Interviews with Min Huei Lu

I have more than 5 years of design experience in the industry. I have experience working as a freelancer, studio designer, agency designer, and in-house designer. I have participated in some exciting design projects for clients like CVS, Xfinity, Comcast, Aetna, Hippo Insurance, Braid (fintech), Muinin (Tech), ProSim (A.I.), and Gong cha Franchise. In 2019, I received my master of fine arts degree in graphic design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

I’m fascinated about putting together images, typography, and motion graphics to communicate an idea to a wide range of audiences. One of the reasons why I chose to become a designer was because I had the opportunity to design a graduation photo album for school when I was 15. After graduating from college, I started designing branding for local mom-and-pop shops, albums for wedding companies, user interfaces for tech companies, and creating graphics for tattoo artists. In 2019, I received an MFA design degree from the Academy of Art University. I worked as an agency designer and in-house designer. I believe that working as a designer is a privilege. As an artist and designer, I am able to offer my unique perspective and creative solutions to make the world a better place and help drive businesses. Doing this gave my life more meaning and purpose.

The top three aspects of the design process that are important for me are Inspiration, Ideation, and Implementation. Inspiration includes research and understanding of the user and the problem. Ideation involves coming up with ideas and solutions that I came up with when I was inspired. Implementation includes user testing, A/B testing, and design iteration based on the user’s feedback. There are two common themes of design throughout all my projects and they are user-centric design and emotional design. I believe a good design should be functional, intuitive, and evoke human emotion. When I just started my career 10 years ago, I drew a lot of sketches in my sketchbook. While moving forward with my career, I became more experienced with digital tools and the latest technology. I gradually became a tech-savvy designer. In the early stages of my career, I loved making things by hand and I appreciated beautifully hand-crafted furniture. I also enjoyed binding physical books. I truly admired Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, he was a German-born American architect whose rectilinear forms crafted an elegant simplicity that epitomized the International Style and exemplified his famous principle that “less is more.” I embraced the concept of “less is more.” Whenever I work on a project, I always pay extra attention to non-visible things like layout, white space, and the grid system.

I feel very inspired and become more eager about my work. However, the most exciting part for me is the inspiration and defining problems. Designers must be curious enough to understand the users and their problems. Whenever I design a solution, I usually research what a user's pain point is and how other people address this problem. After gathering all the knowledge, I learned to develop a solution, which will always be a continuous learning process. I especially like user testing by observing how users interact with the product, which verifies my hypothesis, giving me a clear direction to iterate. Whenever I see the user engagement increase on the website I design, I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Becoming a great designer is a constant process of self-improvement and education. On top of continuing to master essential design skills, there are lots of other non-design things that designers can learn and improve upon to make me even better at what I do. The skills such as Empathy, Critical thinking, Communication, Coding, Analytics, Business, Finance, Research, Psychology, Marketing, and Networking

Some of the best designers are ones who can identify with their users, customers, and clients and be sensitive to their needs. Too often, designers can get caught up in their own bias or their own desire for what a product should be, and they completely ignore who they are actually designed for. Empathizing with the users and clients ensures I'm creating designs with purpose and with the right intent. My interest in psychology, which has built up since I was a teenager, helped me strongly in developing the aforementioned skills. I also had a great chance of implementing these learnings in practice during my work as a Lead Designer at Gong cha USA CA in the USA.

My very first freelance design job was designing the user interface for an automatic parking payment kiosk. I had so much fun working on this project, understanding the user pain points by conducting user research such as observation, user interviews, and competitor research. I paid particular attention to detail such as the size and location of the dispenser concerning the users’ perspective and streamlining the step-by-step instructions. The automatic parking payment kiosk was successfully launched in Taiwan in 2016.

Nowadays, information has become so much easier to access because of ever-advancing technology. Almost every company uses websites, applications, and social media to connect with their audiences and provide their services. Today, more and more consumers prefer to buy online rather than from brick-and-mortar stores. A well-designed digital product offers a great online experience. I have a considerable interest in prototyping and interaction design. My favorite platform is the application that involves human-computer interaction, psychology, marketing, information architecture, and user experience. The user-centered app design needs to be aligned with the brand’s aesthetics, functionality, intuition, ease of use, and have great features. Seeing people connecting with my designs have always brought me joy. I want to learn about human-machine interaction and design more digital products such as the web or app.

It doesn’t matter if you are a new graduate design student or an experienced designer, you should always take control of your career when seeking the next design opportunity. Take the time to get your hands dirty by producing thousands of sketches, building prototypes, and conducting user testing. I overcame a lot of obstacles when I graduated from design school. By the time I graduated, I did not fully understand the design industry landscape. I wasn't sure what kind of designer I wanted to be. I was also not sure what kind of work environment that I would thrive in so I can grow and be able to contribute my creative talent. I accepted every opportunity that was given to me. There were times I spent too much time doing unimportant tasks, and there was also a period of time when I got burned out because I did too much work. It was a valuable experience for me to learn how to manage my time productively and meet my client’s expectations to the best of my ability. I’m now better at prioritizing my tasks, as well as understanding my client's business goals so I can be able to present the artwork in a way that will encourage my clients to move the project forward. I received the best advice from my art director when he said: “Don’t be afraid of failure. Learn to be in an uncomfortable situation and lean into it – you’ll never know how good you can be unless you try.” I would like to advise young designers that one of the best ways to gain knowledge and improve their skills is to get a lot of experience doing projects!

Empathy is the secret recipe for a successful design project. I see design as a way to initiate a conversation with the audience. When it comes to communication, you should first know your audience and their pain points and motivation. I then deliver a solution by addressing the users' concerns.

Some common mistakes or biases that designers should avoid is telling the client: I think this is better because I like it. When it comes to communication with the stakeholders, creating a user persona could effectively give stakeholders perspective. Sharing accessible data with the stakeholder to support your point, providing a tangible example of the impact provided by your solution, and last and most importantly, require further action from the people you are communicating with, such as making a design decision.

I usually work at the office from 8:30 to 16:30. While I commute to the office, I listen to a design podcast. The topic of the podcast is very diverse because it features different design research methods, UIUX, design interviews, as well as design communication and management. I usually have at least 5 design meetings per week. I meet with a variety of stakeholders, cross-functional teams within an organization, and creative teams. I also attend bi-weekly marketing meetings once a week to discuss upcoming updates, brainstorm design ideas, and plan events. The most recent meeting dealt with standardizing branding for brand Instagram posts. Weekly design meetings involve discussing the status of everyone’s work, any ongoing issues, and any announcements that need to be made. Things like project deadlines and problems with clients take precedence over other matters. Being a designer means that I have to increase my skill level with design tools, sharpen my domain knowledge by conducting and synthesizing research, and contribute to product and design strategies in everyday life. During my free time, I like watching YouTube videos about design, reading design blogs, browsing design portfolios, and finding inspiration.

As a brand designer, I fully understand I serve a brand. Therefore, everything I create should follow the brand guideline and brand unique aesthetic. Meanwhile, we need to catch up on the latest trends to make them relatable to the audience. The key is to balance between personal artistic style and what users want to see.

I am forever inspired by the creative process of creating something new, innovative, and progressive. I get inspiration from various sources, such as design video, music, movies, tv shows, books, blogs, portfolios, podcasts, interviews, focus groups, museums, exhibitions, shopping malls, stores, apps, websites, or simply just talking to people.

Good design is not just what looks good. It also needs to perform, convert, astonish, and fulfill its purpose. A good design should not be measured finitely – multiple perspectives should also be taken into consideration.

These are aspects that define a good design:

1. Functionality

The product must optimally perform the main task or function to satisfy the needs of the consumer.

2. Repairability

The product must be designed so that it can be easily repaired whenever necessary during a malfunction. Repairing the product must be done quickly and inexpensively.

3. Reliability

A product must perform exceptionally well and provide trouble-free service for a decent period of time. It should be maintained regularly so it won’t break down all the time. A reliable product can gain the consumers' trust and loyalty and this encourages sales in a competitive market.

4. Aesthetics

Aesthetically pleasing products have the inherent power of being able to impress and immediately attract users.

5. Durability

Durability can influence a product’s service life. A durable product can perform reliably for a longer period of time. Durable products always manifest good quality.

6. Producibility

The product must be designed so that it can be produced in large quantities with ease at a minimum cost.

