Interviews with Fan Bai

After graduating from an art academy, I accumulated over a decade of experience in creative planning and visual design in the large-scale commercial event industry, collaborating pleasantly with international brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, GQ, and HUAWEI. To better integrate commercial branding value with art and content value, I founded my own brand WANGJIANXI, aiming to create a novel, fantastical, and unique spiritual home.

I was born into an artist family. During my growth, different art forms left distinct impressions in me, existing like showcases. I hoped to condense different characters' inner worlds into my showcase. My father is an artist, and perhaps influenced by him, I have an innate passion for creation.

In my designs, the core is always people. I pay attention to their emotions and experiences, focus on their real needs, and respect their diversity and individual differences. By focusing on the emotional and emotional aspects of human beings, I hope to create a deeply connected experience with people in my collectibles. During the design process, I value the application of cutting-edge technology and combine it with the craftsmanship of hand-made art. Models and computers may complement each other when necessary.

I am not satisfied with conventional forms, perhaps driven by curiosity, and hope to turn the concepts in my mind into reality. The two most exciting moments are when I can understand my work and when viewers have their own interpretations after seeing the work.

I have a fifteen-year skiing experience. Because skiers need to keenly observe and understand the surrounding environment at high speed, this sport has, to some extent, enhanced my visual perception and spatial awareness. Moreover, skiers need to cope with various emergencies at any time, which I think is beneficial to improve my creativity and adaptability.

When I was very young, I wanted to design a zoo where animals and humans can live in harmony in a holistic environment, interact with each other, instead of a relationship of captivity. In the future, if I have enough time and resources, I hope to participate in the design of endangered animal shelters, providing a safe and comfortable living environment for animals that need shelter and protection through reasonable space planning, appropriate material selection, carefully controlled environments, and meaningful visual design, promoting their recovery and protection.

Look for platforms that provide cutting-edge design information, they can give you an objective standard to analyze your own work.

Pay more attention to industry information in other fields, and create a cross-disciplinary, diversified, and comprehensive creative collection.

At the beginning of a day, I review today's to-do tasks with my assistant, prioritizing urgent and important matters, and arrange other projects for different times of the day. Rather than strictly adhering to a daily schedule, I prefer to flexibly manage my work rhythm. For instance, if there are creative tasks, I will undertake them in the morning when my energy is abundant. If there are data analysis and relatively complex tasks that require patience and organization, I will do them in the afternoon, as I feel more focused and clear-headed at that time. I read various industry news and engage in social interaction during lunchtime and evening.

I believe that design should not only meet the current needs but also have long-lasting vitality, remaining attractive and practical as time goes by. I pay attention to the social aspects behind design trends, including socio-economic, cultural, and environmental aspects. They provoke deep thinking, thereby influencing my conceptualization process.

Designs that have a stance, that are social, and that embody spiritual sustenance.

When I can fully understand my own work, I consider the design ready for me. However, it's essential to recognize that design is almost always improvable, as there is no perfect design. Design holds different meanings for different people, and it only gains unique significance when integrated with people. I can pursue perfection in my own mind, but for others, it is always a new beginning.

In the reality of the overlapping COVID-19 pandemic and wars, as well as the central and decentralized game brought by the metaverse, the Beltman work expresses design thinking in an intuitive and innovative way. Its visual presentation conveys a very simple concept: control. I want to create an aesthetic through this work, where stories can be seen in simplicity, and order can be seen in complexity.

I think Roy Lichtenstein is cool, and his design of the BMW Art Car is a great design.

I grew up and developed in an Eastern cultural environment, so Eastern art is a part of my genes. At the same time, I have always enjoyed traveling around the world. Amsterdam, Oslo, and Tokyo, among the more than thirty cities I have visited, have had a profound impact on me. I like the diverse culture and developed design industry of Amsterdam, the natural culture of Oslo, and the avant-garde street culture of Tokyo. Exceptional designs can reflect the values and aesthetics of different cultures, promoting the recognition and respect of cultural diversity.

