Interview with Min Lu

Min Lu ("ML") interviewed on Sunday, 8 September.

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

ML : I am a New York based award-winning artist who has been creating a variety of art forms throughout my life including graphic design, painting and drawing. I obtained Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in the city of New York and have spent time in both United States and China to study painting and drawing. I have created successful initiatives for international brands such as NBC Universal, Goldman Sachs, Comcast, Charter Communications, Discovery Financial Services etc. She works directly with clients to leverage concept and creative idea in order to create meaningful experiences designed that inspire and improve advertising/ marketing performance.

How did you become a designer?

ML : What leads me to the world of Art? several of my family members are artists so they’ve been influencing me with their artistic mindset along the way. I learnt painting when I was a kid and had my first graphic design class during my undergrad’s year, after that I realized my passion for graphic design and started my designer journey.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

ML : The top three aspects of the design process are brainstorming, execution and reevaluation. During the creative process, I usually do not put much control and pressure on my minds or thinking too hard when it comes to being creative. I always letting it go and following, instead of leading. By doing this I found more than what I am looking for and sometimes even see extraordinary results. It’s part of the process, everyone learns it sooner or later, and it’s a blessing when the awareness finally comes. Execution is definitely the key as this is the actual step to make the artwork happen. re-evolution is important for an artists as I will need to re-evaluate the artwork myself as well as take feedbacks from others so that I can improve my works next time. When designing, I do rely on digital tools and latest technology as well as hand drawing as I believe that these two are complement each other and are key fundamentals during the designing process.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

ML : Every phase in the design process is exciting as each of them has its unique value. people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. I want my design to be emotion driven - making people feel there is an connection between themselves and my design.

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

ML : Being able to have the exposures of both eastern and western culture has profoundly affected the artworks that I make, driving me to create art that I hope touches people everywhere. In 2008, I moved from China to United States, a geographical transition which leads me to explore the connection between the traditional Asian art and western modern art. Many of my artworks have the color sense and formal principles of Western paintings, but a spirit and tonal variations of ink that are typically Chinese. Natural scenery is reduced to its essentials – simple but powerful abstract forms. By blending the Eastern and Western techniques and aesthetics together, new connections can be made, and an enhanced appreciation or awareness can be achieved.

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

ML : I am currently working on several projects. One of the most exciting project is a collection of digital illustration featuring the nature of solar terms! As a traditional knowledge system of time that enjoys thousands of years of inter-generational transmission, the Solar Terms clearly embodies the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature. The illustrations of "Spring" presenting the Chinese solar terms through traditional Chinese graphics and elements which in turn educate people about such intangible cultural heritage.

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

ML : Build your reputation and keep it growing. Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it.

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

ML : The most challenging part of being an artist is being creative and the most difficult part of the creative process is in letting it happen. We tend to want to control where our minds and thoughts go. But in letting go and following, instead of leading, we may find more than what we were looking for. thinking will only get you what you know, not what is possible. So, there comes a point in the process where you have done everything you can, have thought and considered, and then you need to let your mind take a break and see what happens. It’s not by mistake that some of the best ideas come when you’re in the shower, or driving the car, or occupied in something else rather than trying to come up with an idea. Once you distract the mind by doing something else, you essentially let go of the control, the mind will run with what you gave it, and you may see extraordinary results. But letting go of the controls can be a challenge for many artists. It’s part of the process, everyone learns it sooner or later, and it’s a blessing when the awareness finally comes.

What is your day to day look like?

ML : Usually starting the morning with meetings, discussing outstanding projects, what I need to be done for today. Sometimes spend the time with colleague brainstorming ideas, developing creative brief and working on projects. During the day may reading through some creative blogs to keep myself up to date with the lasted design trend in the creative industry.

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

ML : I feel like it is important to have knowledge about the latest design trend, getting exposure of what’s hip in this season and what are the newest design techniques. These serves as inspiration and ideas during the design brainstorming phase. I always inspired by others works and gained lots of valuable industry knowledges. That being said, I believe that as an artist, have your own unique design style is important as your design style is a representation of yourself. I usually get inspiration by looking at design blogs, A design award winging project pages. keep learning and studying are the key to success.

