Interview with Jessica Zhengjia Hu

Jessica Zhengjia Hu ("JZH") interviewed on Wednesday, 14 June.

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

JZH : My design journey started in New York. In 2013, I began my fashion design study at Parsons School of Design. During my school years, I had internships in some famous fashion brands such as Donna Karan and Michael Kors. After my graduation, I interned and worked for 3.1 Phillip Lim and Elis, LLC. The experience I learned from these fashion brands and companies really gave me comprehensive insight of the industry. With the knowledge and skills I learned from school and experience I gained from previous jobs, I founded my independent womenswear brand Jessture in New York and launched my first collection in 2017. Since then, I have presented Jessture collections in many fashion events such as the Capsule Show, the New York Fashion Week and the Vancouver Fashion Week. I have moved back to China these years due to the increasing barrier of entry and trading difficulties caused by the covid epidemic. I have put my Jessture business in New York on hold and now I am operating the No.72 Design Studio in Shenzhen, focusing mainly on graphic, product and packaging design.

How did you become a designer?

JZH : When I was a kid, my parents used to take me to various art events and exhibitions to cultivate my artistic culture and aesthetics. At the age of 7, my first art teacher in elementary school invited me to the school art group and trained me for different art competitions. The door of art has opened up for me since then. I had always dreamed to work in the creative industry when I was a kid. However, I actually chose to study business and economics in college, because I realized that learning business and economics could help me understand the market and customer behaviors. I hoped to know people’s demands as well as their potential needs. After graduating from University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in economics, I moved on to study fashion design at Parsons in New York. From there, I learned how to work and think as a real designer. That was indeed the beginning of my design career. I had several internship and work experiences in some fashion brands in New York. Then I founded a womenswear fashion brand and launched my first collection in 2017. Now, I have moved back to China, I am still operating Jessture as well as my independent studio which focuses on mainly graphic, product and packaging design. For me, art and design are important components of my life. Art is the way for me to sense, experience and communicate to the world, and design is the method for me to think and discover potential possibilities for the future. I have always wanted to choose something that can always bring passion and motivation to my life. I am so glad that I have chosen a field I truly love as my career.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

JZH : Clarifying the core concept, defining practical functions and interpreting a thorough presentation are three aspects that I give most importance to when I work on a design project. Being a minimalist designer, I always follow the “less is more” principle when I design. I prefer using simple elements and clear outlines to make space for the creativity and imagination. As a Chinese designer with western education background and life experience, I am interested in blending the beauty of eastern and western culture together in my works. It could be a product with western styled structures and decorated with eastern patterns, or a traditional eastern appearance with abstract western details. For product design, I enjoy using digital tools and latest technologies, like 3D software and tools, to do designs. I believe leading technologies and tools can largely improve our efficiency. With digital tools, it is easy and convenient for us to manipulate and modify our work in any process. We will even be able to see the rendering outcomes directly on the computer screen. Therefore, I prefer completing most of the design process in the computer using digital tools and relative software. If I need to make mock-ups, I will send the files to a 3D printing lab to print a sample model for me. For fashion design on the other hand, the techniques will be more traditional with less involvement of digital technology. I usually draw sketches by hand and then create technical flats in the computer using Adobe Illustrator. Then I will bring the sketches and flats to pattern and sample makers to make sample garments. The samples may have to go through several rounds of fitting and modification before they can finally be finished up and get ready for presentation.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

JZH : I feel passionate, energetic, and devoted when I design. I am most satisfied when I have solved a design problem or achieve the design goals successfully. Although I do enjoy the process of design for most of the time, my emotions may have ups and downs in different phases. The birth of new idea and inspiration evokes my passion and motivates me to make the first step. I sometimes feel stressed when I get stuck, but I will try to control my anxiousness to prevent being taken over by frustration. The best way to solve a problem is to take action. For all the problem I have met, I believe there is always going to be a way, if not, I will make my way. The finishing stage is probably the most exciting moment of a project, because at this point everything is ready to go. Seeing the complete outcome of all the previous efforts is the happiest thing for me. It is a big pleasure to successfully turn an abstract idea into tangible things in the reality. The satisfaction of such accomplishment is the most attractive part of design.