7. Simplicity

The simpler the design, the easier it will be to produce and use. Simple products are also economical and reliable. The product should accomplish the least number of operations without affecting the quality of its performance.

8. Compact

The product should be small and light enough that it will occupy less space and won’t be too heavy. Therefore, the company should really try to make its products as compact and light as possible.

9. Intuitive

Designing products intuitively will eliminate the need for user manuals. A good design makes it apparent that the product functions well enough because it is easy to use and understand.

10. User-centered design.

User-centered design (UCD) is an iterative design process in which designers focus on the users and their needs in each phase of the design process. User-centered design adds intellectual and emotional value to its product and, thus, increases user satisfaction and improves the user’s well-being.

11. A good business

Assuming a product is designed to sell, a good design will stand out in a competitive market.

These are the most common mistakes to avoid when designing a product:

1. Focus too much on the aesthetics

All product designers should try to achieve the right balance of aesthetics, performance, and cost. These, along with other factors, are integral to a product's success. If a product is only visually appealing, it will not succeed. It also needs to perform well.

2. Failing to Understand the Consumer

The product is ultimately being designed for the consumer. Products that are so poorly designed are the result of the lack of attention to the customer's needs. One aspect of this is selling at the wrong price point.

3. Forgetting to Study Design Trends

Another vital point to study are trends in the design segment. Customers always want the latest version of whatever is in the market. Therefore, it's essential to stay updated in whatever segment the designer is working in.

4. Not Focusing on the Right Specifications

Each product will have a specific set of specifications and requirements that the designer must meet. Likewise, designers must keep in mind the particular standards that the product must meet. This includes designing, manufacturing, and standards testing.

5. Not Considering the Legitimacy of Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property (IP) is legally protected, and copyright infringement is a serious and expensive offense. An IP breach can result in a huge loss of money, even if the owner of the copyright wants to settle the breach out of the courtroom. It's also a big embarrassment and will result in much negative public relations.

Many designers forget about this while they're designing. However, it's important to keep IP in mind when creating a product from scratch. Before a product designer starts working, they must do research and ensure what they've created isn't already patented by someone else. If it is, they must pay for the right to use that particular technology.

The most significant advantage of being a designer is that you have the liberty to express your imagination and creativity to the fullest. Many designers can happily say that they love doing their job every single day. The most significant disadvantage of being a designer is that designing can be a very time-consuming process, especially when you try to make things better than they already are. There is no right or wrong answer because designing is a subjective process which means the design can only get better. There is no such thing as a perfect design. A piece of artwork can always be improved. Designers can frequently find themselves in endless meetings discussing revisions and iterations. Managing time and meeting clients' expectations are essential skills needed so designers can do their job well.

Managing the project is crucial because the designer and stakeholders define the objectives, scope, budget, deliverables, goals, audience, and timeline, which they have discussed at the beginning of the project. I manage the project's timeline by listing down how many tasks are needed to be done, estimating the timeframe by doing some research, getting some inspiration and ideas, and producing possible prototypes. I also evaluate the meeting time with clients and stakeholders. There are times that I often have to do multiple iterations. When designing a timeline for a project, I intentionally leave some extra time for iterations. At the beginning of each kick-off meeting, I would also clearly communicate with clients about agreeing on a definite timeline and limiting the number of iterations that a project can have.

When should I decide my design is ready? In my early career, I frequently spent too much time polishing one particular project. Constantly checking with the project manager or clients helps me prioritize tasks better and decide to move on. I believe that the "golden rule" is understanding how the design fits into the company's overall goal to help make crucial design decisions.

The project, artificial intelligence used in graphic design, is my graphic design's master of fine art (MFA) thesis project that I did while I was studying at the Academy of Art University. The project took two years to develop. The thesis project emphasized the advanced study of the field by conducting quantitative and qualitative research, hosting focus groups, creating inspiration, coming up with ideas, prototyping, and user-testing.

NPR once hosted a show in which they asked questions like, “Will a machine do your job?” According to the report, there's an 8 percent chance that graphic design jobs will become automated within the next 20 years. So how can we convince today’s designers that artificial intelligence (AI) is not a threat and should be embraced to help solve problems by doing highly repetitive jobs?

The MFA thesis, Minarva, is a campaign that aims to create a meaningful human-machine relationship. Instead of eliminating the designer's occupation, AI can become a design partner and tool that designers can utilize to meet ever-evolving workplace demands. Minarva can help designers understand AI and the impact it brings to the design field. The Minarva campaign aims to encourage designers to take advantage of this technology.

With the help of AI and current technology, I created multiple designs for this project at much faster rates and reduced costs. There are many surprising ways that AI can be used in graphic design, such as rapid prototyping, A/B testing, analyzing vast amounts of data, suggesting design adjustments, resizing, determining product localization, creating variations, and creating the same graphics in multiple languages. AI/ML transcription dutifully translates a sketch to comp and into markup. Transferring drawings into a working prototype is part of the designer's job, but that is not the actual thinking. Designers have already solved the conceptual part of the problem, and we share these solutions with machines so we can solve new problems. We find the clerical aspects of our work painful because they are tedious, time-consuming, repetitive, detail-oriented, complex, and joyless jobs. However, machines are great at doing those jobs. Human designers and robots should be able to work together side by side and do wonders.

The challenge of this project is to understand a complicated subject matter and develop an easy-to-understand infographic with a unique visual language. I always try to avoid using robots to represent the images I generate because they are so cliche. I have been exploring many AI image generator applications that have already been published online. I tried to understand the level of quality that an AI image generator could deliver. I have been testing two different websites. The AI image generators will allow anyone to become digitally creative and get the most out of their images. I was genuinely impressed by these experimental design methods because AI generated a new image effectively. It took less than an hour to process an image, and it allowed me to process an unlimited number of photos, and the best thing about it is that it was free. I used the images that AI has generated to design posters. I took some photos that have been generated by AI and used Adobe Photoshop to split the RGB colors and added some image noise and glitch effects to convey the ideas of creativity and technology. As a result, I created a unique visual language by using the collage technique.

It is a great satisfaction that “Artificial intelligence in design event marketing material” has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in graphics, illustration, and visual communication design category by the international design academy.

I find Oliviero Toscani’s works very cool. He is an Italian photographer who is best-known for designing controversial advertising campaigns for the Italian brand, Benetton, from 1982 to 2000. I think Lindon Leader is super cool because he designed the most recognizable logos in the world – the FedEx logo. Lindon Leader wanted the logo to do more than just say a name. He wanted to give more information about what the company did. This is how he came up with the idea to put an arrow between the E and the X. If I were given a chance to meet a deceased designer, I would like to have a conversation with Salvador Dalí, a Spanish Surrealist painter and printmaker known for exploring subconscious imagery. I think Paul Rand was an American iconic graphic designer of all time who is best known for his corporate logo designs, including IBM, UPS, Enron, Morningstar, Inc., Westinghouse, ABC, and NeXT. He was one of the first American commercial artists to embrace and practice the Swiss Style of graphic design. I always feel inspired by some of my favorite role models in design like Donald Norman. Donald Norman proposes a concept of emotional design which evokes emotion to encourage users to use it and elicit a positive emotional response. The architect I admire the most is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German-born American architect whose rectilinear forms, crafted in elegant simplicity which epitomized the International Style and exemplified his famous slogan that “less is more.”

It is a privilege to live in California. Northern California includes the Silicon Valley technology industry and Southern California includes the movie entertainment industry, where they combine diverse cultures and embrace innovative ideas. For me, creativity comes from a lot of research, such as reading blogs and articles, listening to music, watching movies, and conducting user interviews to get a much better perspective.

I was born and raised in Taiwan, but I have been living in San Francisco since 2016. Whenever I design artwork, I usually combine Western and Eastern culture and visual aesthetics into the design process. In Asia, Asian aesthetics pays a lot of attention to details and realism, but creativity has many limitations. On the other hand, western aesthetics is influenced by individualism while unique personal style and creativity are more valued. I recently spearheaded the design of the marketing campaign, company social media, and website for Gong Cha, an international tea chain with over 1,500 stores across 19 countries.