For my personal brand, I usually work independently to create the design and artwork.

My commercial collaborations projects with other brands are usually completed by the team. As the chief designer, I preside over the entire design decision, grasp the overall situation, balance the commercial and artistic components in each project, and present the uniqueness of the project through artistic means while showing the sincerity of the brand. The high demand for comprehensive creative ability may be a challenge.

I actively collaborate with non-profit organizations in public welfare art exhibitions. I believe that designers have a responsibility to use their creativity and skills to have a positive impact on society and the environment. This includes prioritizing sustainable and ethical practices and utilizing design as a powerful tool for social change.

I think international design competitions provide designers with the opportunity to showcase their works and design thinking on a global scale, connecting our work with the world. These platforms allow us to gain exposure, learn from other talented designers, and receive valuable feedback, which can inspire further growth and development in our respective fields.

I believe that design should not only cater to current needs, but also stand the test of time, having lasting vitality and maintaining its appeal and practicality over time. I draw design inspirations from the collision of history, social culture, and trend of times.

Artistic expression and raising awareness are important considerations in my designs. I focus on hot social issues and the common dilemmas faced by people from different cultural backgrounds, hoping to resonate or inspire thinking through design and striving to make the design have a profound impact beyond the current era.

I'm currently preparing two exhibitions for this award-winning work in Beijing.

The changing world situation with the overlapping of the COVID-19 pandemic and war, and the rise of the metaverse bringing the game between centralization and decentralization, led to the creation of the Beltman work, expressing design thinking in an intuitive and innovative way. Its visual presentation conveys a simple concept: control. I strive to create an aesthetic through this work, where stories can be seen in simplicity and order in complexity.

Currently, no other company is producing or using it, and we welcome partners for collaborative production or licensing cooperation.

In my designs, the core is always people. I pay attention to their emotions and experiences, focus on their real needs, and respect their diversity and individual differences. By focusing on the emotional and emotional aspects of human beings, I hope to create a deeply connected experience with humans in my collectibles.

My father is an artist, and his painting is not only creation, but also the protection and inheritance of traditional culture. His style and aesthetics are an inspiration, and his spirit and experience have inspired me to form my own set of theories. So I created a visual system that is completely different from traditional art.

The target customers include art lovers, toy collectors, followers of fashion and trend culture, brand partners and cooperation targets, etc.

Each character has a stable personality and strong spiritual core, maintaining independent individuality while being able to integrate with different people and environments.

The name Beltman is simple, just like it appears.

I intend to create a serious and rigorous atmosphere through the overall and detailed creation.

When the design involved product manufacturing and production testing, I communicated and discussed with technical personnel of suppliers and manufacturers to ensure they could provide the required materials, production equipment, and manufacturing processes to turn the design concept into a commercial product.

In my design, the role of technology is to balance the innovativeness of the design and the feasibility of business.

I researched data on dimensions, accuracy, weight, quality, and optimal performance, balancing all aspects to achieve the best overall effect in the design.

Due to the high precision required by the structure of the work and commitment to sustainable design, the research challenge of this design lies in achieving energy efficiency balance while maintaining precision.

I believe that international design competitions provide designers with an opportunity to showcase their works and thinking on a global scale, connecting our work with the world.

Continuously exploring myself internally, interacting with society externally, experiencing collisions, receiving feedback, perfecting the design, and thus enhancing my thinking ability and problem-solving ability.

After graduating from an art college, I have accumulated more than a decade of creative planning and visual design experience in the large-scale commercial events industry, working cooperatively and pleasantly with international brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, GQ, and HUAWEI. In order to better combine the commercial value of brands with the value of artistic content, I founded my own brand WANGJIANXI, aiming to create a spirit homeland filled with novelty, fantasy, playfulness, and uniqueness.

