Interview with Jing Chen

Jing Chen ("JC") interviewed on Sunday, 12 May.

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

JC : I have been engaged in the design industry for 13 years and have worked for several tiny and medium-sized enterprises in Xiamen and Shenzhen, China. He graduated from Hunan University of Technology in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, China.

How did you become a designer?

JC : Being a designer has been my dream since I was a child. When I was little, I liked to draw and make things by hand, and I was particularly interested in fine arts. In school, I constantly participated in various art competitions and activities and won some awards. It made me even more determined to become a designer. After graduating from high school, I chose to study design in college. In college, I studied all kinds of related courses, including graphic design, animation, product design and so on. At the same time, I also actively participate in various art activities and practical projects on campus, and continuously improve my skills and experience in practice. After graduation, I began to look for job opportunities in related fields and successfully got an internship in a well-known design company. There, I was exposed to the design needs and challenges of a real business environment and gained valuable experience and guidance. With the passage of time, through continuous efforts and accumulation, my career has gradually and steadily developed. Today, I have become a senior designer, with some influence and recognition in the industry. Of course, in this process we also encountered a lot of difficulties and setbacks, but every time through efforts to overcome and continue to progress. As a designer, I believe that creative thinking, solid skills and continuous learning are extremely vital. To sum up, it takes a lot of effort and sweat to become a great designer, but as long as you keep loving and persevering, you will eventually achieve success.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

JC : First, requirements analysis is one of the key steps in the design process. Understanding the needs and expectations of the customer or user is crucial to developing a suitable design solution. Only by thoroughly understanding the requirements can we ensure that the final design can meet the actual needs of customers or users. Secondly, creative thinking is also a part that cannot be ignored. In the design process, creative thinking can help us find solutions that are fresh, unique and fit our needs. Through open thinking and cross-disciplinary integration, more innovative ideas can be inspired and translated into practical and feasible design solutions. Finally, attention to detail is needed throughout the design process. From the preliminary idea to the final product presentation, every link needs to be perfected to grasp every detail. This is the only way to ensure that the final product reaches a high standard and is recognized by the customer or user. When designing, it is necessary to have a clear theme and direction goal to guide the design. Digital tools are commonly used in design for drawing and modeling. Sometimes, traditional hand-drawing tools are used.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

JC : During the design process, I will feel a variety of different emotions. The first is excitement and excitement, because design is a creative process that allows me to show my imagination and talent. When I start to come up with new design ideas, I feel full of enthusiasm and energy. However, there will also be challenges and difficulties in the actual operation, at which time I may feel anxious and stressed. Sometimes I have to deal with feedback from customers or team members, which can cause some negative emotions, but it also makes me work harder to improve the design. In addition, you will experience a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment during the design process. When a project is completed and recognized, the euphoric feeling of success is indescribable. Overall, the design process experienced a variety of emotional ups and downs. From the initial excitement and excitement, to the anxiety and frustration that may occur later, and finally to the satisfaction and sense of achievement brought by success. These are common and normal emotional changes in design work, and they all have a positive impact on my work.

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

JC : First of all, my upbringing is an essential factor. As a child, I was influenced by my uncle. I have a keen interest in painting, sculpture, handwork and other arts. Secondly, my educational experience has also had a profound impact on my career choice. In college, I chose industrial design as my major and actively participated in various design competitions and project practices. These experiences not only improved my design ability, but also made me more determined to pursue the design industry in the future. In addition, the interpersonal relationship and market demand that I came into contact with during my internship and work also shaped me to become a designer. Through communication and cooperation with clients, colleagues and other industry professionals, I have gradually formed my own distinct aesthetic and creative way of thinking. In general, my background enables me to have a diversified vision and an open mind, and to respond flexibly and provide innovative solutions in the face of complex and changing market demands. These special features have shaped who I am today - a professional who loves and is dedicated to design.

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

JC : After graduating from university, I became a member of the design group. I simply left school, looking forward to a bright future, and successfully engaged in design work in Xiamen and Shenzhen. In this process, I encountered numerous setbacks and tests of workplace PUA and human nature, but it is these setbacks that make me gradually stronger and continually temper my heart and patience. In the future, I want to design some excellent products as often as possible, and then participate in some significant competitions to promote myself and continuously break through my design level. On the other hand, participating in the competition, winning honors for themselves, can better establish service relations with customers, receive customer resources, and win cooperation. Finally, to build their own design studio, looking for the right partners, together with the pursuit of excellence, for the dream. In the future, if I have the opportunity, I will continue to do some designs related to Chinese traditional culture and some agricultural products, so as to solve the design problems in the sale of agricultural products for the vast number of Chinese farmers.​

