Interviews with Yi-Hsi Lin

We are a multidisciplinary design team based in Taiwan with backgrounds in visual communication and editorial design. Our practice combines illustration, storytelling, material exploration, and interactive print to create meaningful experiences. Through collaborative research and experimentation, we aim to transform complex information into engaging and accessible visual communication.

Our interest in design grew from a shared curiosity about how visual communication can influence the way people understand the world. During our education in design, we discovered that thoughtful design can make knowledge more approachable and emotionally engaging. This belief continues to motivate our work, especially projects that connect people with culture, nature, and education.

We focus on three key principles: research, storytelling, and interaction. Every project begins with careful observation and information gathering, followed by the development of a clear visual narrative. We enjoy combining digital design tools with physical prototyping because we believe materials and tactile experiences are essential parts of communication.

Designing is both exciting and rewarding for us. The early stage of discovering ideas through research is inspiring, while the prototyping stage is where concepts truly come to life. Seeing readers interact with our work and discover something unexpected is one of the most satisfying moments in the design process.

Working as a team has shaped our approach significantly. Beyond design skills, communication, collaboration, observation, and patience are equally important. Learning to listen to different perspectives has helped us create stronger ideas and refine our work through discussion and experimentation.

We hope to continue exploring the intersection of editorial design, environmental communication, and interactive experiences. In the future, we would like to develop more projects that introduce local culture and ecology to wider audiences. Our dream is to create publications and exhibitions that inspire curiosity while encouraging people to reconnect with their surroundings.

Stay curious and be patient with the design process. Strong ideas rarely appear instantly—they grow through observation, research, testing, and revision. Don't be afraid to experiment with different materials or methods, and remember that listening to users can be just as valuable as trusting your own intuition.

We believe successful design begins with understanding rather than decoration. Spend time researching the people, culture, and context behind every project. Technology and aesthetics are important, but empathy, clarity, and meaningful communication ultimately create designs that have lasting value.

Our daily work usually combines research, discussion, sketching, illustration, and layout refinement. We regularly exchange ideas, review prototypes, and test different materials. Even small discoveries during the process often lead to unexpected improvements, making every day an opportunity to learn something new.

We pay attention to contemporary design developments, but we do not follow trends simply for their own sake. Trends can inspire new approaches, yet we believe every project should develop its own visual language based on its purpose, audience, and content rather than temporary styles.

For us, good design communicates clearly while creating meaningful experiences. It should solve a problem, encourage engagement, and remain understandable without unnecessary complexity. If users can naturally interact with a design and gain new understanding or emotional connection, we consider it successful.

A design is ready when every element contributes to its purpose and no further changes significantly improve the user experience. We continuously refine our work through testing and discussion, but eventually there comes a point where additional revisions no longer create meaningful improvements.

Editing the Ecology of Muzha is one of our most meaningful projects because it combines research, editorial design, illustration, and innovative printing techniques into a single experience. It challenged us to transform ecological knowledge into an interactive publication while balancing accuracy, aesthetics, and user engagement.

Rather than following a single designer, we are inspired by creators whose work successfully combines research, storytelling, and social impact. We admire designers who use visual communication to make knowledge more accessible and who create meaningful connections between people and their environments.

Living in Taiwan gives us easy access to diverse landscapes, local traditions, and rich biodiversity, all of which influence our creative thinking. We enjoy visiting natural environments, observing details, and documenting everyday experiences. These moments often become the starting point for our design ideas.

We believe good collaboration is built on openness, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. Every team member contributes different strengths, and we value constructive discussion throughout the design process. Our philosophy is that thoughtful research and clear communication are the foundations of meaningful design.

We believe design can contribute to society by making knowledge more engaging and accessible. Through projects focused on environmental education and local culture, we hope to encourage greater awareness of the natural world. We also value opportunities to share our experiences with students and emerging designers whenever possible.

Receiving recognition from the A' Design Award has been an encouraging experience for our team. It has allowed our work to reach an international audience and introduced us to designers from diverse cultural backgrounds. We believe design competitions offer three important benefits: they provide professional recognition, encourage continuous improvement through global benchmarking, and create valuable opportunities for international exchange. Being selected as Designer of the Day is an honor that motivates us to continue exploring meaningful design that connects people, knowledge, and the environment.

The main idea behind this project is to reconnect people with the natural environment through interactive editorial design. Inspired by the landscape of Muzha, where the city meets the mountains, we wanted to revive the sense of curiosity and discovery often experienced in childhood. By presenting local plants, animals, and geological features through visual storytelling, the design encourages readers to slow down, observe, and develop a deeper appreciation for their surroundings.

