Interview with JUYOUNG HWANG

JUYOUNG HWANG ("JH") interviewed on Sunday, 15 May.

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

JH : I worked as a design planner for 4 years. As a designer in various fields, I was mainly responsible for design planning and content production. I enjoy new challenges, so most of my work has been in startups. The main customers were startup representatives in Korea or those who wanted to proceed with a new project. In addition, during the contract period at the company, I studied the necessary design and business courses separately and performed as a designer.

How did you become a designer?

JH : When I was 5 years old, my mother first introduced me to comic books. Thanks to my mother, I became interested in art and content, and from then on I became interested in the design profession. Naturally, I studied and prepared as a designer while majoring in design at art high school and art college. In addition, I learned and studied the perspectives of various designers by visiting art museums and design fairs in each country. The experience I gained at that time taught me that being a designer is a profession that should be a good influence.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

JH : Mostly, when people encounter a design, we consider it to be intuitive in how they think and use it. Nothing is more important than a single powerful concept than aesthetics or versatility. So the design style is simple and pursues something that can be easily expressed by anyone. Designs that are difficult to access are not remembered by people. Even if they are not designers, it should be a design that anyone can try.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

JH : Designing is as exciting as playing a game. To play a game is to win by effectively using strategy and skill with the elements you have (team members, budget, time, etc.). Similarly, design is a very enjoyable and exciting process of going up a level, solving problems in different situations.

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

JH : Think and act like children. Children are not experts, nor do they know the terminology of their field of expertise. Their thinking is simple, instinctive. Seeing them through their eyes helps take your design to the next level.

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

JH : Inspired by classics and news. Designers should always be able to face new problems and give people a better direction. How to recognize the problem and how to solve it should be considered from various viewpoints. If you make it a habit to read a little book and news every day, you can develop elements to grow as a designer. For this reason, I like and are interested in the Digilog((A compound word that connects Digital and Analog) platform, which is a combination of analog and digital. Although the frequency of use of QR codes was low in Korea just a few years ago, they have been actively used since the pandemic. Related technologies are also highly anticipated in the future. My goal in the future is to proceed with the interconnection project of virtual reality using flat surfaces.

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

JH : I often say to young designers, 'Put yourself on a piece of paper'. For the most part, people are more tolerant of themselves than others. That's why they don't know their problem. As they read their introductions on paper, they learn what they need to fix and who they are. When they evaluate themselves, they have to be as strict as they give points to players after a football match.

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

JH : Keep everything simple. For example, if you have a lot of work steps in your project, you should cut them down. A series of similar work steps makes you tired and narrows your perspective. The workflow should be meaningful and provide multiple perspectives. You don't have to finish every project to be perfect at once. When the work phase is over and it is not enough, just repeat it. And as you go through the steps, focus on finding the key. You have to define what you find there, and the concept should be understandable to people.

What is your day to day look like?

JH : When I wake up in the morning, I start my day with a nutrient supplement placed by my bed and stretching. After that, after checking the work request or proposal e-mail, make a work schedule for the day. I eat a light lunch at noon and study for the future. I start working again, and I go to gym at 4:30 in the afternoon. After my workout, I eat dinner at a nearby restaurant. And when I get home, I go back to studying, work, and housework that I couldn't do. This routine is really simple and repetitive, but it will enhance your creativity.