Interview with Fangyong Xie
Based in Shanghai, China, HD International Design is an interior practice with more than a decade of experiences in the industry.
Design Legend Interview
1 May 2020
I’ve been studying art for 8 years. Even in the middle school I took over the design of various posters and blackboards.
My career as a designer starts from 3D drawing and I met a good designer teacher later to help me become a designer.
I do neither choose to become a designer, nor I was forced to become one. I become a designer naturally.
I mainly design private house projects, mainly villas. Apart from villas, I want to design hotel project.
I dare not call myself a master, because I still have a lot to learn. I have four suggestions: 1. Follow a good teacher and enter a good platform; 2. Have a respect for the profession of designer and client’s trust; 3. Life and experience are design teachers, so a good designer must be good at observation and summary; 4 All good projects come from inspiration to constant scrutiny, and a good designer must strive for excellence.
A good designer can do a good job of design, and a great designer can make good use of the environment. The purpose of design is to make the building integrated in the environment.
I will consider the following aspects: reasonable function, cultural integration, beautiful space, comfortable lighting, perfect details and symbiosis with the environment.
Good design gives people a sense of well-being and attachment to home, enhances the quality of life, and demonstrates personal taste and status.
I want to do something for the construction of rural China. With the urbanization of China, many very beautiful villages in China are being abandoned. At the same time, many new villages do not have any beauty. I want to design houses for farmers to make the countryside beautiful.
I wish to design small buildings, especially small buildings in rural areas.
I’m strict with myself and think from the perspective of clients.
Tadao Ando and Carlo Scarpa.
I like Tadao Ando's use of light, the symbiosis of architecture and environment and the beauty of Carlo Scarpa's deconstruction.
There is no work that I feel particularly perfect so far.
To become a better designer, we need to learn a lot of design ideas from seniors and masters. Constant traveling, perception, and thinking are important ways to maintain creativity.
I would have been an art teacher if I hadn’t become a designer.
For interior design, design is to solve problems, especially the design of villas. Each client has completely different needs. And there are contradictions between various room types and needs. So, solving problems and integrating art is the most important thing for design. For me, design is to realize the owner's dream of home.
My respected teacher, parents and wife gave me the greatest support.
It is continuous exploration, continuous learning, strict requirements for myself that helped me become a good designer. And I respect each project and value the trust from Party A.
When I first entered this field, the salary was very low, because I would not do anything, so how to support myself while persevering is the most important thing.
Designers can present their work through the Internet, videos are accompanied by designer explanations.
My next design project is a villa.
My ultimate goal as a designer is to become a great designer and cultivate more young designers.
To design more good projects is what people expect from an esteemed designer.
I think designers’ responsibilities include designing a good work which brings happiness to users, paying attention to healthy living environment, advocating urban renewal and reducing waste in reconstruction.
I’m working on a rural residential project that I’m especially excited about.
I like design projects with Chinese style because I love Chinese culture.
I hope that all consumers will respect design and realize the importance of design.
I think design is unpredictable.
It takes more than 6 months.
Understand it in all aspects and let it grow in mind.
Function is the first.
Trends determine design.
Technology helps to turn ideas into reality faster and make them more real.
I used IPAD, pencil, 3DMAX, CAD and SketchUp.
Color, materials and ambient is the skin and bone in design.
Any questions will be asked in design, and I will not reject any questions.
How did this designer come up with this design, and what kind of mental journey did he have?
I haven’t got a design partner yet. Yes, I truly believe in co-design, and I look forward to finding my like-minded design partners.
The interaction with client had the most influence on my design. The customer's living habits and requirements for design can continuously let me understand different people's understanding of life and design. This is very important. After all, design serves for people.
Autobiography of architectural masters.
I think that I still have a lot to learn. The most important thing for me to grow up is to follow a good enlightenment teacher, to establish the correct design values, and then to keep learning and improving.
I’d like to listen to Tadao Ando and Carlo Scarpa on their project design and completion process.
I’m thankful for every member of my team, the honor belongs to our entire team.
I like gray color, I like Rome, I like my mother's cooking, I like spring and autumn, and I like traditional Chinese furniture.
When I first entered the design industry, I had all kinds of ideas. After completion, I found that some ideas are difficult to meet the needs of daily life. I hope that young designers can learn more from the experience of their predecessors.
The client's trusted eyes have great power, their trust made me treat the project very carefully. After the project is completed, the client’s positive praise is the biggest motivation.
I’m afraid not. Since middle school, my teachers like to designate me to design school posters and blackboard newspapers.
I haven’t thought about it so much. I just want to live in the present moment.
I don’t have more to share right now, thank you.