As a designer, I'm a great team player as well as a great individual contributor. As a result, I'm very comfortable working alone or working with a team. In my career, I've worked with various companies of differing sizes, and each company has a different organizational structure and different ways of working with designers. When I just started working with a new client or a new company, I usually ask what their design process is all about and their preferences when working with a designer. From there, I adjusted my workflow according to what we agreed to.

Designers often work in a highly collaborative manner. The primary focus of the design team is to define the look and feel of the brand product image through experimentation, critical thinking, and extraordinary attention to detail. Designers should articulate ideas clearly, engage in a constructive debate, and accept feedback that will lead in the right direction. Within a design team, each individual has their strengths and specializes in areas where they can grow. I want to work with people who can maximize the contribution of every individual by cultivating a culture of cooperation rather than competition, where designers feel comfortable sharing their knowledge. Design teams are most productive when they know that the work is meaningful and adds value to the company's long-term goals. Individual contributors have a different way of working compared to designers who choose to work as a team. The farther individual contributors go to advance their careers, the more they focus on their craft. As a result, they wield a large amount of influence while constantly sharpening their skills and instincts.

I'm very grateful that I've learned so much from doing different projects and working with many types of clients. Each project has a unique design process. I'm currently the lead brand designer for Gong cha, an international tea chain with over 1,500 stores across 19 countries. My primary duty is to elevate the brand identity to promote the Asian brand to western mainstream society. The deliverables consist of many things from brand assets, marketing campaigns, brand videos, product photoshoots, store interior designs, and online digital presence such as social media apps and websites. My primary job is to coordinate a complex set of materials that must function together as a whole. This idea also includes marrying multiple messages with divergent formats—all with a unified and holistic aesthetic. This aesthetic has to contain the essence of the Gong cha brands and Gong cha's unique storytelling style.

As an artist and designer, I see myself as a visual communicator and humanist. Therefore, the designer must have a deep understanding of society's psychological and social impact, such as social justice, EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion), and sustainability.

Already in the application phase, I noticed what a positive image and international appeal the A' Design Award has! Everyone I told about my application was enthusiastic about my participation and many followed my work even more attentively than before. The demands on the competition entries and the information to be provided are very high but absolutely justified. This design award requires the applicants to make a sincere effort and to intensively deal with the submitted work (and also with their personal development). The knowledge gained is a great opportunity for self-reflection and further development. After announcing the results, I received excellent international feedback. Especially my existing customers and long-time companions felt that the award confirmed that they had rightly given me their attention. I also had the impression that for some this also led them to reflect on themselves and the object as well as on questions of design. I am very proud to have received the A' Design Award and am overwhelmed by the positive effects I have already experienced.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many small businesses have had negative monetary impacts. These businesses require support which in turn supports the local economy. During these unprecedented times, Gong Cha is making an attempt to support the local restaurants in the community.

The goal is to make the brand more unique, creative, and high quality that represents the brand's soul and mission in the premium beverage market. During quarantine, many people missed the experience of dining out while many local and mom-and-pop restaurant businesses suffered. Gong cha wants to provoke people’s desire for tea and food pairing when they order a food take-out, helping local restaurants while also providing individuals with a great eating experience at home.

Will create more meaningful brand communication for the company.

The project started in August 2020 in San Francisco and the "Support Small Business advertising campaign" finished in November 2020 in California.

Gong Cha California collaborates with many local mom-and-pop restaurants as well as local food chain brands like poke-bowl, and Ike's sandwiches in California. The three months "Support small business campaign" poster was posted in all the California stores, local restaurants, and on all the social media platforms.

Gong cha USA CA.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to encourage everyone to support small businesses.

Tea Lover.

Designed in Adobe illustration, printed on letter size poster paper. Implemented on all kinds of social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Website.

I'm the only designer working on this project.

Technology helps designers to complete peace of design and bring the designers' imagination to the real world.

Gong cha design lab spearheads the design research, ideation, execution, and implementation. The designer started from research articles and blogs online, conducted three 1-on-1 interviews and online surveys, and based on the interview data I learned that many foodies love pairing different kinds of food with different kinds of drinks. A deeper understanding of consumers ' eating habits helps develop the concept for the "Support small business" campaign.

Gong cha design lab learned that consumers like pairing sweet desserts with tea and pairing food like pizza or noodles with milk tea. The challenge is to showcase many different kinds of food with drinks without overwhelming the audience visually. After a few rounds of sketch and iteration, the best solutions are to use illustration to present different food categories, using real photos to show visual contrast.

Joining an international design competition is always been my dream, appreciate A'design award and competition to give great designers to be seen on an international stage.

I learn so much both on conceptualizing a project and the technical skills as a designer.

Thanks, the A'design award and competition give me the opportunity.

During the early 1980s, the US experienced a recession due to which millions of individuals were left unemployed. Throughout the 1980s, the cold war, protests, global warming, and the AIDS epidemic, the United States has undergone major socio-economic changes primarily due to advances in technology and the worldwide move towards capitalism. Also, the artists in the 1980s were preoccupied with protest images. Bobby McFerrin's Music, Don't worry, be happy, is a neat philosophy in 4 simple words that inspired many Americans in the late 1980s.

Create a poster that expresses a piece of music through typography, imagery, and layout composition.

It's a great experience and will always be an important project in my portfolio.

The project started in Jun 2019 and finished in July 2019 in San Francisco, and was exhibited at the Academy of Art University in September 2019.

This project is one of the essential projects when I pursue my Master's Degree at the Academy of Art University.

Typography experiment.

Music lover.

Gather ideas, emotions, and visuals that would be associated with the song. Don’t Worry, Be Happy, which is a popular worldwide hit song released in September 1988 by American musician Bobby McFerrin.

The imagery was projected onto various surfaces, creating a multidimensional design solution.

The typographic and design elements were printed on transparency paper and put on a traditional projector. Photographed the images reflected on the wall.

The song, Don’t Worry, Be Happy, was chosen to carry on with a series of experiments regarding image editing, composition, and typography.

Technology helps designers to complete peace of design and bring the designers' imagination to the real world.

Most of the information during the 1980s was communicated via television, MTV, Movie Channels, and media. Also, the AIDS awareness campaign during the 1980’s was designed using the color pink. An attempt has been made to integrate the above texture and the design elements in the poster.

There is a sharp contrast between the sad and the despair state of the 1980s and the optimistic adage, Don’t worry, be happy. The contract is also displayed in the music poster that pays tribute to history and humanity.

Joining an international design competition is always been my dream, appreciate A'design award and competition to give great designers to be seen on an international stage.

I learn so much both on conceptualizing a project and the technical skills as a designer.

Thanks, the A'design award and competition give me the opportunity.

This project attempts to incorporate the artistic expression of Alfred Hitchcock and five chosen films in two ways–through consistent visual language and design deliverables that mesh together as an integrated system.

The objective is to coordinate a complex set of materials that must function together as a whole. The idea is also to marry multiple messages with divergent formats—all with a unified and holistic aesthetic. This aesthetic has to contain the essence of the directors and their storytelling style.

It's a great experience and will always be an important project in my portfolio.

The project started in March 2019 and finished in Jun 2019 in San Francisco.

Obsessive Love Film Festival Website is one of the essential projects when I pursuit my Master Degree at the Academy of Art University.

The hypothetical film festival project to celebrate the films of Alfred Hitchcock.

I truly appreciate my instructor inspires me and provided valuable feedback.

Alfred Hitchcock movie fans.

The design follows a thread in which is unfulfilled characters stalk victims, giving them a sense of ownership, in the end, dark empowerment motivates the voyeur to murder.

There is a prevailing obsession with voyeurism running throughout Hitchcock’s oeuvre. He knew that human beings have a fascination with watching. We are naturally nosy, curious, intrusive in our daily existence. As voyeurs, audiences somehow feel complicit in the events onscreen.

Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop, and Nikon D5600 camera.

The visual elements, user interface, and user experience are all designed from a voyeur perspective. As voyeurs, audiences somehow feel complicit in the events onscreen.

I'm the only designer working on this project.

Technology helps designers to complete peace of design and bring the designers' imagination to the real world.

This project requires extensive research, prototype testing for user’s ease as well as a lot of trial and error. All this is to achieve a well-organized user interface for a pleasant user experience.