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

JZH : My economics degree and business background are very helpful to me on my way of becoming a successful designer. With these knowledge and skills, I can better sense the market demands and potential needs. I will be able to create more useful and practical designs by analyzing market trends and consumer behaviors. Therefore, other than my art and design teachers, my marketing professor was the person that gave me the biggest influence on my design career. Once she said to us in her lecture about market innovation, “Before the automobiles have been invented, if you ask a traveler what he wants, the answer may possibly be ‘a fast horse’.” That sentence kept influencing and inspiring me throughout the years. My professor taught us that a good innovator, the same role as a designer, should be able to create new demands in the market. With the help of quickly evolving technologies, I am looking for the potential needs all the time with the hope that I can bring some really innovative and beneficial designs to the world.

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

JZH : My father used to oppose my decision of becoming a designer when he realized that design was no longer just a hobby for me. It takes me so many years to convince him and prove myself with progresses and achievements I have earned in the design field. Recalling those memories, I want to thank myself for the courage, determination and persistence in the past few years, which have earned myself understanding and supports today. In the future, I will keep getting ahead of myself. I will keep practicing and improving my skills, and I will always be on my way of becoming a more comprehensive designer who can bring happiness to people and make contributions to the world. Recently, I am planning to design new fashion collections using 3D technologies. With the leading 3D tools these years, many brands and companies have started to present their products with virtual characters in their campaign. Hopefully I will be able to present my fashion collections on really true-to-life virtual characters, and launch 3D fashion runway shows online in the upcoming future.

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

JZH : The first day of my orientation at Parsons, I was among thousands of new art and design major students in the auditorium. Yet, in the graduation commencement, only about a quarter of us finished our degrees, and the rest of us had either changed the major or transferred to other general universities. When I started my design career, I met a lot of young designer fellows. Throughout these years, many of them left this field and worked in some other industries one after another. It is quite common and understandable to see people leave the creative industries due to the increasingly fierce competition, high pressure and comparatively instable market, comparing to some traditional businesses. The creative industry is very subjective and unpredictable, that we will not always get paid for the input and efforts we have done. The thing is, what we are actually looking for. It is the intension that matters. If one only wants to earn quick money or seeks a stable job with high income and low pressure, I will not recommend entering the creative fields. In fact, I do have had moments that I wanted to give up. Whenever I experience such difficult times, I ask myself, “What is design for me?” This was in fact the question I was asked in my first design class. For me, design is not a temporary interest. It is not just a job that I do for a living, but a lifelong career that I want to pursue and devote to. I believe design empowers us to create new changes to the world. It can help us solve existing problems in our life and generate more possibilities for our future. The creative industry may look tempting and fascinating from the outside, yet there will be so many difficulties and obstacles we need to face and overcome once we enter it. We cannot go far if we only care about the fame and gains. I did not choose design for a living but choose it for passion and love. I hope we can all remain true to our original aspirations no matter what we are up against in the future.

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

JZH : We are in a rapidly innovating and evolving era. Remaining in the safety zone can no longer avoid being washed out by the new waves. As designers, I believe we should walk in the front to become explorers and pioneers. Courage is a very important quality of a designer. No matter how great an idea is, if no one dares to take the first step and have a try, it will just remain as a fantasy, and we might still be riding horses on the street now. We should not be afraid of difficulties and mistakes, because they can teach us important lessons and experience. I have been through many flops and troughs, but I never stop trying and forging ahead. We must get up from where we fall. Keep learning, practicing and improving our capability and skills. Last but not least, we should also keep thinking and exploring the unknown potential. There are infinite possibilities in our mind, and design is a very powerful shovel.

What is your day to day look like?