I was born into an artist family. During my growth, different art forms left distinct impressions in me, existing like showcases. I hope to encapsulate the inner worlds of different characters into my showcase.

My father is an artist, and perhaps influenced by him, I have an innate passion for creation. My art journey is more of a soul-driven marathon, driven by inner enlightenment, than a decade-long dialogue of style. Naturally, things fell into place.

Collectibles.

Focus and persistence.

Works of the great designers have imperceptibly become a pillar supporting people’s spiritual world.

The attitude towards design, its social implications, and the spiritual significance it carries.

Good design can reflect the values and aesthetics of different cultures, and promote the recognition and respect of cultural diversity.

If I have enough time, I hope to design an ideal endangered animal shelter. Through rational space planning, choosing appropriate materials, carefully controlling the environment, and meaningful visual design, provide a safe and comfortable living environment for animals in need of shelter and protection, promoting their recovery and protection.

When I was very young, I wanted to design a zoo where animals and humans could coexist harmoniously in an integrated environment, interacting with each other rather than a relationship of captivity..

Design is not only a flash of ideas, but a process requiring long-time accumulation of skills.

I once saw an exhausted Ultraman Toy sitting on the ground to rest while smoking after he strips off half a monster’s clothes. The plot depicted by the toy attracted me immediately. In films, the Ultraman and the monster represent justice and evil, respectively. However, the toy deviates from our mindset about Ultraman movies, and brings us to a fresh plot that may be closer to reality. I like such designs that reflect the true side of our hearts.

The work Beltman is a turning point in my design thinking. I strive to create a certain aesthetics through this work, seeing stories in simplicity, and order in complexity.

Pay more attention to industry information from other fields and create cross-disciplinary, diversified, and comprehensive creative collections.

A sailor.

For me, design can be a tool for storytelling. I like to collect fragments of other people's lives and translate these valuable experiences, memories, and moments into visually expressive works through the language of art.

My father, his spirit and experiences inspired me to form my own theory.

I pay attention to people's emotions and experiences, focus on their real needs, and respect their diversity and individual differences. By paying attention to the emotional and emotional aspects of human beings, I hope to create an experience that deeply connects with people in my collectibles.

Constantly being presented with different problems that require solutions, making each day a new adventure.

Customize the form and content of the presentation according to the specific audience. Use language and terms that the audience can understand and appreciate. Emphasize the most relevant and influential aspects of their design.

I’m conducting some interesting and meaningful design explorations on the theme of children and the city. I will be happy to collaborate with professionals from multiple fields, such as non-profit organizations, education experts, and child psychologists, to ensure that the design project can meet the needs of children and create positive impacts.

I hope my design can have a positive impact on society.

Everyone's expectations are different, they may hope that I can create something new, while focusing on social responsibility and sustainability. In response, I strive to exceed these expectations, continuously improving skills and knowledge to meet the needs of clients and society.

I actively cooperate with non-profit organizations to hold some public welfare art exhibitions. I believe designers have a responsibility to use their creativity and skills to have a positive impact on society and the environment. This includes prioritizing sustainable and ethical practices, and using design as a powerful tool for social change.

I am currently preparing for two exhibitions in Beijing this year.

I find sustainable design projects, which directly focus on environmental protection and social sustainable development, fulfilling. In these projects, I have always pursued a central goal: to extend the time dimension of design and endow it with life. For instance, I was in charge of designing the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX technology art exhibition. In this project, I combined organic life with technology outlines to promote the concept of sustainability and present sustainable ways of living for the future. Through such design practices, I want to transcend mere functionality, integrating design into the ecosystem, put into creativity and intelligence, and influencing and improving our environment and society with a long-term perspective.

As artificial intelligence replaces the most basic creative processes and even some creative thinking, the continuous development of science and technology will push the core capabilities of designers to the limit. Design will transform, upgrade and become more spiritual, shifting towards a soul-oriented direction.

I am looking forward to the day when humans and AI are deeply integrated and combine to coexist.