The biggest challenge upon embarking on this project was to explore and understand Albert Hitchcock’s work on a 5 series of films. The film’s theme mainly revolves around the perspective of a voyeur. The essence of Hitchcock’s work seeks to introduce the details that the character embraced and showcases; a pocket knife, a pair of binoculars, the victim’s photos as well as the fragrance of the target. In order to achieve the same level of depth that the film was trying to portray, part of my process was to focus on the physical attributes of the voyeur’s tools to be incorporated into my design process and innovation.

Joining an international design competition is always been my dream, appreciate A'design award and competition to give great designers to be seen on an international stage.

I learn so much both on conceptualizing a project and the technical skills as a designer.

Thanks, the A'design award and competition give me the opportunity.

Created materials for a hypothetical or an existing conference. Designed a visual concept that demonstrates a conceptual and typographical system.

Shifts in design, society, culture are constant and designers are forced to make tough decisions. Does a graphic designer take on type design? Should a visual artist delve into UX? Do type foundries dedicate more attention to web fonts? To be competitive, designers need to be competent in web, print, mobile, type design, and UX. Using illustration, color, typography, layout, and a variety of circular design elements to convey the idea of Focus.

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Summary

There is a lot of controversy around Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and the use of specific goal-oriented algorithms to shape the future of design and the designer’s role. But how will that affect our careers as graphic and digital designers in the long run?

Definition explanation

A.I. Technology has two unique characteristics. First, it exhibits capabilities that ordinary machines don’t have. Second, it exhibits an intelligence that allows learning by itself. A.I. enables computers the faculty of gaining knowledge and exhibiting human behavior. With the help of computers, A.I. can now do the tasks that humans used to be able to do.

Some interesting facts about AI

Is A.I. capable of creating art? The answer could surprise you. Let me introduce the Alibaba Group’s A.I. graphic design product called LuBan. It is an A.I. platform that is capable of designing 8,000 different banners per second. On November 11, 2017, LuBan displayed over 400 million online banners during China's biggest online shopping festival. If we assume that it takes one human designer 20 minutes to design a single banner, we will need 100 designers to work continuously for 150 years just to produce the same number of banners.

The issue

We designers already have one question in mind: What will be the future of graphic designers?” This thesis’ target audience is the designers of the future.

I have found that A.I.’s information can be difficult to understand. I want to provide people with a basic understanding of A.I. with an interactive and engaging digital publication. The future of A.I. will identify patterns in the image to patch, edit, create stimulating visual styles, personalize the user experience, and analyze huge amounts of data. Low-level design jobs will be eliminated. Investing in retraining or “upskilling” designers is an urgent priority that corporations, educators, or individual workers should be taken into consideration. I propose to create an organization that will provide retraining and re-skilling to help reduce the learning curve. Instead of seeing A.I. as a threat to the design profession, A.I. can help designers do things better than the way they do them now. High-level designers have to compensate by learning to work with A.I. It is time we start recognizing these opportunities so we can work better with technology. I want to design A.I. services and platforms to help graphic designers enhance our creativity, society, and relationships with the rest of the world.

Artificial Intelligent in Graphic design project is the Academy of Art University of Graphic Design’s Master of Fine Art thesis project, which took 2 years to develop. The thesis project emphasizes the advanced study of the field by conducting quantitative and qualitative research, focus group, inspiration, ideation, prototyping, and user-testing.

There have been a lot of discussions about Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and utilizing algorithms that will shape the future of design and the role of designers in general.

However, its impact on our careers as graphic and digital designers is still unknown.

At a recent Tedx event, the futurist Thomas Frey predicted that 2 billion jobs would disappear by 2030 – that’s 50 percent of all jobs. According to a report by Oxford University and Deloitte, 800,000 jobs were lost in the UK due to automation between 2001–2015. However, according to the same report, 3.5 million new jobs were created. NPR’s “Will your job be done by a machine?” predicts an 8 percent chance of a graphic designer’s job being automated within 20 years.

What could the future be for graphic designers? Adaptability is a fundamental design principle for all future designers. AI will become a design partner and tool that designers can use in an ever-evolving role. Designers should set up a growth mindset to adapt to the evolving role. The first step is to understand AI’s existing tools and capabilities. Furthermore, designers should weave AI ethics into the creative process. As AI continues to change and affect the way we design, our roles will evolve as well. Now, it’s just a matter of viewing AI as being less of a threat and embracing it more as a partner that helps extend our ability to tackle problems.

The Artificial Intelligence In Graphic Design campaign was promoting a 3-day conference in San Francisco, CA in November 2019. Each day there is a design workshop, with talks from different speakers. The goal behind this event is to help designers understand what Artificial Intelligence is and how to work with Artificial Intelligence to achieve something bigger in the creative industry.

The thesis, named, Minarva aims to engage technology in a meaningful way by enhancing the ability of the designers. Reclaiming to the designers that instead of feeling threatened by AI, we should take advantage of technology by understanding the potential of AI. Redefining the relationship between humans and machines is crucial. AI will help the design industry clarify the boundary between creative and productive work. If a computer can resize an advertisement in 50 formats, the designer can focus on the strategic aspects of the next campaign. Reinforcing the idea that AI is not a threat but in fact a huge opportunity for the design world.

In order to get more insight and a better perspective, focus groups may include designers, engineers, data scientists, and computer scientists, as well as other experts, have no background in A.I. but still have a vested interest in it. These other groups may consist of business professionals, law students, and scientific researchers. Over thirty people in related fields attended the event.

This thesis’ target audience is the designers of the future.

I always try to avoid using robots to represent the images that I generate because they are so cliche.

We are currently in the early stages of A.I. development. According to research, human beings are known to be skeptical about what A.I. is ultimately capable of. Despite this notion, people have always relied on the convenience that A.I. has brought them. Many are worried that A.I. will make humans become less economically viable.

In German the meaning of the name Mina is love. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom, arts, trade, and strategy. That is why I decided to name this thesis project Minarva because the primary purpose of this thesis is to develop a meaningful human-machine relationship between graphic designers and A.I.

A.I. Image generator, A.I. Logo generator, Adobe After Effect, Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign, Adobe XD.

I have been exploring many A.I. image generator applications that have already been published online. I tried to understand the level of quality of an A.I. image generator could deliver. I have been testing two different websites. The A.I. Image generators will allow anyone to become digitally creative and get the most out of their images. I was genuinely impressed by these experimental design methods because A.I. generated a new image effectively. It took less than an hour to process an image, and it allowed me to process an unlimited number of images and it was free. I used the images that have been generated by A.I. to design posters. I took some images that have been generated by A.I. and used Adobe Photoshop to split the RGB colors and added some image noise and glitch effects. As a result, I created a unique visual language by using the collage technique.

I interviewed A.I. expert, Luigi Nardi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Machine Learning at Lund University; Research Scientist at Stanford. He participated in the focus group and gave an inspirational speech.

With the help of A.I. and technology, I created multiple designs for this project at much faster rates and reduced costs. There are a lot of surprising ways that A.I. can be used in graphic design such as speedy design prototyping, A/B testing, analyzing vast amounts of data, suggesting design adjustments, resizing, product localization, creating variations, and creating the same graphics in multiple languages.

AI/ML transcription dutifully translates a sketch to comp and into markup. Transferring sketches into a working prototype is part of the designer’s job, but that is not the real thinking. Designers have already solved the conceptual part of the problem, and we share these solved problems with machines so we can solve new ones. The clerical parts of our work perhaps we find painful, the tedious job is the time-consuming, repetitive, detail-oriented, error-prone, joyless job. However, machines are great at those jobs. Human designers and robots should be able to work together side by side and do wonders.

After clearly defining the problem statement, I conducted several research activities to understand the background, context, and audience to discover key insights. I also looked at visual and conceptual opinions from diverse sources to generate ideas.

The research phase included two parts, primary and secondary. Conducting research is an inquiry-based process that involves identifying a question, gathering information, analyzing and evaluating evidence, drawing conclusions, and sharing the knowledge gained. The ability to conduct research is critical skill students need to be college and career-ready.

It was very intimidating the first time I read the news title, “Artificial intelligence generated 8000 posters in 1 second”. The first thought that came into my mind: Is A.I. taking over the graphic designers’ job. When I moved forward with the thesis process, all the articles were either too complicated or too confusing, especially for a designer with no computer science background. The MFA thesis process is like jumping into the rabbit hole, but I’m so glad I did! Developing new visual language for A.I. and technology is also very challenging.

