I studied industrial design when I was in college, but I’ve been working in different places and varies job type, and after all those experiences, I came back to design industry, I love my job, and I always wanted to create spatial that make people feel relax and chill.
We are a small but solid group, we aren’t a large scale suturing but colleagues work as a team and are always in tune, so I often say that we are a volleyball team, every of us perform our own duties but complement each other, which forms a highly efficient team.
As a matter of fact, design includes all things that we need in daily life, frame buildings to spaces, products we use, food packages…etc. So design for me is anything, but the aim is to improve people’s living quality and to blend their emotions and life experiences into spaces or objects.
My favourite design is the PRADO sofa from Ligne Roset designed by Christian Werner, I love how it can be combined and adjusted as desired and onto which back cushions may be placed as will, so that one can sit or lie down as they wish.
Apart from my school work, my first serious and complete project is a small yacht, for leisure purpose, and after I start working I really got a yacht design case, which is really special to me.
One of my favourite material is walnut, it is subtle and textured, when it goes with other material with the right proportion, it’s gonna look fabulous.
I feel creative when I was on the plane and in my own villa. When I’m restricted on the plane, I will be highly focusing on my work, so I continuously come up with new ideas, and I normally finish my work when I landed.
The thing I pay the most of my attention is how my design make my client feel, did they feel relaxed? Or did my design brings warmth or recalls their unforgettable memories and experiences, and will they feel comfortable staying in the space I designed. Also the most important thing, aesthetic.
As a matter of fact, design can be seen as a conversation between myself and the environment. These feeling are real and strong. Sometimes these feeling makes me feel energetic but also tired and anxious, but these are very normal. I will also discuss how designers can be a intermediary between human and the environment, which makes me feel excited and energetic.
I feel blessed, really appreciate, and also touched. From a scrap piece of paper to a actual building or space, it needs a lot of work and workers to realised. I also feel a sense of achievement which urge me to move forward.
Practice, working experiences, and aesthetic. Practice makes perfect is never a cliché, from all living and working experience, when you feel it and sense it, and blend it to your design, it will make your design full of your own identity.
People nowadays are paying more attention on environmental and sustainability issues, and so do I. So the choosing of materials and luminaries, we often use those which are more sustainable, or even make the most advantage of the space or natural light it self. I thought that spatial is the closest thing to human beings, so I want to try my best to make the best use of materials and be environmental friendly.
People are paying more attention on aesthetics nowadays, so there are more designers out there and clients start to pursue home aesthetic and relaxation. In my option, the future of design will be even more customised, plus, sustainable.
My muse will be all the creatures and plants from the nature, I like to discover possibilities of connecting our lives in the city with nature, to feel and to relax. Observe and experiments will be the key to be creative, don’t be afraid of trying, all ideas are worth trying even though it might not work.
My style will be more relaxing and chilling, modern blended with a taste of holiday style. This was developed due to my stay in Bali, I love how people there live, the enjoys the present, the only take what they need, they embrace the nature, they don’t have much thing to worry about, this experience changed me a lot when it comes to design, so I want to bring this kin of feeling to my client. The special points of my style will probable be the mixture of materials. Such as wood and metal and also mirror, mirror can double the space visually and blend the environment visually and can also extend the view.
I’m living in Taipei City, it’s a modern and historical blended city, there will be historical buildings in between busy urban jungle, so that’s one of the reason that I love blending different materials and styles in my projects. I also like to blur the edges and borders between spaces and environments. Taiwan is a place that’s wet and humid, especially during typhoon periods, so, material choosing, and construction process might be affected, but there’s always solutions to different problems.
The way I cooperate with my team like a volleyball team, everyone got their work to do and they are all good at different fields, such as furniture and decorations, construction presses, and so on, so normally when I finish my design, I pass it to my team to discuss and try to come up with more possibilities.
I would say if you are in-tuned with your design team, then you will nailed it for 80%, apart from viewing portfolios, talk to them and listen to their experiences and stories to know the person will really help. Exchange ideas with each other will be useful as well.
I will first have a meeting with my client, about what are they seeking for, styles..etc, and I start designing, I will have meetings with clients weekly to do adjustments, then we start picking materials and furniture after the floor plans are finalised. Then we start the construction process till done.
My one of my favourite five items at home will be the fireplace in my villa designed and made by my artist friend, staying around the fireplace with my family will be the best part in winter times. Next will be my sofa designed by myself, and a throw blanket my wife knitted, and our Tom Dixon pendant lamp, and my favourite spot, my Poliform le club armchair.
My day is actually very busy, there are a lot of meetings with different clients, and I will be in the studios sometimes, or in my villa designing clients cases. So I quite enjoy my time when I’m driving from place to place that I can have a short period of my private time alone.
The advantages will be I see the world differently from others somehow, the disadvantage part might be the stuff I like are sometimes too expensive to afford haha.
As I mentioned I design during flights and I even design in my dream when I sleep! But honestly I set strict plans for myself, and I try really a]hard to achieve it, that’s my way to deal with my heavy workload.
My most important job experience is the days I’m in Bali, it changed my perspective in design and my attitude towards life. I was designing resorts and hotel lobbies. the way people living and the whole atmosphere there really changes my attitude. what are the meanings of life? people there live in the present and they’re optimistic and it seems like nothing can worry them and I think that’s what people nowadays need and I want to share the experience and thought through my design.
Some of my friend for years and friend of theirs. But if it comes to different case type, I got clients like construction companies (reception centre) and merchants(stores, or commercial spaces and offices) as well.