Interview with YiJun Jiang

YiJun Jiang ("YJ") interviewed on Saturday, 20 July.

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

YJ : I am a graphic designer and visual artist based in the United States and originally from Taiwan. I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design, where I received her MFA in Graphic Design and Visual Experience. With 10 years of experience in both design and creative education, I was allowed to work and collaborate in professions from different disciplines and adapted myself to digital marketing and technology. My passion lies in breaking down conventional barriers with innovative ideas and melding the worlds of design and art across a variety of mediums. I strive to create solutions that are not only visually compelling, but also engage audiences in a meaningful way. My philosophy centers on crafting distinct, culturally-informed, and unforgettable designs that make a true impact. With a background in various industries, from corporations to education organizations and creative agencies, I have the flexibility and adaptability to tackle any challenge that comes my way.

How did you become a designer?

YJ : I have always believed that I possess a free spirit, driven by a desire for personal growth and to experience different things. At the age of 15, I independently applied to an art school, spending my teenage years immersed in paints and charcoal. My parents were often unaware of my pursuits. During my university years, I participated in the Ministry of Education’s study abroad program, competing among the top 30 students nationwide. In the end, I only secured the thirtieth place in the animation category. After graduation, I made a decisive switch from animation to design. Before coming to the United States, I was a media art teacher at a school where I worked on animation promotion projects aligned with government and educational policies. Prior to that, I served as a visual designer at a PR company, often engaging in interdisciplinary design-related tasks.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

YJ : 1. Focus on the right problems. 2. Explore viable solutions. 3. Transform learned knowledge into feasible designs. "Design isn’t finished until somebody is using it." — Brenda Laurel Design is meant to solve problems. The most strategic designers understand that before arriving at conclusions, they must thoroughly grasp the issues. When I join a new project, I will establish a pattern of communication processes, allowing the company to familiarize itself with design methods and procedures first. For instance, through sketches or visual presentations, I will collaborate with project managers to define the project's vision. I will deeply engage the company in the design development process, starting from the company's goals and design problems, and executing work that satisfies both parties.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

YJ : The main emotion when I design is curiosity. Additionally, I project into the internal emotions of the users experiencing the design theme. Projection often involves a deeply emotional process, considering the audience's life experiences, aesthetic preferences, and more. I love brainstorming ideas the most. There's no standard answer, and there are always endless possibilities. Because once the idea is conceived, the process of bringing it to life from scratch and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it are very important and also the most wonderful part.

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

YJ : Regarding my career journey, I attribute my current abilities to past experiences. During high school, where I pursued Art Gifted Class, I honed my sensitivity to color and light through oil painting, watercolor, and sketching. While studying at the Taiwan University of Art and living independently in Taipei, I seized every opportunity to earn money and gain valuable work experience. I worked as a photography assistant for cosmetic products, enhancing my skills in photo editing based on real-time client feedback. I also created animated components for the publishing industry using Flash animation software, gaining insights into animation production. Additionally, I video editing and do title cards for variety tv shows at a television company. I worked in school office designed posters for events. I taught children to draw in art studios. I worked for art auditions and send out press releases and media pass to journalists. As a certified teacher with 3 years’ experience in school, I developed teaching materials, designed lesson plans, and crafted educational content.

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

YJ : My career path has not been typical for a designer. Initially, I was a fine art student, then I transitioned to animator and visual designer before shifting to become an instructor. Now, I have settled into a role as a designer. My future plan is to build my own personal brand and embark on a journey of influence and fulfillment! I aspire to make a positive impact on more people. My next plan is to create many excellent works, signature works, and advance my career to the 'Advanced' stage, achieving significant influence. I wish to design projects that intersect with popular culture and involves interdisciplinary collaboration. Besides my design expertise, I have a passion for illustrating and a background in fine arts with professional training. I indulge in entertainment, enjoying various trends in fashion, movies, drama, and music. Being able to contribute to mainstream design as an advocate of artistic expression, whether in album covers, digital marketing, or thematic concepts, and collaborating with individuals from dance, literature, music, and theater, is what I find most fulfilling. I love engaging in creative exchanges with other like-minded individuals.

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

YJ : I have listed the skills and qualities that I believe beginning designers need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive industry: 1. In addition to honing technical skills and software proficiency, it is essential to prioritize in-depth research and analysis: Devoting time to researching topics and experiencing life in various contexts allows us to explore and leverage our personal perspectives. This helps create designs that strongly resonate with the theme and address the pain points within design problems, rather than just focusing on aesthetics. 2. After learning the rules of design, one must develop critical thinking: Many people say, “Art is created for oneself, while design is created for others.” Through my training in graduate school and scholarly pursuits, I’ve begun to question further: Why has this aesthetic or style become the design standard? Who defines what is beautiful and ugly? Is there truly only one standard for design? While training to be a designer and scholar in grad school, I also reconsider whether Modernism, expressed through the simplicity of form in “international” design that seeks to conform all the world to the same building norms, is truly the best approach or if it stifles the potential for diverse design possibilities. 3. Belief and determination are crucial: Practicing in the creative industry requires the belief to persevere and awareness that the medium is changing, and skills need to be updated over time. Therefore, choosing to be a designer must stem from genuine passion and not merely for employment or income. Proposals and outputs may not always succeed, but without trying, one cannot ascertain their potential. When you choose to keep going, every setback is merely a part of the journey, and young designers should focus on finding ways to reach their destination.

