW : I would often deliver speeches in designing salons or forums targeting at young designers. The speech would help them learn about business designing and occupational planning. I would answer questions they propose on the spot. I am willing to attend public welfare activities and projects on humanitarianism. I would like to make more friends and engage in mutual exchange with them.

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

AW : Participation to A'Design Award helps me objectively learn about my designing level. I can, at the same time,know what other designers in the world are doing. Their attainments register an astounding impression on me and their works bring me new cognition.A'Design Award is an open and fair competition. It not just helps designers better address all sorts of conditions arising in business cooperation like contract, pricing and law. They are what other designing rewards are in short of. Moreover, A'Design Award would provide public relations of news media. As a winner, all these are amazing.

Ada Wang Profile