Interview with Zilian(Joy) Li

Zilian(Joy) Li ("ZL") interviewed on Sunday, 18 May.

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

ZL : I started with visual storytelling—photography and filmmaking—before gradually expanding into branding, advertising, digital design, and cultural curation. Eventually, I transitioned into creative entrepreneurship. Today, I run a cross-cultural design consulting studio and serve as the founder and creative lead of multiple platforms and brand initiatives. My background spans journalism photography, film production, and an MBA, which allows me to approach design through the lenses of communication, narrative, and business structure. I work with early-stage founders, cultural institutions, lifestyle brands, education platforms, and globally ambitious creatives. For me, design is not about styling—it’s about building systems. Every project begins with structure and ends with a solution that’s executable, sustainable, and culturally resonant.

How did you become a designer?

ZL : I received my first camera on my 14th birthday—that moment sparked a deep fascination with expressing ideas through visuals. I studied photography and visual journalism in college, but a short film class shifted my focus toward motion storytelling. That was when I realized I wanted to design narratives, shape timing, and direct emotion. Since then, I’ve built my creative path across disciplines: film studies in Hong Kong, brand execution in advertising, and later, an MBA in the U.S. that helped me merge creativity with strategy. I didn’t become a designer through a traditional art school route—I became one by solving real-world problems. To me, design is a form of structured thinking. It’s about clarity, communication, and creative leadership.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

ZL : I focus on three priorities in my design work: clear structure, precise messaging, and emotional restraint. I’m not drawn to visual spectacle—I care more about whether the design solves a problem, builds a system, or communicates feeling effectively. My process starts with thinking, not visuals. I begin by mapping the information structure, then move into visual language. My style leans toward editorial clarity, narrative rhythm, and thoughtful spacing. I like designs that breathe. Technically, I work with Figma, Adobe tools, and AI platforms like Midjourney, Runway, and ChatGPT to speed up ideation and structure-building. To me, design is about compression—translating complex ideas into sharp, usable forms.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

ZL : Design, for me, is emotional logic in motion. I usually start in a calm, analytical state—mapping structure and goals. But once I enter the phase of shaping rhythm, tone, and visual energy, emotion flows in. The best moments are when something just “clicks”—when a design element locks into place and feels undeniably right. I find deep joy in the shift from chaos to clarity. It brings a sense of creative control, but also emotional resolution. Design is how I express thought—and how I create order out of noise.

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

ZL : My background spans photography, filmmaking, branding, education, and business. These aren’t traditional “design” paths—but they shaped the designer I am today. My storytelling ability comes from film. My sense of information flow and layout comes from photography. My business judgment and user-centric logic come from my MBA and branding experience. My sensitivity to culture comes from years of content strategy and working across global teams. These experiences allow me not just to design visuals—but to structure ideas, define strategies, and build ways of expression that go beyond aesthetics.

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

ZL : My growth has always been hands-on. I went from being a creator to a creative director, and now, a founder and system-builder leading cross-cultural design initiatives. Right now, I’m focused on the Anti-Ordinary Incubator, a long-term project I initiated and lead under the Glowstar Art Foundation. It’s designed to support Chinese creatives seeking global growth through strategic design, content planning, and digital tools. I want this platform to become a foundational infrastructure for global creative mobility. My dream projects are never just about aesthetics—they’re about making design a tool for life transformation. Projects like GlowPass, opportunity databases, or visa support systems are how I apply design thinking to real, structural problems.

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

ZL : My growth has always been hands-on. I went from being a creator to a creative director, and now, a founder and system-builder leading cross-cultural design initiatives. Right now, I’m focused on the Anti-Ordinary Incubator, a long-term project I initiated and lead under the Glowstar Art Foundation. It’s designed to support Chinese creatives seeking global growth through strategic design, content planning, and digital tools. I want this platform to become a foundational infrastructure for global creative mobility. My dream projects are never just about aesthetics—they’re about making design a tool for life transformation. Projects like GlowPass, opportunity databases, or visa support systems are how I apply design thinking to real, structural problems.