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

YJ : First to be a better communicator: Expressiveness not only involves conveying the message you genuinely intend but also ensuring the accuracy of the tone, particularly as English is not my native language. I often provide examples and include visual aids when seeking clarification. Utilizing language, body language, and visual aids, along with endless learning to build my own repository of knowledge, all contribute to effective communication. Additionally, being mindful of inadvertently expressing incorrect thoughts, which may lead to misunderstanding or hurt feelings, is crucial. For instance, instead of negatively expressing myself and dampening team morale, I prefer to adopt a tone that emphasizes collaborative goal achievement, fostering a positive communication atmosphere. Overly subjective perspectives can often hinder communication; therefore, approaching issues from the other person’s standpoint and considering the value I can offer them often leads to new insights. Second to have representative work: Often during self-introductions, stating, “Hi, everyone, I’m YiJun, a designer,” lacks memorability. Having a signature piece, creating one’s own work, underscores the deeper meaning of learning to create one’s own value and leveling up one’s worth. More importantly, learning how to articulate and convey one’s value succinctly is key. This is the challenging point that I am currently defining. At each stage of life, my representative work at teenage will inevitably differ from that at twenties, and as a 31-year-old, I am still defining and creating my defining piece in my early thirties. In this era, designers must prove themselves through their work, but I aspire to possess real skills rather than merely flaunting words. I ask myself how I can work faster or better than other designers. Currently, I have two methods: 1. Learning to seek help. Asking peers or those more skilled for shortcuts or ways to avoid pitfalls. 2. Continuously trial and error. Some fear making mistakes, progressing slowly, procrastinating, and postponing changes until reminded by others. I believe my greatest strength lies in my fearlessness of failure. Even if I fail, I analyze why, optimize, and improve. Embracing rejection or failure is okay because failing and getting back up may still be faster or learnt more than remaining stagnant, as I may have already made several attempts.

What is your day to day look like?

YJ : At 9 AM, I brew a cup of coffee and start creating and working from home. Simultaneously, I check for new messages, faxes, and meeting materials. Of course, a busy day wouldn't be complete without delicious meals. This includes progress presentations and team discussions, sometimes recorded through hand-drawn sketches to capture ideas. I also make time to visit exhibitions. In the evening, I prepare a delicious dinner for myself and either go to the gym for a workout or go for a night run. Before bed, I light some candles to enjoy the night.

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

YJ : A designer's daily life actually involves constantly doing homework to gather inspiration. They snap photos of interesting typography on signs while walking down the street, visit exhibitions to see how materials are used to present entire spatial scenes, and save design images seen on social media that catch their eye. Additionally, I believe inspiration comes from life experiences. By experiencing different lifestyles and stepping out of comfort zones, enriching one's life experiences naturally leads to the inspiration for creating excellent works. I use platforms like Pinterest, Dribbble, and Behance to view others' works, while following contemporary designers on LinkedIn or Instagram can provide insights into current trends in business. I learn to "see" and cultivate a sense of design aesthetics. AIGA and Graphis offer insights into the context of designer associations. Additionally, visiting libraries to browse books or simply reading text can sometimes yield unexpected insights. However, I believe the most important thing for a creator is to experience and feel life deeply.I use platforms like Pinterest, Dribbble, and Behance to view others' works, while following contemporary designers on LinkedIn or Instagram can provide insights into current trends in business. I learn to "see" and cultivate a sense of design aesthetics. AIGA and Graphis offer insights into the context of designer associations. Additionally, visiting libraries to browse books or simply reading text can sometimes yield unexpected insights. However, I believe the most important thing for a creator is to experience and feel life deeply.

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

YJ : Graphic Design is a pan-discipline and a bridge of communication. For me, a good design has influenced many aspects such as communication, psychology, social sciences, history, scientific and technological literacy, moral ethics, rational demonstration and so on. A good design can be concretely tangible or very abstract and invisible. Those forms are all intermingled with the design. Design can be emotional, but at the same time, it could be so logical and rational. What the most is that rationality should be used to support the strong relevance behind and the support and counter-evidence of mutual influence.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

YJ : Firstly, I will assess whether the style portrayed in the work is correct, whether the design effectively conveys the brand's intended style, and whether it fits the needs of its target audience. Next, does the design communicate seamlessly? Here, 'seamlessly' refers to whether people encounter any discomfort while reading or using something. Is it visually appealing? Does it feature harmonious composition, elegant layout, precise alignment, and pleasing color combinations? After a series of thoughtful considerations and judgments, I will conclude whether my design is ready for public review.

