Zhenyang Yan

Specialized in Pet Care Design.

Zhenyang Yan

About Zhenyang Yan

Zhenyang Yan, an award-winning product designer, excels in crafting products that merge aesthetics with functionality, enriching lives with profound experiences. His diverse expertise spans various design disciplines, enabling him to transcend the mere creation of attractive items. Yan is passionate about designing comprehensive experiences that positively impact humans and animals alike. His designs are distinguished by their eco-conscious impact, leaving a lasting imprint on the world. The use of sustainable materials, the assurance of commercial success, and a sprinkle of enchantment are the hallmarks of his design philosophy.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Pet Care Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Pet Care
Catvas cat scratching board

Catvas cat scratching board

Pet Care Design

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

Nominate Your Work for the A' Design Award.

Sign-Up

Interview with Zhenyang Yan

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 have a dual background in industrial design and service design, and for me, design means questioning the norm because sometimes what everyone takes for granted isn’t necessarily the best state. As a designer, this identity has always driven me to practice this principle.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Our company is not a for-profit organization, at least for now - all partners are motivated by pure love and want to create innovative designs that bring insights to the industry, inspiring others and even ourselves to some extent.
What is "design" for you?
Design means the process of stepping out of the comfort zone and constantly searching for the best answer as well as new questions. Although the so-called best answer will be constantly changing and adjusting with the development of time, technology, and humanities, what is important is the process, isn't it?
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
Honestly not having a specific category is more my preference, and as a designer I'm naturally interested in being exposed to all sorts of new things.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
I think it was a consumer electronic product called TWS earphone, one of the smallest products I have ever designed in my career.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
I'm a big fan of 3D printing, and I think it's a technology that not only broadens the possibilities of design, but it also democratizes the whole manufacturing thing - more people or small companies have access to manufacturing, which was previously a very high-barrier-to-entry industry. If 3D printing matures to the point where the cost of mass production is very low, that could be a very exciting future.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I focus more on whether the design addresses a previously unsolved or undiscovered problem in a more innovative way.
What makes a design successful?
When the issue the design is trying to communicate is really understood and recognized by its audience, It will be successful in some way.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
Whether the idea that the design wants to express can really reach and inspire the whole industry, and whether its designers have presented it perfectly and realized it.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
Designers should be responsible for the ideas expressed in their work as well as the way their work is being created, because after every piece of work is created, it has the potential to affect others in some way as a stimulus. Therefore, designers should stand on a more universal perspective and try to create designs that can make the whole society better.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
The object of design must be increasingly blurred in the future. Just as in the past, product design may refer only to physical products. But now, the boundaries of product design have been extended to digital products and even to service systems in the future.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
Most of my inspiration comes from phenomena that I have observed and thought about in my own interactions with the world. I think this sensitivity to my surroundings creates my sensitivity to design.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
I don't like to define my design to a specific design style.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
I live in China, but In my view, the dimension that designers have to think about is naturally cross-cultural. Designers need to constantly look for inspiration from new cultural contexts and try to integrate it. Being stuck in a certain cultural environment is not conducive to the development of design as a whole.
How do you work with companies?
I usually emphasize the importance of teamwork and practice it myself.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
I think a company should give its designers enough tolerance to allow them to make some seemingly stupid mistakes to a certain extent, because it is this so-called stupidity that is most likely to create the most interesting designs.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
It can be summarized in three words: question, empathize and iterate.
Can you describe a day in your life?
Let me describe an ideal or typical day (though not every day): I usually wake up and browse the latest design and industry news, then in the morning I think about some design problems I've encountered and come up with potential solutions, then in the afternoon I try to build some models to test and validate the problems and discuss them with my team.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Don't be afraid to be thought of as a fool or a lunatic when it comes to design. It is this kind of persistence or exploration that ordinary people can't understand that is the designer's most valuable asset.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
It is easy for designers to be too idealistic when doing things, resulting in ignoring some objective constraints, which, although well-intentioned, can easily lead to slower project efficiency in a real business environment.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
Hand sketch, 3D modeling software like Rhino and Grasshopper, Rendering software like Keyshot and of course 3D printer.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
Regarding to this topic - I think I am really bad at managing time and usually I don't have a solid schedule that lists all the details but doing project a bit more improvisedly within a rough storyline.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
Usually 6 months to a year. Depending on what objects it is and what is the scope for that project.
What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
Should designers guide users or cater to them when designing products?
What was your most important job experience?
When I see every product I designed successfully launched and used by real users.
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
Designs that break the existing status quo of the industry are what I appreciate the most. Because design means exploration, and sticking to the rules will only make a field slowly lose its vitality.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
I plan to be able to design products in the future that are recognized by the general public and become indispensable for everyday life.
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
I usually work with a team that has people from different background. And I love to provide them with my unique expertise as a professional designer.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
I am planning to design a series of consumer products and furnitures called 'The Live Things' that can bring a new perspective to the industry in terms of both form and function definition.

Extended Interview with Zhenyang Yan

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I have a bachelor's degree in Product Design at Wuhan University of Technology and a master's degree in Design Innovation and Service Design at The Glasgow School of Art, UK.
How did you become a designer?
During my childhood, I used to go to my father's factory and watch various products being transformed from parts to complete products that can be actually used by users in their daily lives - this process made me interested in the process of designing and creating objects, and was one of the initial motivations for me to become a designer.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
Honestly not having a specific category is more my preference, and as a designer I'm naturally interested in being exposed to all sorts of new things. Recently I am interested in pet product design.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Maintain a passion for life and get used to observing, reflecting and questioning all routines.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
Good designers design products that fulfill people's needs, and great designers design products that create needs people aren't realize and make those needs into new norms.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
In my opinion, good design don't have and shouldn't have certain criterias. When the issue the design is trying to communicate is really understood and recognized by its audience, It is a good design in some way.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Good design has the potential to shape people's lives, balancing commercial, technological and human factors in the creation of products and guiding society towards a friendlier, more sustainable future.
What is your day to day look like?
I want to design interesting products that bring more emotional value to people. It doesn't necessarily need to have a very strong function.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I hope to have the opportunity to design some public art installations that can become widely acclaimed works in the city and contribute to the cultural atmosphere of society.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
Observe life in detail, and translate the inspiration found into ideas in a timely manner. Don’t wait until you have a so-called perfect solution in mind before taking action.
What is your biggest design work?
I recently love the Slump Furniture Series designed by Paul Cocksedge. He makes use of the physical characteristics of natural objects and translates them into every day products, a novel perspective - exploring the extent to which humans can intervene in shaping the products through natural objects.
Who is your favourite designer?
The work I'm most proud of at the moment is Catvas. It plays a new role in the space of human-pet symbiosis, exploring the topic of how people and animals can co-create their common living space.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Keep three principles in mind at all times while working: empathize, question, and then keep iterating.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
Design means the process of stepping out of the comfort zone and constantly searching for the best answer as well as new questions. Although the so-called best answer will be constantly changing and adjusting with the development of time, technology, and humanities, what is important is the process, isn't it?
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
Family members, school professors, as well as mentors and peers I encountered in my life and work all have been helping me and shaping me as the designer I am today.

Stay Updated with Latest Design News

By clicking Sign-Up, you are opting to receive promotional emails from A' Design Awards, World Design Rankings, World Design Consortium and Designers.Org You can update your preferences or unsubscribe any time.

You are now at the right step

Join Designers.org & Start Promoting Your Design Worldwide.

Create an Account