Designer des Tages Interview
18 Fragen
have been working in the design field for than fifteen years now and I have done a lot of work in branding, user interface and digital experience.
Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
have been working in the design field for than fifteen years now and I have done a lot of work in branding, user interface and digital experience. I did not go to a design school I actually studied Business Administration at university. However I have always liked doing work. I think design is really important because it helps people understand things.
I think my background in Business Administration has been really useful because it means I look at design in a way. I do not just think about how something looks I also think about whether it makes sense for a business and if it will work in life.
When I was at university I started doing some design work on the side for my classmates and lecturers. This gave me some experience before I started my own design studio. Over time this led to me starting Slice of Life Designs and later SOLD Pte Ltd, which is a company I now run in Singapore. I have worked with a lot of clients mainly in the healthcare, technology and consumer sectors. The design work I do usually involves strategy, identity and digital systems and design is something that I'm really passionate, about especially design and digital experience and branding.
How did you become a designer?
I think it started with an interest in making things look and feel clearer. I loved drawing and making things even before I knew what design was. At university I studied Business Administration so I did not plan to become a designer.. People around me started asking me for help with layouts and visual communication. That was probably the time I realised I was naturally good at this kind of work.
After graduation I worked in a bank for a while. Then I slowly started taking on design work. Eventually I set up my studio. It was not one decision. It was more of a series of steps that kept pointing in the direction. What drove me was the feeling that design could be both creative and useful.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
My main priorities are clarity, structure and usefulness. If those three things are not there then the work may still look nice. It will not really do its job. I usually start by understanding the problem the audience, the context and the business goal. Once I have that I can build something that's visually strong without losing sight of what it is meant to achieve.
I like work that feels clean, considered and human. I like systems that're flexible enough to work across different touchpoints but still have enough personality to feel memorable. I use tools a lot but I also think sketching and note-taking matter. I do not believe in jumping to final visuals. I prefer to explore, test, simplify and then refine.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I usually feel a mix of focus, curiosity and pressure in a way. The beginning is often the exciting part because the problem is still open and there is space to think broadly. I enjoy that stage where ideas are still forming. You are trying to see what the project really wants to become.
On I enjoy the process of tightening the work and making decisions. There is a kind of satisfaction there especially when the design starts to feel balanced and coherent. Design is not always pleasant. That is also part of the process. For me the real pleasure comes from seeing something move from uncertainty to clarity.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
My background in Business Administration has shaped me more than people might expect. It taught me to think about structure, communication and practical outcomes not just aesthetics. That has helped me a lot because design often sits between creativity and business reality.
Another important part of my background is the fact that I did not take a design-school path. I had to learn by doing which made me more observant and more open to feedback. My biggest influence has been the world itself: clients, users, mistakes, revisions and the constant need to make something work better than before.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
My growth path is really about becoming more useful, more precise and more thoughtful with the work I do. I do not see growth as getting bigger projects or more recognition. I see it more as deepening the quality of the work and being able to contribute at a level.
In future I want to keep building work that's clear, practical and meaningful especially for organisations that need design to do more than just look good. A dream project for me would be something that combines branding, digital experience and systems thinking in a way that genuinely improves how people interact with a service or organisation.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
My first advice is to build strong fundamentals. Learn how to think, not just how to make things look nice. If you can understand hierarchy, typography, systems, user needs and contrast, you will be much more useful in the long run. Also do not neglect soft skills like people management, presentation skills and communicative techniques.
I would also warn young designers not to compare their starting point with someone else’s tenth year. That comparison can be very discouraging and usually unhelpful. Everyone learns at a different pace. It is better to focus on getting better through real projects, honest feedback and repetition. I think one of the most important things is to stay curious and not become overly attached to your first idea.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
I think people get mixed up when they think that being seen is the same as being valuable. It is easy to believe that you are successful just because you are busy. The thing that really matters is if your work actually fixes a problem and works well over time. A design that looks great at first but does not work well when you really use it is not very good.
I also believe that people should make time to think. Good work needs time to develop. If you are always doing something you will not have time to think deeply. Another thing I think is important is to be open to learning from people who do work than you. You can learn a lot from how other people solve problems, in their fields.
What is your day to day look like?
A typical day for me starts with checking my messages seeing what I need to do and looking at my projects. Then I usually get into designing especially if there's a part that needs some quiet thinking. I also spend time looking at peoples work giving feedback and talking to clients or people I'm working with because designing isn't just about making things on your own.