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

JC : To youthful designers, I really want to say: What was your original intention? Why do you choose the profession of design? Do you insist on it because you love it or simply for survival? The energy gathered is different, and the result will be different. If you are not firm in your will, you may not be able to go on this road, and you will waste your youth and regret the choice you made. Then firmly go on, go your own way, let others say. I am sure you will succeed. To be honest, I did not get any effective advice from my tutors and professors. They invariably gave advice from their own standpoint, and what advice was mostly one-sided, or lack of practical proof, purely theoretical, so it may not be suitable for their own development. But from the boss, customers, distributors, these business operators, learn a lot of experience and knowledge. In my spare time, I will find some books related to design, visit museums, historical sites, design exhibitions and other activities, or browse some well-known design websites on the Internet, or large supermarkets at home and abroad to broaden my horizon. After all, the horizon determines the height and depth of design.

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

JC : As a successful designer, I think other professional designers should first pay attention to their own professional quality and skill level. In this extremely competitive industry, only by continuously learning and improving their design capabilities can they remain invincible. Secondly, we should be good at listening to customer needs, and maintain excellent communication with customers to understand what kind of design works they want. At the same time, we should have the courage to express our own opinions and creativity, and show confidence and professionalism when communicating with customers. In addition, teamwork is also extremely valuable. In a team, everyone should respect each other, cooperate with each other, and accomplish tasks together. But also need to have a strong time management ability and pressure resistance ability, in the face of work pressure can still maintain high efficiency work. Finally, I believe that successful designers should keep an open mind and keep innovating. With the rapid development of society, modern and unique design concepts will be more popular. Therefore, we need to actively pay attention to industry dynamics, absorb current knowledge, broaden our horizons, and dare to challenge traditional concepts to innovate. In short, in this industry full of opportunities and challenges coexist, in addition to having excellent technology, but also need perseverance, continuous progress, tough work. I hope that every professional designer can find a suitable path for their own growth and development, and achieve their own success!

What is your day to day look like?

JC : Get up at about 7 a.m. every day, and at 9 a.m., listen to light music to get into work. In the rest, I will look out the window of the lovely scenery, improve the eye fatigue, regularly at work rest, play a mobile game to relax the mood, make a pot of black tea, eliminate fatigue. I think this is the most pleasant thing.

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

JC : The so-called trend is only popular for a period of time, which has its time restriction. However, I choose to adhere to my own personal design style. I do not deliberately pursue a certain design style, but I will learn the positive aspects of the fashion trend and integrate them into my own design. Of course, if you need to, you can try to develop some popular products. What's the difference between challenging it? I will think about the reasons for the popularity of this style, whether it can be applied to different designs, or whether it can be combined into my own design style. Integration is all that matters

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

JC : When judging the design of a product or project, I normally look at the following aspects: First, I focus on the functionality of the product or project. A suitable design should be able to meet the needs of users and be able to provide convenience and practicality. Whether it is a product or a project, its functionality is a crucial factor. Secondly, I will consider the aesthetics and user experience of the design. A perfect design is not only about functional satisfaction, but also needs to consider visual effects, operational fluency and user experience. Excellent design should be able to bring people a sense of pleasure, and let the user get a comfortable and pleasant experience in the process of use. In addition, I also look at whether the design is innovative and sustainable. A great design should be able to lead the trend, break through the tradition, and have long-term development potential. At the same time, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection today, sustainable development has become one of the critical criteria to judge the quality of a design. Finally, I think that the fit with the market demand is also one of the essential indicators to measure whether the product or project design is excellent. No matter how excellent the design, it is difficult to succeed without the support of market demand. All in all, in my understanding, "excellent" design should have features such as functionality, aesthetics and user experience, innovation and sustainable development, and meet market needs.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

JC : When the design theme is clear and the idea is fresh, the subsequent execution work will be smooth, and the project can generally be completed on time and with excellent results. However, if the communication with the customer is not smooth in the current period, it will have a negative impact on the subsequent implementation of the work, which is more of a consumption at this time. If the communication with the customer is not smooth, I will suspend the work in hand, and first think about how to better communicate with the customer about the project and build trust. Commercial packaging has secured the customer and essentially solved the scheme. However, if it is competition work, I will spend additional energy and time considering the possibilities in the design, and the time cycle of thinking will be longer, several months or even half a year. The design cycle is also relatively lengthy, and there will be pauses in the middle, or changes numerous times, until finally, oh! This is what I want, and this instinct tells me it's ready to race.

What is your biggest design work?