What is your biggest design work?

YJ : "Uncover the Imagined Community" is my MFA thesis project, a series of works designed to explore how viewers perceive different aspects of values, using design as a manifestation of cultural expression. My work investigates the intersection of my personal experiences with culture and humanity. Throughout history, definitions of beauty, ugliness, good, and evil have often been dictated by those in power. A key element in my creations is the concept of "value shift." In cultural contexts, "value" gradually evolves over time as each work becomes integrated into the historical framework. In "Imagined Community: Taiwanese Faith in Values," a nation is portrayed as an imagined political community, inherently limited and sovereign. In recent decades, the value of currency has been determined by the public, rendering paper money itself essentially worthless. This is evident in the history of Taiwanese currency, closely tied to shifts in political power. For instance, during the post-war hyperinflation period, people lost faith in both currency and government credibility, turning to materialism in their religious beliefs. My experimental currency showcases the gods most worshipped by Taiwanese believers on the front and the virtues most esteemed by contemporary Taiwanese citizens on the reverse side. When these images resonate and are translated into the language of money, the concept of "mutual belief" seamlessly integrates into people’s lives. In my works, "Life in Objects Taiwan Daily Postage" portrays everyday objects as cultural symbols, evoking nostalgia through imagery featured on postage stamps. The images crafted in my work are dynamic, metaphorical, and intricate, exemplified in "Transitional Reality: A Journey of the Taiwan Nationality," which examines how perceptions of nationality and identity can evolve over time. The transition between political parties during Taiwan’s White Terror period is depicted through a gradient on experimental passports transitioning from white and blue to green. For me, the function of graphic design is to translate ideas into visually comprehensible forms that influence people’s perceptions of specific issues. In an era dominated by technology and social media, this ability is amplified. Ultimately, designers often do not control the dissemination of information. As design becomes increasingly visible, it is worthwhile to explore how designers perceive their value and the challenges they face.

Who is your favourite designer?

YJ : My favorite designer currently is Stefan Sagmeister. I particularly admire his works, such as the feature-length documentary called "Happy Film" and its associated project "The Happy Show." These exhibitions toured ten museums worldwide and ultimately became the most attended video exhibition in history. Stefan Sagmeister's designs increasingly focus on human emotions such as beauty, happiness, social phenomena, and contemplations on the broader world. "Emotion" is a central concept in Sagmeister's designs, evoking strong feelings. I deeply resonate with the idea that art and design should be human and emotional, which highlights the distinction between humans and machines, including AI.

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

YJ : I am originally from Taiwan. Taiwan is a multicultural immigrant society. Once, during my graduate studies, I discussed with American classmates the phenomenon of the fusion of Buddhism and Taoism in temples. It was astounding for my Christian classmates to see Buddhist bodhisattvas and Taoist deities coexisting in the same temple. Additionally, in Taiwan, banks and registered mail still require a name seal or corporate seal to verify identity; signatures are not accepted. However, procedures can be completed directly through ATMs and online platforms. Taiwan is a blend of old and new, considered one of the most progressive places in Asia yet deeply traditional. I believe this background allows my design style to be diverse and incorporate a mixture of elements.

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

YJ : I currently work at a digital marketing company with teams across different departments. In the future, with my own studio, I envision clients who share core values, advocate consistent value propositions, and are willing to invest in their brands, understanding the impact of branding. I believe that designing to create value for both parties requires integrating brand thinking, helping clients understand why design matters and what problems it solves. I think that even the most beautiful design is useless if it doesn't solve clients' problems. Design needs to have a soul, focused on solving problems for clients; thus, 'useful design' is my business philosophy. An ideal work environment for me is vibrant, adaptable, and tolerant, fostering creativity and innovation. Regarding expectations for future partners, I believe everyone can be a leader in their own ways. Growth happens naturally when we embrace it. Learning to think logically with strategies, a good designer constantly gathers ideas, refines them, and applies them.

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

YJ : As a designer, I feel a sense of social responsibility. I hope to serve society and express views on social issues through my work alongside other designers and artists. Nowadays, when media mentions design, it often overlooks its role in society. Graphic design, as a medium, can voice opinions to society. In today's era of design, works can spread more quickly and widely, amplifying the impact of designers' spontaneous exploration and creation in sociological, cultural, and commercial realms. Artists must be more vigilant about visual imagery and cultural symbols.

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

YJ : Winning a A’ Design Award is an effective way to expand one's network, establish recognition, and open up other opportunities. For designers, it is crucial to ensure that their work resonates with contemporary audiences to avoid becoming self-contained. Therefore, receiving such an award can be incredibly exhilarating.

YiJun Jiang Profile