On days I jump between thinking about the big picture making visual things and following up on tasks a lot. On days I have more time to focus on one thing. I love it when I get into a rhythm and solve a problem. At the end of the day I make sure to spend time with my family, which's really important, to me.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I always look at what's popular but I do not follow it without thinking. I believe trends are helpful when they show us that people are changing the way they work or use things.. If you pay too much attention to trends you can make something that looks good now and looks old very soon.
To me what is popular is not as important as why I'm doing something and who it is for. I want to make things that're right for the client, the people who will see it and that will still be good after a long time. I do keep an eye on what's happening in the design world especially with logos, digital tools and the way words look because it helps me know what is coming next. I can get ideas from design. Also from the things I see every day from other areas of life and, from the way people do things.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
I know a project is well designed when it feels clear, appropriate and useful without needing much explanation. If people understand it quickly and trust it easily that is usually a sign. Good design should not look considered it should also hold up in real use and make the experience feel smoother.
For me good design has to balance what I want to achieve how I achieve it and how relevant it is. It should solve the problem communicate properly and feel coherent across different touchpoints. A common mistake is to focus much on style and not enough on function. Another is to make something complicated when a simpler solution would work better. I always ask myself whether the design is actually helping or just adding noise.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
Like Bruce Lee once said, "It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials." True mastery and clarity come from subtraction
A design feels ready when it stops getting better in ways. You can always find something to tweak. After a while the changes are small and do not make a big difference. That is when I know it is time to move on to something. I do not think a design is ever completely perfect. It can be good enough to work well for what it is supposed to do.
I usually think a design is ready when it works well in all the situations it needs to handle and when the system feels solid and not like it is going to break. If it is easy to understand makes sense. Is useful that is a good sign. I think being a designer means knowing when to stop making changes because if you keep tweaking forever it can be a waste of time.
What is your biggest design work?
I think the Radiant Health Brand Identity project is one of the things I have done. This project was very important to me because it was not about making something look good. The Radiant Health Brand Identity had to make people feel like they could trust it and also feel warm and clear about what it was saying. This is a thing to do especially when you are talking about health.
What I really liked about the Radiant Health Brand Identity project was that it let me use my brain to think about the picture and also design systems that actually work. The Radiant Health Brand Identity project even won some awards, which was great. What really mattered to me was that it fixed a real problem with communication. I am really happy, with the Radiant Health Brand Identity project because it shows the kind of work that I really care about.
Who is your favourite designer?
It is hard for me to choose one because there are a few brand designers I really like. Paula Scher is definitely one of my all-time favourites because her work has such a point of view. I also like Jessica Walsh because she has a distinct visual voice and is not afraid of bold ideas.
Recently I have been enjoying the work of James Martin and Aaron Draplin. I like designers who have character, clarity and confidence in what they're doing.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
I live in Singapore. I think living here has definitely shaped the way I work. Singapore is a fast-moving place and that gives you a certain practicality. You learn quickly that communication has to be clear and design has to work across different audiences.
My lifestyle is not glamorous. I spend most of my time working taking care of my family and doing the daily routines. That's what keeps me grounded. I think culture matters a lot in design because it affects how people read symbols, tone and visual language. In Singapore I learned to be sensitive to contexts very early on and that has been really useful in my work, with design and communication. Singapore's culture has taught me to be mindful of audiences.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
My work culture is pretty straightforward: be clear take responsibility and do the job right. I think communication being reliable and treating others with respect are really important. When people are unclear about what they want or don't care about the process I don't think good design happens.
I usually work closely with others whether its clients or other experts. I don't believe in making things complicated just to sound smart. When I'm looking for people to work with I want honesty, good judgement and the ability to see beyond their part of the process. Design can be tough so I think our design culture should support being clear.
I think the culture around design should support clarity, than confusion.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
I do not talk a lot about helping others. I believe design should help people. If I can help a cause by doing free or low-cost work I will do it as long as I really believe in the project.
I also think helping others does not have to be a deal. Sometimes it is about sharing what I know talking to younger designers or making things that help people understand things better. Design can be very useful for groups that do not have a lot of money. I think design is important, for these groups and I take that seriously.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A' Design Award?
I did not attend the ceremony or gala in Italy so I do not have experience with that part of it.. For me the good thing is that people recognize my work and it gets more attention because of the award.
The three main benefits of participating in design awards are:
1) You get visibility
2) You gain credibility
3) You have to think about your work carefully.
Awards also make you feel a bit of pressure because you have to see how your work compares to others. As, for being chosen as Designer of the Day I think it is a chance to share my ideas and meet people who like design.