JC : At present, I think the best work is the work of seeing mountains and rivers. When I was commissioned by a friend to develop this product, I spent a lot of time and energy designing this product. At the beginning, I wanted to break through myself, prove myself, explain my understanding of traditional Chinese culture in a way, and how to embody the excellent wisdom in culture. How to guide people's emotions? How to resonate with consumers? Since the design theme I chose was cultural and ideological, I encountered a lot of problems in the early stage of the design. First, the relationship between the design theme and the brand, and the relationship between the product attributes and the liquor culture. Later, I found that the three different drunken states of drinking are related to the triple state of seeing mountains and seeing water. At the same time, the scene of drinking, the purpose of drinking, and the sociality of drinking are also consistent with the ideological connotation of seeing mountains and rivers. Some people truly want to drink, wine is merely wine, some people drink to drown their sorrows and drink for social purposes. At this time, wine is no longer wine. Finally, return to reality, after the feeling of drinking, wine is still wine. Therefore, the theme of wine is closely linked with people, and it was later decided to use a humanoid Zen bottle to carry this culture, and the theme pattern combined with the clever interpretation of landscape Chinese characters, the perfect interpretation of the design theme. The display of the bottle and the outer box correctly reinforces this cultural character, and in order to allow users to better pour the wine, the side of the bottle is designed to be flat, easy to hold the wine, while the linear texture of the bottle and noisy skin increase the friction, preventing the bottle from slipping from the hand when pouring. Unfortunately, due to my limited personal condition and ability, the rendering result and final rendering effect of this project did not reach the perfect state in my mind. Through this project, I realized that there are still limitations to working alone. Imagine if there is help from team strength, will there be different results? At present, I am developing health tea product packaging. If I have the honor to present in front of you, please give me a lot of advice.

Who is your favourite designer?

JC : For this problem, I think the design of Ken Yuan, Mr. Pan Hu and Mr. Deng Xiongbo is very cool. They are designers who are at the top of their field, and I aim for them to surpass myself and go further and further on my own track. If time could travel, I would like to make a communication journey with Vincent Willem van Gogh, Alphonse Maria Mucha, Giorgio Morandi, Shi Tao and the Great Eight Mountain People.

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

JC : At present, my favorite cities are Changsha and Xiamen. In the creative process, music is essential. It can relax my mood and stimulate my creative desire. Innate cultural attributes will certainly affect their own design projects, which are determined by the growth environment. I currently live and work in Changsha. First, design is essential to the progress of society. Excellent design can improve production efficiency, improve people's quality of life, and promote the development of technology and culture. For example, in the field of industrial manufacturing, correctly-designed machinery and equipment can considerably improve production efficiency; In urban planning, reasonable layout and attractive buildings can improve the living environment of residents. Second, excellent design also has a profound impact on individual life and culture. Exquisite home decoration, fashionable clothing and convenient and practical products can bring personal pleasure and create a unique and colorful cultural atmosphere. At present, my favorite cities are Changsha and Xiamen. In the creative process, music is essential. It can relax my mood and stimulate my creative desire. Innate cultural attributes will certainly affect their own design projects, which are determined by the growth environment. I currently live and work in Changsha. First, design is essential to the progress of society. Excellent design can improve production efficiency, improve people's quality of life, and promote the development of technology and culture. For example, in the field of industrial manufacturing, properly-designed machinery and equipment can considerably improve production efficiency; In urban planning, reasonable layout and attractive buildings can improve the living environment of residents. Second, excellent design also has a profound impact on individual life and culture. Exquisite home decoration, fashionable clothing and convenient and practical products can bring personal pleasure and create a unique and colorful cultural atmosphere.

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

JC : At present, I work alone without a partner. As a designer, I think when choosing a business partner, what I value most is whether the partner has the sense of innovation and professionalism. First of all, the sense of innovation can bring continuously updated design concepts and product ideas, so that cooperation projects always remain dynamic and competitive. Secondly, professionalism, including in-depth understanding of industry knowledge, excellent communication and coordination skills and efficient execution skills, is crucial in the process of cooperation. In addition, I will also consider whether the partner has a stable and reliable production supply chain and a good business reputation. In short, when choosing a business partner, I will comprehensively consider all factors and conduct in-depth communication and exchanges with potential partners to ensure the maximization of interests of both parties and achieve a win-win situation. The most essential things to look for in a person to hire or partner with are his or her character, honesty and trustworthiness, professionalism, creativity and teamwork. Whether the two sides are alike-minded, pursue the same goal, and have the courage and conviction to give everything to this goal. When talking about work and corporate culture, I think "striving for excellence" should not be forgotten. As a designer, the core challenge I face is changing market demands and fierce competition. Design trends are evolving as technology evolves and consumer tastes shift. Therefore, I need to be sensitive to market trends and user needs at all times, and continuously learn and improve my design ability. At the same time, competing with different designers is also a challenge. I need to keep an innovative mind and find my own unique design style to stand out. In this process, perseverance, courage to try different things and communication and cooperation with peers are extremely valuable ways to accumulate experience. By continuously learning lessons and translating them into practical action, you can achieve greater success in your career path. My job responsibilities include communicating with customers, understanding their needs and proposing corresponding design solutions; research market trends and competitors to ensure that our products are competitive; work with different teams to complete projects and ensure quality. As a designer, it is extremely essential to have certain characteristics and personal traits. First of all, a great designer should have creativity and imagination. They need to be able to continuously come up with fresh and distinct design ideas and be able to translate those ideas into actual work. Secondly, a proper aesthetic sense is also essential. Designers need to have a keen sense of color, shape, proportion, etc., in order to create works that meet aesthetic standards. In addition, the ability to communicate is also one of the essential characteristics of a great designer. Effective communication with customers, team members, and other stakeholders ensures that the project runs smoothly and achieves the desired results. In addition, patience and meticulousness are also essential qualities for successful designers. When faced with complex projects, it takes a lot of time to perfect every detail and maintain a strong level of focus. Finally, in the pursuit of excellence cannot be careless, great designers should have the pursuit of excellent quality and the work of the heart. Only by continuously learning and mastering current skills can we gain a firm foothold in the design field and achieve success. In short, a successful designer should possess the characteristics and personal characteristics of creativity, aesthetic perception, communication ability, meticulousness and pursuit of excellence. Only with these qualities can we stand out in the fierce competition and achieve our brilliant career goals.