By participating in a prestigious design competition, I have a new opportunity to show critical thinking and creative skills. The rewards of design competitions help me achieve both my educational and professional goals.

When A.I. started to make a logo (Logojoy) and poster (Luban), build U.I. (UIzard), mockup (Placeit), and website (WIX). Designers freak out, “omg is A.I. taking over a designer job?” No, That is not our job, that is the clerical part of our job. That’s the production job that dutifully translates sketch to comp and into mockup, this is not the real creative thinking; this is not a conceptual strategy made by a designer.

Some tedious design jobs like re-sizing, translating, and prototyping are time-consuming, repetitive, detail-oriented, error-prone, and joyless. We designers even feel a little bit pained to do those kinds of jobs which the computer is actually very good at! Let A.I. take over the joyless part, and web designers can move on to solve the next design problem! When humans and A.I. work together, it actually could make some interesting combinations that generate new insights.

I have more than 5 years of design experience in the industry. I have experience working as a design freelancer, design studio designer, design agency designer, and in-house designer. I participated in some exciting design projects for clients like CVS, Xfinity, Comcast, Aetna, Hippo Insurance, Braid (fintech), Muinin (Tech), Prosim (A.I.), and Gong cha Franchise. In 2019, I received my master of fine arts degree in graphic design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

I believe that working as a designer is a privilege. As an artist and designer, I am able to offer my unique perspective and creative solutions to make the world a better place and help drive businesses to give my life more meaning and purpose.

One of the reasons why I chose to become a designer was because I had the opportunity to design branding for a local ice cream shop in Taiwan. That was when I learned the value of branding and marketing. I have always wanted to be a designer since I was 12. When I started designing at the age of 18, I loved it ever since.

I have a huge interest in prototyping and interaction design. Seeing people connecting with my designs have always brought me joy. Nowadays, information has become so much easier to access because of ever-advancing technology. Almost every company is using websites, applications, and social media to connect with their audiences and provide their services. Today, more and more consumers prefer to buy online rather than from brick-and-mortar stores. A well-designed digital product offers a great online experience.

It doesn’t matter if you are a new graduate design student or an experienced designer, you should always take control of your career when seeking the next design opportunity. Take the time to get your hands dirty by producing thousands of sketches, building prototypes, and conducting user testing. I received the best advice from my art director when he said: “Don’t be afraid of failure. Learn to be in an uncomfortable situation and lean into it – you’ll never know how good you can be unless you try.” I would like to advise young designers that one of the best ways to gain knowledge and improve their skills is to get a lot of experience doing projects!

Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful. Great designers believe in the quality of the product, the quality of the brand, the quality of the experience and never let those standards slip.

I use two design concepts to evaluate a good design: user-centric design and emotional design. I believe a good design should be functional, intuitive, and evoke human emotion.

Good design is not just about the aesthetic improvement of our environment – it is as much about improved quality of life, equality of opportunity, and economic growth.

I want to focus more on emotional design in the future. Design based on emotions can affect the overall user experience deeply, since emotions influence decision making, affect attention, memory, and generate meaning.

My very first freelance design job was designing the user interface for an automatic parking payment kiosk. I had so much fun working on this project, understanding the user pain points by conducting user research such as observation, user interviews, and competitor research. I paid particular attention to detail such as the size and location of the dispenser concerning the users’ perspective and streamlining the step-by-step instructions. The automatic parking payment kiosk was successfully launched in Taiwan in 2016.

Nowadays, information has become so much easier to access because of ever-advancing technology. Almost every company uses websites, applications, and social media to connect with their audiences and provide their services. Today, more and more consumers prefer to buy online rather than from brick-and-mortar stores. A well-designed digital product offers a great online experience. I have a considerable interest in prototyping and interaction design. My favorite platform is the application that involves human-computer interaction, psychology, marketing, information architecture, and user experience. The user-centered app design needs to be aligned with the brand’s aesthetics, functionality, intuition, ease of use, and have great features. Seeing people connecting with my designs have always brought me joy. I want to learn more about human-machine interaction and design more digital products such as the web or app.

Empathy is the secret recipe for a successful design project. I see design as a way to communicate with the audience when it comes to communication. First of all, you should know your audience, and know your audiences’ pain points. I then deliver a solution by addressing the users' concerns. For example, whenever I show marketing campaign strategy presentation slides during a presentation, I follow the following structure: what the problem is, what the solution is, and what the impact is. I always make sure the design addresses the users’ needs. I also make sure it provides a unique perspective or solution. Lastly, I make sure the design will always evoke a certain emotional response.

The designer I find cool as an individual is Oliviero Toscani, an Italian photographer, best-known worldwide for designing controversial advertising campaigns for Italian brand Benetton, from 1982 to 2000. I think designer Lindon Leader is super cool because he designed the most recognizable logo in the world – the FedEx logo. Lindon Leader wanted the logo to do more than just say a name. He wanted to give more information about what the company did. This is how he came up with the idea to put an arrow between the E and the X. I think Paul Rand was an American iconic graphic designer of all times, best known for his corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Enron, Morningstar, Inc., Westinghouse, ABC, and NeXT. He was one of the first American commercial artists to embrace and practice the Swiss Style of graphic design. I always feel inspired by some of my favorite role models in design like Donald Norman. Donald Norman proposes a concept of emotional design which evokes emotion to encourage users to use it and elicit a positive emotional response. The architect I admire the most is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German-born American architect whose rectilinear forms, crafted in elegant simplicity, epitomized the International Style and exemplified his famous principle that “less is more.”

My most favorite design is the Juicy Salif Juicer which was designed by Donald Norman. It represents a concept of emotional design which evokes emotion to encourage users to use it and elicit a positive emotional response.

The Artificial Intelligent in Graphic design project is the Academy of Art University of Graphic Design's Master of Fine Art thesis project, which took two years to develop. The thesis project emphasizes the advanced study of the field by conducting quantitative and qualitative research, focus group, inspiration, ideation, prototyping, and user-testing.

According to NPR's: Will a machine do your job? According to the report, there's an 8 percent chance that graphic design jobs will become automated within 20 years. So how can we convince current designers that Artificial Intelligence is not a threat and should be embraced to help them solve problems by doing highly repetitive jobs?

The MFA thesis, Minarva, is a campaign that aims to create a meaningful human-machine relationship. Instead of eliminating the designer's occupation, Artificial Intelligence will become a design partner and tool that designers can utilize to meet ever-evolving workplace demands. Minarva can help designers understand Artificial Intelligence and the impact it brings to the design field. Minarva campaign aims to encourage designers to take advantage of this technology.

With the help of A.I. and technology, I created multiple designs for this project at much faster rates and reduced costs. There are many surprising ways that A.I. can be used in graphic design, such as speedy design prototyping, A/B testing, analyzing vast amounts of data, suggesting design adjustments, resizing, product localization, creating variations, and creating the same graphics in multiple languages. AI/ML transcription dutifully translates a sketch to comp and into markup. Transferring drawings into a working prototype is part of the designer's job, but that is not the actual thinking. Designers have already solved the conceptual part of the problem, and we share these solved problems with machines so we can solve new ones. The clerical aspects of our work perhaps we find painful, the tedious job is the time-consuming, repetitive, detail-oriented, error-prone, joyless job. However, machines are great at those jobs. Human designers and robots should be able to work together side by side and do wonders.

The challenge of this project is to understand a complicated subject matter and develop an easy-to-understand infographic with unique visual language. I always try to avoid using robots to represent the images I generate because they are so cliche. I have been exploring many A.I. image generator applications that have already been published online. I tried to understand the level of quality that an A.I. image generator could deliver. I have been testing two different websites. The A.I. Image generators will allow anyone to become digitally creative and get the most out of their images. I was genuinely impressed by these experimental design methods because A.I. generated a new image effectively. It took less than an hour to process a picture, and it allowed me to process an unlimited number of photos, and it was free. I used the images that A.I. has been generated to design posters. I took some photos that have been generated by A.I. and used Adobe Photoshop to split the RGB colors and added some image noise and glitch effects to convey the ideas of creativity and technology. As a result, I created a unique visual language by using the collage technique.

It is a great satisfaction that Artificial Intelligence In Design Event Marketing Material has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design Category by the International Design Academy.