JZH : A normal work day of mine starts with a cup of coffee and a bagel or sometimes an egg. I do not usually wake up early because the most productive and efficient time for me starts in the afternoon. I usually process my tasks in order of priority. I will try to get those urgent projects done first, then move on to the less urgent ones. Dinner time is usually around 7. Then I usually spend 1 or 2 hours after dinner to play with my cat. If time is available, I will go through interesting news or video clips on the internet. Showering time is probably the most relaxing and pleasant time of the day. I like singing random songs or having random conversations with myself. It is the moment for my brain to get refreshed and my mind to be set free. Sometimes new thoughts, solutions or inspirations may pop up during my shower time, and that becomes the most exciting moment of the day. I am a real night person and I am used to staying up late. My bed time is usually between 2 to 4am depends on the progress of my work, but I have to admit that lying in bed is also the happiest moment of a day.

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

JZH : I do follow up the latest trends in the industry, but I will not stick to them strictly. In general, I prefer to follow my own style and take those hot trends as references. Trends are set by the market demands and consumer preferences. A design can become a trend if it is beneficial and attractive to the consumers. I usually get inspirations from my daily life. It can be any impression, sentiment, emotion or thoughts that comes up in my mind.

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

JZH : I believe a well-designed product should be both functional and practical. As designers, we cannot just focus on the artistic quality of the product appearance and forget about its functionality and practicality. We need to pay attention to the balance in between, otherwise the product will become a specious “eye candy” which looks fancy but useless. Another essential aspect is the main concept of the design. It shows the core value of the product. If function represents the body, then the concept will be the soul. A clear concept defines the unique quality of the product. It tells the consumers what the product is for, and why it is different from other products. Last but not least, a thorough and lively presentation can boost the product to a higher level by catching people’s attention and interest. A good presentation is the key to introducing and promoting a new product successfully. Consumers are willing to have a try only if the product has left good impressions on them. In conclusion, these are the factors that I think are critical to the success of a design.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

JZH : For me, I usually keep modifying and improving a project till the last minute of its deadline. I will save all my design records carefully, especially for my own design projects, and I will keep an open tab in my mind to make those previous designs better once I have acquired better techniques. If the customer or the client is satisfied with the outcome, then it can be seen as a successful project to some extent. If regardless of time and deadlines, I do believe there will always be ways to improve a product or an idea, because the technology, our society, human beings and even the whole universe is evolving all the time.

What is your biggest design work?

JZH : The Spring & Summer 2019 womenswear collection of my brand Jessture is the project that I am most proud of for now. It was my first collection presented on the runway of New York Fashion Week. The collection was named “Light”. The word “light” has many definitions. It can be a noun. It can also be an adjective to describe the weight, color, taste, sense and even the emotion. The collection transformed the idea of “light” in both physical and psychological aspects. Light fabrics were used to provide gentle and comfortable feelings. Creative structures such as detachable pockets, lapels, and adjustable strapped corset, allowed the looks to be more variable. Color selection was a big challenge in this collection. In order to see the light, we need to put ourselves in the darkness first. In this project, the “highlight” of the looks did not show directly by applying bright shades. The quality of brightness is emphasized by manipulating contrast of different low saturated tones and colors. Shades of blue were mixed with neutral and earth tones to help cooling down the overall emotions. Garments can reflect the interactions between the wearer’s psychological emotions and their physical environment. The goal is to encourage the wearers to choose their own styles and express their own aesthetics bravely. Recently, I have just finished a 3D virtual project of submarine detector. It was a big satisfaction because it was my first time to complete a 3D scene for a mechanical model. I get more satisfied each time when I make a new progress in design. These days I am trying to design garments using a very efficient and powerful 3D software called “Marvelous Designer”, with the hope that I will be able to present my collections using 3D technologies in the coming future.

Who is your favourite designer?