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

ML : good design is innovative and aesthetic, it has an inherent power of being able to immediately appeals and fascinate to the audience. If it’s a product, user oriented is another key aspect as User-oriented design adds both material and intellectual to its product which in turn improves users satisfaction.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

ML : When the design is design thorough – down to the last detail “Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.”

What is your biggest design work?

ML : I am working on the series “24 Solar Terms” The series embodies the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature. The illustrations present the solar terms through traditional Chinese graphics and elements (e.g., pomes) which in turn educate people about such intangible cultural heritage. Another project is the “Type Specimen Book” - The illustration will demonstrate the typeface’s humanistic, natural, ancient and humble characteristics. Spreads including: brief history of the typeface; showcase all the letters in uppercase, lowercase; identifying and illustrating parts of the typeface; highlighting specific characteristic; visual illustration. Hoping to create art that touches people and help people not only get to know and understand something with their minds but also to feel it emotionally and physically.

Who is your favourite designer?

ML : Claude Monet - Masterful as a colorist and as a painter of light and atmosphere Monet has influenced my choices as a designer in various ways. For one, he changed my thinking process. I no longer look at landscape the same. I look for the underlying colors that help make up the color that I perceive. The other choice he changed was my will. Never once in my research of Monet did I read where he just gave up, nor did I read that all of his work was perfect the first time he painted it, or sketched it. He has taught me to be more patient and determined to prevail. Wu Guanzhong – contemporary painters of Chinese origin. He has painted various aspects of China including much of its architecture, plants, animals, people, as well as many of its landscapes and waterscapes in a style reminiscent of the impressionist painters of the early 1900s.

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

ML : many of my artworks still inspired by Chinese culture which I abstracted into a subjective viewing experience by emphasizing line, color, and form. I also draw inspiration from my childhood among Southern China’s winding freeways and mountainous scenery. I moved from China to United States in 2008, a geographical transition which leads me to further explore the connection between the traditional asian art and western modern art. By blending the Eastern and Western techniques and aesthetics together, new connections can be made, and an enhanced appreciation or awareness can be achieved. Working as an artist has brought me into contact with a wealth of outlooks on the world and introduced me to a vast range of truly differing perceptions, felt ideas, and knowledge which profoundly affected the artworks that I make, driving me to create art that I hope touches people everywhere.

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

ML : Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Art represents one of the few areas in our society where people can come together to share an experience even if they see the world in radically different ways. In art, disagreement is accepted and embraced as an essential ingredient. In this sense, the community created by arts and culture is potentially a great source of inspiration. Art can make us more tolerant of difference and of one another, expand our notions of we, and show us that individual engagement in the world has actual consequences.

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

ML : Social change: Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. Society is facing a lot of different problems all over the world today, but art could be the perfect way to come up with solution to these problems. After all, art is a way to inspire others while also becoming inspired yourself. Motivation: I believe that one of the major responsibilities of artists – and the idea that artists have responsibilities may come as a surprise to some – is to help people not only get to know and understand something with their minds but also to feel it emotionally and physically. By doing this, art can mitigate the numbing effect created by the glut of information we are faced with today, and motivate people to turn thinking into doing.

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

ML : It has been a great experiencing participating the A design awards, from the beging when signing up the awards to the post awards services. During the artwork submission period, the award offers a pre evolution program which can offer tips and advise on how an applicant can improve their artwork, the program also have e a dedicate team to answer any questions related to the award. Consistently updating me with the lasted news about my submission. The award provides the opportunity to showcase talents and receive feedback from industry experts. Our creative works will be able to reach new international audiences, clients and press members. I really appreciate that A design award’s efforts to promote award winning designers and their works, the award committee have come up with the different programs which highlight and proactively promote distinct and excellent Designers with an active budget, the laureates at social media networks. Last but not least, free of charge for PR campaigns and publications.

Min Lu Profile