Designer Interview
1 May 2020
I’ve been studying art for 8 years. In the middle school I took over the design of various posters and blackboards. My career as a designer starts from 3D drawing. I have never thought of being a designer before.
Based in Shanghai, China, HD International Design is an interior practice with more than a decade of experiences in the industry. The firm offers customized design service for top villas, boutique apartments, and restaurants. It has gained reputation by the high-quality design service. HD is the abbreviation of Hong Dian, Hong means spring water and Dian means drops, which implies continuous inspiration.
For interior design, design is to solve problems, especially the design of villas. Each client has completely different needs. And there are contradictions between various room types and needs. So, solving problems and integrating art is the most important thing for design. For me, design is to realize the owner's dream of home.
I like works that are emotional and close to life. In terms of style, I like to combine traditional Chinese elements with modern design techniques.
I like the work of Tadao Ando, who is in line with the humble and elegant temperament of the Orientals.
We mainly design private house, and occasionally do commercial space design. The first commercial design is an urban renovation project in Shanghai, which is a creative office space transformed from an old factory building.
I like wood very much, especially traditional carpenter techniques such as Chinese traditional tenon and mortise, and I like pinterest in which I can find a lot of inspiration.
When it is quiet at night, I feel the most creative.
The first is functionality and rationality, and the second is aesthetics.
When design, my emotion is generally a process from meditation to anxiety and then meditation, which is ultimately a pleasant process.
If I meet with supportive Party A and complete the work with me, I feel very lucky and happy; however, if I meet Party A who does not support my ideas, the whole process may be very painful. Anyway, when the project is completed, I always feel happy.
Four factors make a design successful. They are excellent environment, excellent party A, excellent design ideas and excellent construction team.
I will consider the following aspects: reasonable function, cultural integration, beautiful space, comfortable lighting, perfect details and symbiosis with the environment.
I think designers’ responsibilities include designing a good work which brings happiness to users, paying attention to healthy living environment, advocating urban renewal and reducing waste in reconstruction.
The design of private houses in China evolves from luxury to minimalism to deconstruction. The aesthetics of Chinese consumers are changing. Future designs should be more and more superficial.
I often visit some international exhibitions, such as Milan Design Week, Cologne Exhibition, High Point Exhibition, etc.
My inspiration comes from the usual experience and a lot of learning from the design ideas of the predecessors and masters. Constant traveling, perception, and thinking are important ways to maintain creativity.
My design features oriental temperament, because of my preference on traditional Chinese culture. This style has some main features: it is oriental charm combined with modern techniques and new materials, at the same time it is harmonious, and everything is very integrated. I really like to use the method of unifying the first contrast the second, and I also like the techniques of displaying, borrowing scenery, and winding paths.
I live in Shanghai. Chinese culture and Chinese architecture have a great influence on me, and even the Shanghai style culture has a very deep influence on me. The influence of the living environment on people from a young age is deep in the bone, affecting human temperament and thinking.
I am one of the founders of HD Design, and I am mainly responsible for design management in the company.
I think the relationship between the company and designer is a bit like the relationship between the law firm and the lawyer. The company is only a platform, and the designer is the most critical. Choosing a designer mainly depends on his learning and work experience, as well as whether the values are similar to the company.
My design process mainly includes communicating and understanding the needs, transformation plan, style determination, creative design and construction drawings.
My favorite design items at home are partition, stairs, bar, long table and lamps.
In my typical day, I get up, communicate with my assistant on work, go to the construction site or building materials market, and go home at night to think about project plan.
I have four suggestions: 1. Follow a good teacher and enter a good platform; 2. Have a respect for the profession of designer and client’s trust; 3. Life and experience are design teachers, so a good designer must be good at observation and summary; 4 All good projects come from inspiration to constant scrutiny, and a good designer must strive for excellence.
The positive side is that when a work I design win the recognition from the owner, I have a sense of accomplishment. The negative side is that I have sacrificed a lot of time to spend with my family.
Function is the first.
The ability to discover beauty and find inspiration and regularity.
I used IPAD, pencil, 3DMAX, CAD and SketchUp.
I deal with office affairs in the morning, go to the construction site in the afternoon to find inspiration, and think about plans at night. I’m calmer at night.
It takes more than 6 months.
How much is the design cost per square meter?
My most important job experience is in Xiao Shi Design.
Because my clients are villa’s owner, I can’t tell you the name for privacy.
I like works with Chinese temperament because I love Chinese culture.
My future goal is to make our team better, cultivate more excellent talents, and give them opportunities. There are several villas in the future.
I work as a team.
Because my designs are villas, I can’t tell you too much of the design details for privacy.
You can contact me by my email 252719401@qq.com.
Not any more, all I want to share with you has been covered by the questions above.