Being a designer means that I have to increase my skill level with design tools, sharpen my domain knowledge by conducting and synthesizing research, and contribute to product and design strategies in everyday life. During my free time, I like watching YouTube videos about design, reading design blogs, browsing design portfolios, and finding inspiration.

Psychologist. Some of the best designers are ones who can identify with their users, customers, and clients and be sensitive to their needs. Too often, designers can get caught up in their own bias or their own desire for what a product should be, and they completely ignore who they are actually designed for. Empathizing with the users and clients ensures I'm creating designs with purpose and with the right intent. My interest in psychology, which has built up since I was a teenager, helped me strongly in developing the aforementioned skills.

Designing allows me to play, create, fashion, execute, or construct according to a plan. Designing is a process of identifying a problem as well as understanding the user's needs, motivation, and requirements. Designers offer well-executed solutions that include functionality and aesthetics that will lead to certain results or provoke certain human emotions. Designing also provides a way to communicate by opening a dialogue between the designer and the user.

I'm grateful to my family, friends, partners, and professor.

Great designers have an understanding of the world around us. They seek out solutions to real problems and have a desire to make the world a better place. Great designers focus on how and why something might work, not why it won't work. Great designers are opportunists, catalysts of change, and creators of experiences.

I overcame a lot of obstacles when I graduated from design school. By the time I graduated, I did not fully understand the design industry landscape. I wasn't sure what kind of designer I wanted to be. I was also not sure what kind of work environment that I would thrive in so I can grow and be able to contribute my creative talent. I accepted every opportunity that was given to me. There were times I spent too much time on doing unimportant tasks, and there was also a period of time when I got burned out because I did too much work. It was a valuable experience for me to learn how to manage my time productively and meet my client’s expectations to the best of my ability. I’m now better at prioritizing my tasks, as well as understanding my client's business goals so I can be able to present the artwork in a way that will encourage my clients to move the project forward.

When designers are presenting, tell the story about how their design came to be. Walkthrough each section of the design and explain the rationale. Talk about the design, its benefits, and how it solves the project goals.

I'm currently designing a dating app. To design a dating app that will win a broad audience, I should think like an end-user. A well-thought app logic and robust set of features are useless if its interface is cluttered or hard-to-use.

My ultimate goal is to create User-centered design products. User-centered design (UCD) is an iterative design process in which designers focus on the users and their needs in each phase of the design process.

Becoming a great designer is a constant process of self-improvement and education. On top of continuing to master essential design skills, there are lots of other non-design things that designers can learn and improve upon to make me even better at what I do. The skills such as Empathy, Critical thinking, Communication, Coding, Analytics, Business, Finance, Research, Psychology, Marketing, and Networking.

As an artist and designer, I see myself as a visual communicator and humanist. Therefore, the designer must have a deep understanding of society's psychological and social impact, such as social justice, EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion), and sustainability.

The project I'm currently working on is to deliver a fully functional user-centric brand website within 12 weeks. The design team decided to rebrand the website for potential franchisees who are interested in owning a franchise in the USA. During the design process, I found it was extremely interesting to talk with potential users about our ideas and to learn about their stories. Team coordination is key. Therefore, I always make sure that I check with my group members to make sure everything goes smoothly.

The project, artificial intelligence used in graphic design, is my graphic design's master of fine art (MFA) thesis project that I did while I was studying at the Academy of Art University. The project took two years to develop. The thesis project emphasized the advanced study of the field by conducting quantitative and qualitative research, hosting focus groups, creating inspiration, coming up with ideas, prototyping, and user-testing.

The MFA thesis, Minarva, is a campaign that aims to create a meaningful human-machine relationship. Instead of eliminating the designer's occupation, AI can become a design partner and tool that designers can utilize to meet ever-evolving workplace demands. Minarva can help designers understand AI and the impact it brings to the design field. The Minarva campaign aims to encourage designers to take advantage of this technology.

The challenge of this project is to understand a complicated subject matter and develop an easy-to-understand infographic with a unique visual language. I always try to avoid using robots to represent the images I generate because they are so cliche. I have been exploring many AI image generator applications that have already been published online. I tried to understand the level of quality that an AI image generator could deliver. I have been testing two different websites. The AI image generators will allow anyone to become digitally creative and get the most out of their images. I was genuinely impressed by these experimental design methods because AI generated a new image effectively. It took less than an hour to process an image, and it allowed me to process an unlimited number of photos, and the best thing about it is that it was free. I used the images that AI has generated to design posters. I took some photos that have been generated by AI and used Adobe Photoshop to split the RGB colors and added some image noise and glitch effects to convey the ideas of creativity and technology. As a result, I created a unique visual language by using the collage technique.

It is a great satisfaction that “Artificial intelligence in design event marketing material” has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in graphics, illustration, and visual communication design category by the international design academy.

Design work will keep evolving in several aspects ranging from tangible to digital. In the past, designers made tangible assets by hand. Over time, creating a product and a design has been changing from physical to digital. With today’s tools and platforms, designers can create many visual assets that can only be seen as a creative speed and quantity never seen before. Designers are also becoming more and more specialized in different areas. Thanks to technology, any customization can be achieved, so a designer's role has been changing into someone who can be called in at any time to solve problems in any area.

The design field has entered a new era due to ever-advancing technology. More advanced design tools, platforms and products, and designers’ roles have been constantly changing. Because of the internet, design assets have been getting a lot more views and attracting more audiences worldwide. Design work will keep evolving in several aspects ranging from tangible assets to digital assets. It is an exciting era for designers.

Normally, designing a poster could have a deadline as short as 3 days. On the other hand, designing a website could have a deadline as long as 8-12 weeks. The most significant advantage of being a designer is that you have the liberty to express your imagination and creativity to the fullest. Many designers can happily say that they love doing their job every single day. The most significant disadvantage of being a designer is that designing can be a very time-consuming process, especially when you try to make things better than they already are. There is no right or wrong answer because designing is a subjective process which means the design can only get better. There is no such thing as a perfect design. A piece of artwork can always be improved. Designers can frequently find themselves in endless meetings discussing revisions and iterations. Managing time and meeting clients' expectations are essential skills needed so designers can do their job well.

Managing the project is crucial because the designer and stakeholders define the objectives, scope, budget, deliverables, goals, audience, and timeline, which they have discussed at the beginning of the project. I manage the project's timeline by listing down how many tasks are needed to be done, estimating the timeframe by doing some research, getting some inspiration and ideas, and producing possible prototypes. I also evaluate the meeting time with clients and stakeholders. There are times that I often have to do multiple iterations. When designing a timeline for a project, I intentionally leave some extra time for iterations. At the beginning of each kick-off meeting, I would also clearly communicate with clients about agreeing on a definite timeline and limiting the number of iterations that a project can have.

When do I decide my design is ready? In my early career, I frequently spent too much time polishing one particular project. Constantly checking with the project manager or clients helps me prioritize tasks better and decide to move on. I believe that the "golden rule" is understanding how the design fits into the company's overall goal to help make crucial design decisions.

The top three aspects of the design process that are important for me are Inspiration, Ideation, and Implementation. Inspiration includes research and understanding of the user and the problem. Ideation involves coming up with ideas and solutions that I came up with when I was inspired. Finally, implementation includes user testing, A/B testing, and design iteration based on the user’s feedback.

Technology that allows a greater depth to design, allowing users to better immerse themselves and visualize concepts and design better. It also allows clients and designers to pinpoint exactly where and what they changed in the design.

I use sketchbooks, pens, pencils, stickers, notes, mood boards, inspiration boards, color palettes, user journey maps, user archetypes, brand guidelines, and mind-mapping and brainstorming maps. For design software, I use Adobe Suite every day. My favorite design tool is Figma for collaboration.

Good design is not just what looks good. It also needs to perform, convert, astonish, and fulfill its purpose. A good design should not be measured finitely – multiple perspectives should also be considered. These aspects define a good design: Functionality, repairability, reliability, aesthetics, durability, producibility, simplicity, compact, intuitive, user-centered, and a good business.

Designers often work in a highly collaborative manner. The primary focus of the design team is to define the look and feel of the brand product image through experimentation, critical thinking, and extraordinary attention to detail. Designers should articulate ideas clearly, engage in a constructive debate, and accept feedback that will lead in the right direction. Within a design team, each individual has their strengths and specializes in areas where they can grow. I want to work with people who can maximize the contribution of every individual by cultivating a culture of cooperation rather than competition, where designers feel comfortable sharing their knowledge. Design teams are most productive when they know that the work is meaningful and adds value to the company's long-term goals.