Our primary focus was to transform complex ecological information into an engaging and accessible reading experience. We aimed to combine editorial design, material experimentation, and interaction so that readers would not simply receive information but actively explore it. Through this process, we hoped to strengthen both understanding of local ecology and emotional connections with nature.

We hope to further develop this project into a broader educational publication that can be adapted to different regions and environmental topics. We also plan to explore opportunities for exhibitions, educational collaborations, and public engagement activities that encourage more people to learn about local ecosystems through design.

The project was developed over approximately seven months, beginning in September 2025 and completed in March 2026. This period included field research, information collection, illustration, material testing, prototyping, and final production.

This was a self-initiated project rather than a commissioned work. We were inspired by the unique ecological environment of Muzha and wanted to explore how editorial design could communicate local environmental knowledge in a more engaging and memorable way.

At present, this project is an independent work created by our team and is not being produced or used by another company. Throughout the development process, we received valuable guidance and constructive feedback from our academic advisors and faculty members, whose expertise helped us refine both the design concept and production details. We hope to further develop the project ourselves while remaining open to future collaborations with publishers, educational institutions, museums, or cultural organizations interested in environmental education and interactive editorial design.

We believe printed publications can provide a unique tactile and immersive experience that digital media cannot fully replace. By combining interactive printing techniques with editorial storytelling, we wanted to demonstrate how books can become engaging tools for learning about nature.

Rather than being influenced by a specific designer, our work was inspired by nature itself, environmental interpretation, illustrated publications, and experimental editorial design. We also explored material-based book design and interactive print techniques during our research process.

The project is intended for readers who are interested in nature, environmental education, illustration, and editorial design. It is particularly suitable for students, families, educators, museum visitors, and anyone who wishes to learn about local ecosystems through an engaging reading experience.

Unlike conventional educational books, this project integrates lenticular printing, layered translucent pages, and visual storytelling into a unified reading experience. Rather than presenting information directly, it gradually reveals content through interaction, encouraging readers to actively discover and understand ecological knowledge.

The title Editing the Ecology of Muzha reflects our design approach of "editing" rather than simply documenting nature. It represents the process of organizing ecological knowledge into a carefully structured visual narrative while preserving the richness and diversity of the local environment.

We used Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign for illustration, layout, and editorial design. Photography, field sketches, and material prototyping also played important roles throughout the design process.

The most distinctive aspect is the integration of interactive materials with editorial storytelling. Lenticular printing and layered tracing paper work together to create gradual visual changes, allowing readers to experience ecological exploration through physical interaction with the book.

The project was collaboratively developed by Yu-Ting Huang, Chia-Hsin Cheng, Ya-Hsin Huang, and Yi-Hsi Lin. Each team member contributed to research, illustration, editorial design, material exploration, and production development. Throughout the project, we also received valuable guidance and support from our academic advisors and faculty members, who provided professional feedback on design development, editorial structure, and production techniques. Their experience helped us refine the project while allowing our team to maintain a clear creative direction.

Technology supports both communication and interaction in this project. Lenticular printing creates changing visual effects, while layered printing techniques allow information to unfold progressively. These production technologies enhance readers' engagement and improve the communication of complex ecological content.

Yes. The design is grounded in qualitative research. We conducted field observations in Muzha, documented natural elements through photography and sketching, and organized ecological information into visual narratives. We also carried out iterative material testing and evaluated prototypes with local residents and design focus groups to improve readability and interaction.

One of the biggest challenges was translating complex ecological information into clear and engaging visual narratives while maintaining accuracy. Another challenge involved integrating different materials and printing techniques into a cohesive reading experience. Through repeated prototyping and refinement, we successfully balanced information, aesthetics, and interaction.

We wanted to share our exploration of environmental communication through editorial design with an international audience. Participating in an international competition also provided an opportunity to receive professional recognition and exchange ideas with designers from different cultural backgrounds.

This project strengthened our understanding of interdisciplinary design by combining research, storytelling, illustration, material experimentation, and printing technology. We also learned the importance of iterative prototyping and user feedback in creating meaningful and engaging reading experiences.

We hope this project demonstrates that editorial design can do more than communicate information—it can foster curiosity, encourage observation, and build emotional connections with local environments. We believe thoughtful design can inspire people to rediscover the value of the natural world that surrounds them.