JZH : I would wish to have a conversation with Alexander McQueen if I had a chance, but I guess it will be really difficult even if he is still alive. McQueen hated interviews, he did not like talking to people. That made his mind even more mysterious to the world. McQueen is one of the most iconic fashion designers in the past decades. I am a big fan of his works. One of my favorite quotes from him said, “I think there is beauty in everything. What normal people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it.” He liked using wild, fierce and savage ways to tell the stories. He was good at using exaggerated structures and crazy shapes to show the conflicts in humanity, race, religion, culture, society and nature. Therefore, his works were usually full of strong emotional strength and visual tension. As designers, it is not hard for us to find the beauty in our life. The key is how to use our works to move the audience and users, so they can feel and appreciate the things we wish to share with them. The thing I admire most is that his works make people think. All of them have rich contents and connotations to be discussed and remembered even after so many years. “You can only go forward by making mistake.” “As a designer, you’ve always got to push yourself forward, you’ve always got to keep up with the trends or make your own trends.” McQueen’s quotes are the mentors that impress, inspire and motivate me all the time.

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

JZH : Shenzhen and New York are two of my favorite cities. They are both very significant to me. I grew up in Shenzhen, one of the four “first-tier cities” of China. It is a beautiful modern coastal city with highly open and diverse cultures. It is also known as the “city of design”. This rapidly developing city of design has attracted many artists, designers as well as companies, institutes and organizations to join the local creative industry. Unlike traditional inland cities with inherited cultural deposits, Shenzhen is more like a young folk who is more flexible and curious about new stuff. The open environment brings new blood into the society constantly. New York is where my design career starts. Despite the difference between eastern and western culture values, the two cities are similar in terms of the quick life pace and the adaption and co-existence of diverse cultures. My life experiences in both cities allow me to see things from more diverse angles. A more flexible and adaptive mind can help me understand the market and the society better. Good designs are like bridges and tunnels. They help us get through mountains or across rivers faster and easier. Besides physical advantages, good designs can also benefit our psychological well-being. A well-designed living space can largely improve the efficiency and quality of life. I like to collect recyclable waste and turn it into decorations or articles for daily use. For example, I once turned empty coffee capsules into Christmas tree ornaments, and they looked just fine. I like surrounding myself with my designs and art works. They remind me of the satisfactions I have got in the process of design. These satisfactions are the motivation of my life.

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

JZH : For most of the time, I prefer working alone on a single project. Subjective disagreement and misunderstanding may happen in a co-design project and they waste a lot of time. I do accept working with partners on big collaborative programs, as long as the division of work is clear to everybody. In general, I prefer to work with people who share the same value and interest with me. It is important for all members in a corporation to be on the same page in order to move together as a whole. I used to be an advocator in my previous job. I liked sharing my thoughts and opinions with the team. It worked well at the beginning and solved some problems effectively for the team. However, as various opinions accumulated, it became even more difficult for the team to reach an agreement. Since then, I have learned to reserve my own opinions no matter how right I think it is, and give in to whatever decision that is preferred by most of the members. Willing to make a concession when necessary is a sophisticated skill in workplace and business. It is fine to insist on our own mind when working on our personal projects. For projects of client, sometimes we need to make concession to the client’s interests as long as they are not against the principles.

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

JZH : As a designer, I wish to use the power of design to benefit the society by solving existing problems and issues, reducing conflicts, increasing social efficiency and improving our happiness and wellbeing. The mission is hard as it is a heavy responsibility that needs collective inputs and efforts from many other designers. I have done some pro bono collaborative design works. Most of them are about existing social or environmental issues. I admire designers, artists and architects who have taken part in the humanitarian projects. I see them as heroes. If I have time and chances, I will join in some design conferences and share my thoughts and opinions with other designers, artists, architects and whoever wish to make a contribution to this world.

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

JZH : Attending the A’ Design Award competition has been a very precious experience for me. It was my honor to compete with excellent and talented designers from different countries with different interests and cultural backgrounds. It was a great opportunity to learn from their ideas, skills and techniques. By competing with other designers, I would be able to see my weakness and strength. The competition is like a transcript that tells me what to be improved. It is my great pleasure and honor to be the Designer of the Day. It is a valuable feedback and positive evaluation for my previous efforts. It will be a big motivation for me to keep improving and forging ahead.

Jessica Zhengjia Hu Profile