Emotional Design is both the title of a book by Donald Norman and of the concept it represents. Design based on emotions can affect the overall user experience deeply, since emotions influence decision making, affect attention, memory, and generate meaning.

I like to play with typography, grid systems, and white spaces and experiment with different types of grid systems. Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test are the main tasks of my design process. First, I empathize with the users’ needs and pain points by conducting research and interviews and organizing focus groups. I then define the design problem. Then I ideate the design solution and deliverable. Then I prototype a design and test it using user testing methods before doing the final iteration and launching the final product.

Donald Norman. Emotional Design is both the title of a book by Donald Norman and of the concept it represents. Design based on emotions can profoundly affect the overall user experience since emotions influence decision-making, affect memory, and generate meaning.

In the application phase, I noticed what a positive image and international appeal the A' Design Award has! Everyone I told about my application was enthusiastic about my participation, and many followed my work even more attentively than before. The demands on the competition entries and the information to be provided are very high but justified. This design award requires the applicants to make a sincere effort and intensively deal with the submitted work (and their personal development). The knowledge gained is an excellent opportunity for self-reflection and further development. After announcing the results, I received excellent international feedback. Especially my existing customers and long-time companions felt that the award confirmed that they had rightly given me their attention. I also had the impression that this also led them to reflect on themselves and the object as well as on questions of design. I am very proud to have received the A' Design Award and am overwhelmed by the positive effects I have already experienced.

I feel very inspired and become more eager about my work. Designers must be curious enough to understand the users and their problems. Therefore, whenever I design a solution, I usually research a user's pain point and how other people address this problem. After gathering all the knowledge, I developed a solution, which will always be a continuous learning process. The journey of discovering new things is my biggest motivation, and it brings me a lot of joy and feels meaningful in everyday life.

Product design has changed the world. The internet has opened the door to the world of virtual design experience, while 3D printing is poised to become a game-changer. As a designer myself, I have an optimistic view of the future of design. This is an era where designers can leverage their unique edge in creativity to inspire people through personal expression and self-fulfillment. It is also an era where designers can promote their products and services through the effective use of technology, breaking the boundaries between physical assets, digital assets, and intangible assets.

In 2019, I received my master of fine arts degree in graphic design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I believe that working as a designer is a privilege. As an artist and designer, I am able to offer my unique perspective and creative solutions to make the world a better place and help drive businesses to give my life more meaning and purpose. One of the reasons why I chose to become a designer was because I had the opportunity to design branding for a local ice cream shop in Taiwan. That was when I learned the value of branding and marketing. I have always wanted to be a designer since I was 12. When I started designing at the age of 18, I loved it ever since.

Most recently, I spearheaded the design of the marketing campaign, company social media, and website for Gong Cha, an international tea chain with over 1,500 stores across 19 countries. Prior to this, I led the interaction design and branding initiatives for startups and individual businesses in FinTech, education, food services, culture, and the arts, healthcare, and telecommunications.

Designing allows me to play, create, fashion, execute, or construct according to a plan. Designing is a process of identifying a problem as well as understanding the user's needs, motivation, and requirements. Designers offer well-executed solutions that include functionality and aesthetics that will lead to certain results or provoke certain human emotions. Designing also provides a way to communicate by opening a dialogue between the designer and the user.

I have a huge interest in prototyping and interaction design. Seeing people connecting with my designs have always brought me joy. Nowadays, information has become so much easier to access because of ever-advancing technology. Almost every company is using websites, applications, and social media to connect with their audiences and provide their services. Today, more and more consumers prefer to buy online rather than from brick-and-mortar stores. A well-designed digital product offers a great online experience.

My most favorite design is the Juicy Salif Juicer which was designed by Donald Norman. It represents a concept of emotional design which evokes emotion to encourage users to use it and elicit a positive emotional response.

My very first freelance design job was designing the user interface for an automatic parking payment kiosk. I had so much fun working on this project. Understanding the user pain points by conducting user research such as observation, user interviews, and competitor research was very helpful. I paid special attention to detail such as the size and location of the dispenser with reference to the users’ perspective and streamlining the step-by-step instructions. The machine was successfully launched in Taiwan in 2016.

My favorite platform is the application that involves human-computer interaction, psychology, marketing, information architecture, and user experience. The user-centered app design needs to be aligned with the brand’s aesthetics, functionality, intuition, ease of use, and have great features.

Brainstorming sessions make me feel the most creative! In the initial design stage, creativity comes from a lot of research such as reading blogs and articles, listening to music, watching movies, and conducting user interviews to get a much better perspective. During the brainstorming session, everyone can share their own observations and spontaneous feedback which are the secret ingredients of creativity. I appreciate working with people from diverse backgrounds because they offer different ideas and provide a wide array of perspectives.

I usually spend most of my time doing design research. Designing must first provide the right functionality before it can exhibit aesthetics. To provide the right functionality, designers need to dig deeper to identify the problem. For example, when I design a piece of company social media post having a resolution of a 1080 px x 1080 px graphic. The main purpose of this square social media post is to initiate a conversation about brands with their audience to communicate who they are and what they offer! Visual communication will be more successful if we do a lot of research on the brand identity, mission, and vision as well as what the user would like to know and what message the brand is trying to convey to the user.

I feel very inspired and become more eager about my work. Designers must be curious enough to understand the users and their problems. Whenever I design a solution, I usually do some research on what a user's pain point is and how other people address this problem. After gathering all the knowledge, I learned to come up with a solution, which will always be a continuous learning process.

I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Empathy is the secret recipe for a successful design project. I see design as a way to communicate with the audience when it comes to communication. First of all, you should know your audience, and know your audiences’ pain points. I then deliver a solution by addressing the users' concerns. For example, whenever I show marketing campaign strategy presentation slides during a presentation, I follow the following structure: what the problem is, what the solution is, and what the impact is.

I always make sure the design addresses the users’ needs. I also make sure it provides a unique perspective or solution. Lastly, I make sure the design will always evoke a positive emotional response.

As an artist and designer, I see myself as a visual communicator and humanist. It is crucial that the designer should have a deep understanding of the psychological and social impact on society, such as social justice, EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion), and sustainability.

The design field has entered a new era due to ever-advancing technology. More advanced design tools, platforms and products, and designers’ roles have been constantly changing. Because of the internet, design assets have been getting a lot more views and attracting more audiences worldwide. Design work will keep evolving in several aspects ranging from tangible assets to digital assets. It is an exciting era for designers.

My last exhibition took place in the MOOD museum in Italy in 2021. I currently have no plans of holding any exhibitions in the near future.

I get inspiration from a variety of sources, such as design video, music, movies, tv shows, books, blogs, portfolios, podcasts, interviews, focus groups, museums, exhibitions, shopping malls, stores, apps, websites, or simply just talking to people.

I like to play with typography, grid systems. and white spaces as well as experiment with different types of grid systems. The overall visual style is inspired by abstract paintings which focus on using lines, spaces, movements, colors, and textures to evoke emotion. When I created A.I. in design campaigns, I tried to avoid the robot as a key visual image. I use glitch effects with RGB split tones instead to give the audience a sense of technology and creativity. I always approach this process by thinking outside the box and experimenting with different elements.

I was born and raised in Taiwan but I have been living in San Francisco since 2016. Whenever I design artwork, I usually combine both Western and Eastern culture and visual aesthetics into the design process. In Asia, oriental aesthetics pays a lot of attention to details and realism, and there are many limitations to creativity. Western aesthetics is influenced by individualism while unique personal style and creativity are more valued.

As a designer, I’m a great team player as well as a great individual contributor. I’m very comfortable working alone or working with a team. In my design career, I’ve worked with a variety of different companies of differing sizes, and each company has a different organizational structure and different ways of working with designers. When I just started working with a new client or a new company, I usually ask what their design process is all about and what their preferences are when they work with a designer. From there I adjust my workflow according to what we agreed to.