It depends on the purpose of the design. If it is a business expression, communicating with the client will take some time. If it's an artistic expression, perhaps the work may form in my mind in an instant.

I set the start and end points of the creation, and continuously explore and experiment in the process.

Embracing curiosity and being touched by the wonders of life.

I believe design needs to adapt to current needs, withstand the test of time, have enduring vitality, and still maintain its attractiveness and practicality as time goes by.

In my design, the role of technology is to balance the innovation of the design and the commercial feasibility.

In design, color, material, and environment can convey emotional values and influence perception and cognition. Color and material trigger specific emotions through emotional responses, while the atmosphere of the environment creates a specific experience. Different choices of color, material, and environment can shape user emotions, guide attention, and enhance design cognition and understanding.

I hope people will ask any questions about my designs, especially those related to themselves. Design is not only an art but also a way to communicate with people.

I think about the background of the creation, its creator’s journey to success, and what opportunities they met.

It depends. The design and art pieces of my independent brand are mainly completed by me. The commercial collaboration projects with other brands are usually completed by a team.

I like comic books of any form, such as those with strange packaging, interactive pages, exaggerated designs, or novel plots, in other words, anything unordinary.

Continuously exploring myself internally, interacting with society externally, experiencing collisions, receiving feedback, perfecting the design, and thus enhancing my thinking ability and problem-solving ability.

It is of great significance for me to win this prize with international influence. It enables me to display my works and my thoughts on design worldwide, and connects my work with the world.

My favorite color is blue, and I love fish and chips. I like autumn. I have enjoyed traveling around the world since I was a child. Among the more than thirty cities I have visited, Amsterdam, Oslo, and Tokyo have had a deep impact on me. I love the diverse culture and developed design industry of Amsterdam, the natural culture of Oslo, and the avant-garde street culture of Tokyo.

In high school, I designed a music festival poster for the organizer. It was the first time I made money from design.

At the beginning of a day, I review today's to-do tasks with my assistant, prioritizing urgent and important matters, and arrange other projects for different times of the day. Rather than strictly adhering to a daily schedule, I prefer to flexibly manage my work rhythm. For instance, if there are creative tasks, I will undertake them in the morning when my energy is abundant. If there are data analysis and relatively complex tasks that require patience and organization, I will do them in the afternoon, as I feel more focused and clear-headed at that time. I read various industry news and engage in social interaction during lunchtime and evening.

When I was a child, my teachers thought I was hopeless.

With the development of technology, if human consciousness can be sustainable, then we will still exist in a thousand years.

Born into an artist family, I absorbed inspirations from various art genres during my growth. The impressions they left in my mind are like attractive commodities in a showcase, and we are shoppers reflected in the glass windows. I hope to encapsulate the inner worlds of different characters into my showcase.

To better integrate commercial branding value with art and content value, I founded my own brand WANGJIANXI, aiming to create a novel, fantastical, and unique spiritual home.

For me, design can be a tool for storytelling. I like to collect fragments of others' lives, and using the language of art, I translate these valuable life experiences, memories, and moments into visually expressive works.

Collectibles.

I once saw an exhausted Ultraman Toy sitting on the ground to rest while smoking after he strips off half a monster’s clothes. The plot depicted by the toy attracted me immediately. In films, the Ultraman and the monster represent justice and evil, respectively. However, the toy deviates from our mindset about Ultraman movies, and brings us to a fresh plot that may be closer to reality. I like such designs that reflect the true side of our hearts.

In high school, I designed a music festival poster for the organizer of the event.

Just after waking up in the morning.

I hope to create a serious and rigorous atmosphere through overall and detailed crafting. I pursue a subtle contrast, focusing on the emotion and storytelling of the design.

Focus and dedication. Unsatisfied with commonplace forms, driven perhaps by curiosity, I hope to turn the concepts in my mind into reality.

I feel relaxed.

The attitude towards design, its social implications, and the spiritual significance it carries.