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

ZL : Don’t get obsessed with your “work”—invest in building systems. A system could be your workflow, your service structure, your design logic, or your client communication playbook. What you can replicate and improve becomes your real asset. Also, don’t hide behind “style” to avoid clarity. Style is not a filter—it’s a byproduct of expression. If you don’t know what your design wants to say, no level of polish will make it meaningful. Most importantly: design is not about visuals—it’s about choices. Your value lies in how well you can make the smartest decisions within limited time, budget, and attention.

What is your day to day look like?

ZL : My daily routine depends on time zones and project stages. Mornings are for deep work—brand strategy, concept structuring, or storytelling. Afternoons are for meetings and collaboration. Evenings are quieter and often when my creative clarity is sharpest. Little things that satisfy me: a smooth internal sync, a name that clicks, or a line of copy that nails the point.

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

ZL : I observe design trends as a way to track social shifts—but I don’t let them dictate my direction. I prioritize long-term structure and cultural grounding over seasonal aesthetics. My inspirations come from visual platforms (Behance, Pinterest, Xiaohongshu), emerging tech tools (AI), and shifts in culture and public emotion.

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

ZL : At its core, good design solves a problem. It must meet the functional goal, respond to real needs, and communicate clearly with smooth interaction and emotional relevance. Design isn’t about visual tricks or aesthetic collages—it’s about creating structure with intention. If you need to explain your design for it to be understood, it might not be good enough.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

ZL : It’s ready when I stop hesitating. Designs can always be improved, but I set clear stop-points: does it meet the goal, is it executable, and can it integrate into a larger system? If yes to all, I move on.

What is your biggest design work?

ZL : When I think about my biggest design work, it's not necessarily the one with the most visuals or complexity—but the one that carries the greatest vision and deepest meaning. That would be the "Anti-Ordinary Incubator," a platform I founded and lead. It combines brand strategy, visual systems, content planning, and digital tool development to support Chinese creatives in building a global presence. It’s not just for designers or artists—it aims to bridge creative talent and the world stage. What drives me is a core belief: the world should hear the voices of Chinese creatives—not only through traditional culture, but also in contemporary language, identity, and value. This project made me realize that design isn’t just about what we produce—it’s about what we enable. I hope it becomes an infrastructure-like system: one that consistently creates opportunities for visibility, empowers people to express themselves, and encourages them to reach beyond borders. That’s why this is the most important—and most alive—design I’ve ever done. And perhaps, it’s the one I’ll spend a lifetime building.

Who is your favourite designer?

ZL : I greatly admire Sagi Haviv for his mastery of logos—minimal yet precise. I’m also inspired by architects like Tadao Ando and Álvaro Siza, who taught me that "silence" can be a form of storytelling.

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

ZL : I live and work between China and the U.S.—mostly Shenzhen and Los Angeles. Culture is inseparable from my design thinking. Music plays while I work, streets give me ideas, and exhibitions are part of my lifestyle.

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

ZL : I enjoy working with people who are proactive and think like owners. I prefer small, strong teams over layered hierarchies. In collaboration, trust and shared goals matter more than rigid processes. If there’s a problem, we fix it—fast. For me, design is not a service. It’s co-creation.

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

ZL : The Anti-Ordinary Incubator I created has a strong philanthropic dimension—we offer free strategic advice, exposure, and exhibition access to under-resourced but talented creatives. I believe design shouldn’t be elitist. It should lower the barriers and expand opportunities.

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

ZL : A’ Design Award gave me an amazing international platform to showcase my work and connect with creators worldwide. The top three benefits for me: global exposure, project collaborations, and a clearer understanding of my own design system. Being selected as Designer of the Day is an honor—and a chance to share my creative mindset and cultural roots with a broader audience.

Zilian(Joy) Li Profile