Fully utilized design methods can speed up the design process in a collaborative environment when there are multiple stakeholders and design teams involved. Design methods such as brand storming, user persona, mind mapping, design briefs, mood boards, design guidelines, user journey maps, user archetypes, brand archetypes, marketing research, competitor research, and style sheets bring everyone on the same page. When companies select good designers, the designer’s portfolio demonstrates what kind of designer they are. The designer's working style is also important. Some designers work better by themselves and some designers work better in a team. If a designer’s creative process and artwork style align with the company’s business goal, that designer will be more likely to be a great fit.

To Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test are the main tasks of my design process. I, first, empathize with the users’ needs and pain points by conducting some research and interviews and organizing focus groups. I then define the design problem. Then I ideate the design solution and deliverable. Then I prototype a design and test it by using user testing methods before doing the final iteration and launching the final product.

My favorite design items at home are my car, laptop, dishwasher, refrigerator, and a pair of AirPods. They are all beautifully designed and extremely practical and that’s why I use them every single day.

I usually work at the office from 8:30 to 16:30. While I commute to the office, I listen to a design podcast. The topic of the podcast is very diverse because it features different design research methods, UIUX, design interviews, as well as design communication and management. I usually have at least 5 design meetings per week. I meet with a variety of stakeholders, cross-functional teams within an organization, and creative teams. I also attend bi-weekly marketing meetings once a week to discuss upcoming updates, brainstorm design ideas, and plan events. The most recent meeting dealt with standardizing branding for brand Instagram posts. Weekly design meetings involve discussing the status of everyone’s work, any ongoing issues, and any announcements that need to be made. Things like project deadlines and problems with clients take precedence over other matters. Being a designer means that I have to increase my skill level with design tools, sharpen my domain knowledge by conducting and synthesizing research, and contribute to product and design strategies in everyday life. During my free time, I like watching YouTube videos about design, reading design blogs, browsing design portfolios, and finding inspiration.

It doesn’t matter if you are a new graduate design student or an experienced designer, you should always take control of your career when seeking the next design opportunity. Take the time to get your hands dirty by producing thousands of sketches, building prototypes, and conducting user testing. I overcame a lot of obstacles when I graduated from design school. By the time I graduated, I did not fully understand the design industry landscape. I wasn't sure what kind of designer I wanted to be. I was also not sure what kind of work environment that I would thrive in so I can grow and be able to contribute my creative talent. I accepted every opportunity that was given to me. There were times I spent too much time doing unimportant tasks, and there was also a period of time when I got burned out because I did too much work. It was a valuable experience for me to learn how to manage my time productively and meet my client’s expectations to the best of my ability. I’m now better at prioritizing my tasks, as well as understanding my client's business goals so I can be able to present the artwork in a way that will encourage my clients to move the project forward. I received the best advice from my art director when he said: “Don’t be afraid of failure. Learn to be in an uncomfortable situation and lean into it – you’ll never know how good you can be unless you try.” I would like to advise young designers that one of the best ways to gain knowledge and improve their skills is to get a lot of experience doing projects!

The biggest advantage of being a designer is that you have the liberty to express your imagination and creativity to the fullest. Many designers can happily say that they love doing their job every single day. The biggest disadvantage of being a designer is that designing can be a very time-consuming process especially when you try to make things better than they already are. There is no right or wrong answer because designing is a very subjective process which means the design can only get better. There is no such thing as a perfect design. A piece of artwork can always be improved. Designers can frequently find themselves in endless meetings discussing revisions and iterations, managing time, and meeting clients' expectations as much as possible. These are the most essential skills that are needed so designers can do their job well.

I believe that the “golden rule” is understanding how the design fits into the overall goal of the company. This is very critical to making crucial design decisions.

Designers often work in a highly collaborative manner. The primary focus of the design team is to define the look and feel of the brand product image through experimentation, critical thinking, and extraordinary attention to detail. Designers should be able to articulate ideas in a clear manner, engage in a constructive debate, and accept feedback that will lead in the right direction.

I use sketchbooks, pens, pencils, stickers, notes, mood boards, inspiration boards, color palettes, user journey maps, user archetypes, brand guidelines, and mind-mapping and brainstorming maps. For design software, I use Adobe Suite every day. My favorite design tool is Figma for collaboration.

I manage the project’s timeline at the beginning of the design process by listing down how many tasks are needed to be done, estimating the timeframe by doing some research, getting some inspiration and ideas, and producing possible prototypes. I also estimate the meeting time with clients and stakeholders. There are times that I often have to do multiple iterations. When designing a timeline for a project, I intentionally leave some extra time for iterations. At the beginning of each kick-off meeting, I would also clearly communicate with clients about agreeing on a definite timeline and setting a limitation on the number of iterations that a project can have.

Normally, designing a poster could have a deadline as short as 3 days. On the other hand, designing a website could have a deadline as long as 8-12 weeks. Working in a fast-paced design environment can sometimes pressure designers to expedite their jobs. These types of jobs involve a situation in which a particular task is assigned at short notice and the job is expected to be completed immediately. Managing the project is crucial because this is when the designer and stakeholders define the objectives, deliverables, goals, audience, and the timeline which they have discussed at the beginning of the project.

During meetings with multiple stakeholders or business owners, some of the most frequently asked questions and probably the most interesting ones I have ever had were: If a company brand were a person, what kind of person would that company be? What personality would this person have? For example, if the motorcycle brand Harley were a person, you could clearly imagine a rebel who is always on to his next adventure. If the brand Nike were a person, he could feel inspired and feel empowered to succeed and achieve since Nike’s brand slogan states “Just do it!” which indicates Nike embraces challenge and always tries to achieve a goal to become stronger and better. If the brand Chanel were a person, she would be an elegant, attractive, and fashionable lady. Defining a brand identity has always been a challenge for the brand designer.

I’m very grateful that I’ve learned so much from doing different kinds of projects and working with many types of clients. Each project has a unique design process. I’m currently the lead brand designer for Gong cha, an international tea chain with over 1,500 stores across 19 countries. My primary duty is to elevate the brand identity so I can promote the Asian brand to western mainstream society. The deliverables consist of a wide variety of things from brand assets, marketing campaigns, brand videos, product photoshoots, store interior designs to online digital presence such as social media apps and websites. My primary job is to coordinate a complex set of materials that must function together as a whole. This idea also includes marrying multiple messages with divergent formats—all with a unified and holistic aesthetic. This aesthetic has to contain the essence of the Gong cha brands and Gong cha's unique storytelling style.

CVS, Xfinity, Comcast, Aetna, Hippo Insurance, Braid (fintech), Muinin (Tech), ProSim (A.I.), and Gong cha Franchise.

I love branding and formulating a design strategy the most! I enjoy defining the brand identity, value proposition, and target audience with the business owner, and coming up with a comprehensive design strategy plan with multiple deliverables from print to digital, such as Visual identity systems, marketing campaigns, brand uniforms, physical store interior designs, environmental designs, products, packages, merchandise as well as social media websites and apps.

I plan to establish a design management and design leadership that will work. The differences between management and being an individual designer are largely dependent on the outcomes and how you are measured. As a manager, you are responsible for the outcomes of your team as well as your own goals. A design leader should be able to help train and motivate other designers so they can become better at doing their job and everything else related to their profession. That is, how to think, design, collaborate, negotiate, communicate, present, sell, ship, recruit, manage, run a business, and finally, become a well-balanced executive.

I have experienced both working as a team and working as an individual contributor. Each individual has their own strengths and specializes in areas in which they can grow. I can maximize the contribution of every individual by cultivating a culture of cooperation rather than competition, where designers feel comfortable about sharing their knowledge with each other. Design teams are most productive when they know that the work is meaningful and adds value to the company’s long-term goals. Individual contributors have a different way of working compared to designers who choose to work as a team. The farther individual contributors go to advance their careers, the more they tend to focus on their craft. They wield a large amount of influence while constantly sharpening their skills as well as their instincts.

The project I'm currently working on is to deliver a fully functional user-centric brand website within 12 weeks. The design team decided to rebrand the website for potential franchisees who are interested in owning a franchise. During the design process, I found it was extremely interesting to talk with potential users about our ideas and to learn about their stories. Team coordination is key. Therefore, I always make sure that I check with my group members to make sure everything goes smoothly.

You can contact me by pointing your browsers at the following websites:

Portfolio: https://luminhueiportfolio.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minhueilu/

I believe in the power of design to spark conversation to bring people together and to design more effective products that can make people’s lives better.