The degree to which creativity is implemented.

Designers should focus on environmental protection and social sustainable development, promote sustainable concepts, and create more sustainable lifestyles for the future.

Nowadays, artificial intelligence replaces humans to complete basic creation and even some creative thinking. The continuous development of science and technology will push designers’ core capacity to the limits. In this context, the design will transform, upgrade and become more spiritual, shifting towards a soul-oriented direction. I expect the day when man and AI are deeply integrated and co-exist will arrive soon.

I'm currently preparing for two exhibitions this year, in Beijing.

My conception process begins with interacting with the world. I pay attention to prominent social problems and often chat with ordinary people to record their big dreams.

I like to ponder over social phenomena and dig into human nature deep inside, and then depict them with design language in an euphemistic, metaphorical manner. I like to create characters that are both good and evil in my works, set up naughty tricks or create unexpected twists.

The socio-economic and cultural environment in China influences my conception process, mainly in the form of social thoughts provoked in daily life.

Working with companies is a collaborative process that requires the participation of all team members. I maintain good communication with team members and relevant personnel to understand design goals and integrate them with actual situations. We consider various factors, such as user needs, technical feasibility, and market trends, to develop more creative and feasible design schemes.

It depends on the specific field of design. Different types of design require different things from a designer. However, a common point is that they should be responsible. In addition, rich experience and exposure can help a designer create more outstanding and meaningful designs.

I determine the start point and finishing line of my creation, and constantly make explorations and experiments in the process. Just like GPS leads us to our destinations via different routes, all-digital R&D makes the creation process more fault-tolerant and enables me to enjoy different views along the journey of design.

Ultraman Jack, Sid Phillips and Woody from Toy Story, Master Yoda from Star Wars, Lego's IDEA series, and a fully transparent Transformer.

At the beginning of a day, I review today's to-do tasks with my assistant, prioritizing urgent and important matters, and arrange other projects for different times of the day. Rather than strictly adhering to a daily schedule, I prefer to flexibly manage my work rhythm. For instance, if there are creative tasks, I will undertake them in the morning when my energy is abundant. If there are data analysis and relatively complex tasks that require patience and organization, I will do them in the afternoon, as I feel more focused and clear-headed at that time. I read various industry news and engage in social interaction during lunchtime and evening.

Design is not only a flash of ideas, but also a process requiring long-time accumulation of skills.

Design is like a toolbox for problem-solving, offering versatility and effectiveness in tackling challenges. However, being a designer means constantly being presented with different problems that require unique solutions, making each day a new adventure.

Embracing curiosity and being touched by the wonders of life.

Design thinking.

I often get lost in my work and lose track of time, so my assistant helps me manage my schedule.

It depends on the purpose of the design. If it's for commercial expression, it might take some time to communicate with the client. If it's for artistic expression, the idea for the piece might form in an instant in my mind.

What car do you drive?

I have accumulated more than ten years of creative planning and visual design experience in the large-scale commercial event industry, committed to updating conventional visual narratives with considerate design language, and connecting commercial aesthetics with creative culture.

Given my cross-disciplinary design background, I have different types of clients. In commercial event projects, my clients include some prestigious global brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Cadillac, GQ, and Huawei. Clients of my independent brand cover art enthusiasts, toy collection enthusiasts, followers of fashion and trend culture, brand partners, and collaborators.

I enjoy engaging in diverse design work, as each type of design brings me unique challenges and creative opportunities. I enjoy the process of creating from scratch, and shaping life through design.

I plan to collaborate with non-profit organizations to host some public welfare art exhibitions.

It depends on the situation. The design products and artworks of my personal brand are mainly developed by me. Commercial collaboration projects with other brands are usually achieved by the team, with me as the chief designer presiding over the entire design decision.

At present, I am undertaking some interesting and meaningful design explorations on the theme of children and cities.

We can communicate via email.

baifan.design@gmail.com

instagram @baifan_wangjianxi