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

JC : As a designer, I give back to the community that nurtured me by giving free design workshops. In these workshops, I will share my design experience and techniques to help people who are interested in learning design improve their skills. I also plan to work with local schools on art education programs to give young people further exposure to art and design. Through these initiatives, I hope to inspire more people to love design and inject more creativity and vitality into the community. And allow yourself to grow and improve in the process of giving back to the community. I have always had great admiration for the unpaid work of designers or artists or architects involved in humanitarian projects, which makes the profession so glorious. A great design can speak for itself, without too much explanation, and the public can understand and understand it. When I participate in design events and conferences to support junior designers, I first make sure I am well informed about the latest trends and developments in the design industry. At events or conferences, I actively share my experience and knowledge, and encourage junior designers to dare to express their distinct ideas and creativity. At the same time, I will listen to their point of view and give constructive suggestions. At design events, I normally offer some practical tips and methods to help junior designers better cope with challenges. For example, in project management, I might share some experience in time management or teamwork. In terms of creative thinking, I may introduce some ways to inspire, improve productivity, and so on. In short, when it comes to supporting junior designers, my goal is to be a resource that they can trust and rely on. By sharing experiences, listening to needs, and giving guidance and encouragement, they are able to meet challenges with confidence and continue to grow and improve.

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

JC : First of all, participating in the A Award competition can improve their visibility and reputation in the design field. Winning the award will bring more exposure to an individual or team, helping to attract more customers or partners. Secondly, participating in such competitions can promote innovation and technological development. Through communication and competition with other excellent designers, you can stimulate your creativity and learn about the latest design trends and technology applications. Finally, winning A'Design Award is also a recognition and affirmation of my work achievements, which can bring me a sense of satisfaction and achievement. In conclusion, in my opinion, participating in A'Design Award competition can not only enhance our personal image and promote the development of the industry, but also give us a sense of accomplishment and stimulate greater creativity. As A designer, participating in A'Design Award and competitions is of great help to my career and design skills. First of all, by participating in such competitions, I have the opportunity to show my work and get comments and feedback from professionals. These comments and feedback can help me understand the strengths and weaknesses of my work and constantly improve it. Secondly, winning the A'Design Award has also added highlights to my career, enhancing my personal popularity and credibility. This is a great way to find a job or partner in the future. Finally, I benefited a lot from the works of other excellent designers in the competition, which broadened my horizon and taught me a lot of novel ideas. This year, it is an honor for me to participate in the A'Design Award. This award is the top design competition in the world, and to be able to present your work on such a stage is undoubtedly an affirmation and recognition of your work. Being the best designer today means that my hard work has paid off and I will be recognized by more people. Winning the A'Design Award is not only a verification of personal ability and creative level, but more importantly, you can communicate and learn from outstanding designers from all over the world through such an international platform. This experience will greatly advance my career and inspire me to continuously improve my technical and innovative abilities in the design field. At the same time, being the best designer today also means a lot of responsibility. I will hold myself to a higher standard, continue to maintain an innovative spirit in my future work, and devote myself to promoting the development of the industry. I believe that only the pursuit of excellence and the courage to challenge can achieve truly great design. All in all, it is very important for me to participate in the A'Design Award and become the best designer today. It not only represents the success achieved through hard work in the past, but also makes me look forward to the future with great expectation, and continue to move forward and surpass myself on the next road.

Jing Chen Profile