Skip to content
Chung-Yuan Kuo

Taiwan (China)Packaging

Interviews with Chung-Yuan Kuo

Read the interviews with Chung-Yuan Kuo: understand their philosophy, creative process and award-winning work.

Designer Profile

Design Legend Interview

49 questions

I'd just completed my senior high school life. I started to learn design skills after graduating and I tried any design cases and never give up.

Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

I'd just completed my senior high school life. I started to learn design skills after graduating and I tried any design cases and never give up.

What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

I love to find out the advertising ideas when I was young.

Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

Design choose me. Someone said that I was born for design.

What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

New branding and new design package that make people feel surprised.

What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

Learning attitude and try to be a bit more modest.

What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

A good designer is listening to the clients' voice. A great designer can face to audiences(customers).

What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

A really good design becomes a visual solution for audiences.

What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

The value of good design is belongs to a good selling volume.

What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

Make a good design case for our society and people in Taiwan.

What is the dream project you haven't yet had time to realize?

I would like to apply graphic ability in fashion field.

What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

Secret observation.

Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

Kashiwasato in Japan.

What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

The business case combines art with design.

What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

Every design project that I've devoted to.

How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

Try to be friendly in the society.

If you hadn't become a designer, what would you have done?

The boss who sells the vintage toys.

How do you define design, what is design for you?

Design is living in my country.

What helped you to become a great designer?

Getting more vintage toys.

What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

From clients' untrustful eyes.

How do you think designers should present their work?

Via their social net-working sites.

What's your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

Design different meaning calendar for different public institutions.

What's your ultimate goal as a designer?

Make people in the world to see TAIWAN.

What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

Make our society better via a good design.

How does design help create a better society?

A solution with a wonderful visual design.

What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

My clients' and students' pleased interaction.

Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

A lot of people can come to the exhibition that I curated.

What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

Multi-professional design fields for one case.

Where do you think the design field is headed next?

I think Japan is full of profession designers.

How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

I will see the scale of this case.

When you have a new design project, where do you start?

I will start a new design project in May, 2020, in Taiwan.

What is your life motto as a designer?

Do not give up any successful way.

Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

Design sets the trends. It can change the trends.

What is the role of technology when you design?

Case integrated.

What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

Adobe AI/PS, Keynote

What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

They can make the design case be vivid.

What do you wish people to ask about your design?

Is it a beautiful solution?

When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

Suitable visual package when I am traveling.

Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

I believe in co-design and I want to work with foreign designers.

Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

A creative director who is in the advertising field.

Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

KASAI Kaoru 1968

How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

Drawing with my hands and never depend on my pc.

Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

Kashiwasato in Japan.

How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

I don't want to be famous. I just believe that my work can make people(including juries) satisfied.

What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

Some of branding Toys and foods in a vintage market in the Spring.

Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

The duration getting a new project and knowing every secret from this case.

What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

Play with my vintage toys.

When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

Yes, I want to collect all the toys.

What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

In the future, design doesn't need to explained by we designers.

Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

I love my toys more than others.

Designer Interview

40 questions

I never stop learning graphic & visual strategies. I love to appreciate the design result for every work. I have wanted to be a designer until my creativities are not found.

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 never stop learning graphic & visual strategies. I love to appreciate the design result for every work. I have wanted to be a designer until my creativities are not found.

Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

My design studio is called "Midroom Lab". I hope that the company's role is always "in the middle of" every design cases and our clients.

What is "design" for you?

Design is a visual solution.

What kinds of works do you like designing most?

Package systems, Logo identity, and to be an exhibition curator.

What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

Package design. I enjoy that customers could get surprised when they see the package and open it.

What was the first thing you designed for a company?

Taiwanese tea package.

What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

Wood or bamboo package for showing Taiwanese characteristic.

When do you feel the most creative?

When sharing my design opinion with my colleagues.

Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

Good visual skill with touched idea.

What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

Pleased and excited.

What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

Feel confident.

What makes a design successful?

Revised the design work constantly before announcement.

When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?

The audiences' voice.

From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

Reuse package material.

How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?

"Design field" and "future of design" include every living goods when your open your eyes every day.

When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?

I held the exhibition in December last year in Taiwan. I hope I will hold the exhibition in the summer this year.

Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

See and feel when traveling.

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?

We always to make design works that could be broken through the last work.

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?

Taiwan is a small country where is proceeding to make world known via design.

How do you work with companies?

Discussion with each other, not only professional design process but also hobbies.

What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?

Design is a hard way to do it fast. A good designer must face to all kinds of difficult design cases.

Can you talk a little about your design process?

Make a main design strategy, find out key visual words, draw the sketches, and do them constantly until forming a perfect work.

What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?

1. To know about every design news in the world. 2. Play with my cat. 3. Play video game. 4. Clean my vintage toys. 5. Sit on my favorite chair.

Can you describe a day in your life?

Work with my colleague or teach students of the related design major.

Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?

Never stop learning and being curious.

From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?

To live in different modes very day but you have to burn your brain constantly.

What is your "golden rule" in design?

There is no shortcut to success.

What skills are most important for a designer?

Draw the sketches every day.

Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?

Every toy from different countries! I am not good at drawing software in pc. I love to use "COPIC" to record my design idea.

Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

Sleep early and spend a lot of time to set my dress and hair in the morning. And then go working with a passion.

How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

I think half year (six months) is a suitable duration to complete a design case.

What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?

How can you break through your work every time?

What was your most important job experience?

Clients can focus on my opinion for their products.

Who are some of your clients?

Most of them are small and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan.

What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?

New product packaging is just like a baby who is born from us and clients.

What are your future plans? What is next for you?

To break through my last work.

Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?

I work with my colleague and create all kinds of ideas from each other.

Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?

To redesign some of branding case for public institutions.

How can people contact you?

Please go onto the website: https://midroomlab.com/

Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?

Taiwan is my country where is full of design energies.

Keep Reading

More Designer Interviews

Read designers.org interviews to discover the philosophy, the creative process and the work of more award-winning designers.

Sponsored

Explore Beyond Designers.org

Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

The A' Design Award is an international, juried accolade for good design. Take part in the A' Design Award to get an opportunity to earn meritocratic recognition, gain fame, prestige and publicity for your work. Nominate your work for the A' Design Award and compete for the coveted A' Design Prize.

Nominate

Data Source

The designer interview questions and answers published in our interview page with Chung-Yuan Kuo come from Designer Interviews, the international platform where world's top designers, star architects, creators and innovators are interviewed.