Stella Guan

Specialized in Design.

Stella Guan

About Stella Guan

Stella Guan is an award-winning graphic designer, entrepreneur, educator and speaker. She has held lead design positions at creative agencies, global technology companies and Fortune 500 financial services firms. Following a decade-long corporate career, Stella took on an entrepreneurial path and founded Path Unbound, a company that helps international creative professionals with career advancement and immigration strategies. Stella is also the Founder, CEO and Creative Director of ThingsWeCare, a creative agency specialized in designing for businesses that care about the well being of their customers and share the agency's commitment to social and environmental issues. Stella's design work has been recognized internationally by major design awards. A select list of her awards include A' Design Award, American Web Design Award, CSS Design Awards, Summit Creative Awards, Davey Award and W3 Award. She is a member of various invitation-only professional organizations, such as the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts and the International Association of Designers and invited to serve as a judge for numerous international design awards. A passionate educator committed to helping the next generation of designers, Stella is an adjunct professor of design at universities, global education institutions and often invited as a speaker at international creative conferences.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs

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Interview with Stella Guan

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I am a multidisciplinary designer with experience spanning across print and digital (web) design, video production, animation and art direction. I originally went to school for broadcast journalism and worked as a TV producer right out of college. After a year or so, I decided that I'm more of a visual personal than a wordsmith. The only thing that made sense to me was to go back to school and study design. After completing my design education at Pratt Institute in New York, I started working as a junior designer at a small agency. After a few career moves, I find myself landing at JPMorgan Chase as an in-house senior visual designer.
What is "design" for you?
Design means solving a practical problem in a beautiful and effective way.
When do you feel the most creative?
I don't have a set time when I feel creative. I'd say that sometimes I would go to see a movie and a scene would inspire me to create an idea. Sometimes, I would listen to a song and the lyrics would inspire me to jot down another idea.
What makes a design successful?
A design is successful when it effectively solves the problem. It is not a successful design when it only looks pretty - a lot of people can make things look pretty but they're not all good designers. The combination of creative problem solving and visual beauty is the key to be successful in design.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
I think design is getting more and more involved in the business side of things. We have to raise awareness that design is just as important, if not more important, as other business functions. The future of design would be that it is a closely integrated function in any type of organization and that the general public would realize the importance of design in the success of any products or endeavors.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
My suggestion would be to treat your designers as a partner, not someone who provides you with a service. Designers should be selected based on their style, efficiency and communication skills. Good designers know how to pitch and present their design. They also have a solid understanding of the company's product and best design practices to help convert customers.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
I take breaks when I encounter a creative block. I think most designers sit around at their desks for way too long because it is sort of inevitable when your creativity is flowing. But we need to step away and refresh our mind when we're stuck. I think reminding yourself that great work is not built in a day helps.

Extended Interview with Stella Guan

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I am a multidisciplinary designer with experience spanning across print and digital (web) design, video production, animation and art direction. I originally went to school for broadcast journalism and worked as a TV producer right out of college. After a year or so, I decided that I'm more of a visual personal than a wordsmith. The only thing that made sense to me was to go back to school and study design. After completing my design education at Pratt Institute in New York, I started working as a junior designer at a small agency. After a few career moves, I find myself landing at JPMorgan Chase as an in-house senior visual designer.
How did you become a designer?
I find it extremely fascinating that design not only makes people happy - it solves real-world problems in the most creative and profound way.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
Obviously I chose to become one as I didn't even study design in college. I felt the calling to be a designer after working in another field and I never looked back since.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
Currently, I'm focused on designing interactive web experiences. I am very happy doing what I do now, but I do hope to be designing more for mobile applications.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Ask yourself why you want to become a designer and what makes you different. There are many people in the world who can design exceptionally beautiful graphics - I'm sure you're one of them, but that is not the only thing you should be proud of. You should think about what sets you apart besides your visuals. That usually live in the form of your thinking behind your design and your innovative ideas for each project that you work on.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
I cannot stress enough the value of good design. The common misconception in our society that design makes things look beautiful and it stops there - that needs to be changed. A lot of corporations are still having a hard time catching up with the fact that design can make or break a product and design is not secondary to any other functions. Investing in good design is smart because you're ultimately investing in your product, which makes you money and that is what everyone wants.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I always dream of collaborating with my favorite musical artists and design something that would reach and wow their millions of fans.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Consistently reading design blogs and taking inspirations from other designers really helps. It is the same as reading more if you want to become a great writer. Of course, you can't stop at that. If you see a great design that solved a problem, think how you would do it yourself if you were presented with the problem and actually start creating the design even if it's just for practice.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
Musician. I live and breathe music as a kid and I've never once forgotten my passion in music. I play as a hobby now and attend concerts frequently, but it would be amazing to actually pursue music as a profession.

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