Interview with Inn Sun Park

I've always wanted to be a designer ever since I was a child. I was interested in the communication between people and technology, so I studied Interaction Design. After attending my college, Art Center College of Design, I was gradually exposed to many interesting design works. I was able to practice many valuable design skillsets during many design classes.

I value simplicity and usability when I design interactions or interfaces for my users, but I also consider aesthetics because users nowadays have very high expectations because they interact with many fascinating products these days. Since I'm a UX/UI designer, I heavily rely on digital tools to create prototypes. I often use Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, and Protopie. Sometimes I have to mock up some physical prototypes to check the usability. When there is a new project, I always start with research to understand what I should create and deliver, and I always try to keep everything simple.

I feel excited during every process. Every project helps me to become a better designer. My favorite part of the process is the interview and user testing because whenever I interact with people, my vision gets broader. These parts of the process help me to boost my creativity.

I'm interested in science and math in general, so I was able to learn coding languages quickly. In addition, it helped me to articulate many complicated and beautiful works with many math equations.
Many people influenced me; they helped me to broaden my vision as a designer. As a result, my design journey is ongoing. I'm learning new things every day.

I'm currently working as a UX/UI designer at Honda and am responsible for creating a mobility experience for my users. I always value the simplicity and usability of the product. My future plan is to create great products that people like to use every day.

I want to tell young designers, "never stop learning." This is what my friends and mentors have told me. The emergence of new technologies brings new experiences every day, so it's always good to try learning something new to enjoy the new experiences.

We should always try to enjoy all projects and processes because these will eventually help us grow as designers and people. Therefore, even if the task is challenging, we will end up overcoming it.

Wake up early in the morning. Review my emails and requests from my colleagues. Sometimes I attend virtual conferences to see how other professionals think about design. I like when I do brainstorming activities with my team because it's always exciting to generate interesting ideas. This activity always helps to become creative.

I think it's important to understand the design trends, but we don't have to always chase ongoing trends. I try to understand some ongoing trends by reading design articles and attending design conferences.

I consider usability and understandability to evaluate the design. Good design provides a very positive experience for people. Good products or designs are easy to interact with and understand. Based on my past experience, if we focus on the aesthetic aspect too much, it can create confusion, so it is very important to balance good visual elements and usability.

I learned that there is nothing perfect because everyone has a different viewpoint. I think my design is ready when I fully fill my target users' essential needs. I also confirm the design by conducting user tests and if most participants can understand my design. Finally, I go through the final phase and complete the design.

I always try to share my best work with others. I spend a significant amount of time researching and brainstorming great ideas. I think I didn't do my biggest work yet. I believe there are always some kinds of challenges that I have to solve, for example, limited budget and time. Despite this limitation, I plan a strategy to overcome challenges. I can't share my current project because it's under NDA.

I have so many favorite designers. I like Jonathan Ive, Paula Scher, Wim Crouwel, etc. I like all designers who have a very clear style and vision about design. There are so many great design works out there, so it's really hard for me to choose one.

There are many inspiring cities. Among those, my favorite cities are LA, San Francisco, and Berlin. I think the culture effects my design projects because I always need to consider my target users' needs and wants. I'm currently working for an automotive company in California, USA, so I need to consider users' lifestyles in the USA. I think understanding and considering various cultures help to broaden the viewpoints.

I think I'm a flexible person. In terms of "easiness," it depends on the project and topic. I currently work for my employer, Honda, so I often work with my co-workers. My core challenge is convincing people who are unfamiliar with the design process, but I overcome this challenge by facilitating collaboration activities. I think it's always important to have good collaboration skills to interact and produce good work with people.

I always want to mitigate the barriers for people who are not accessible or unfamiliar with digital products, so I always try to design with my best efforts. I also try to exchange my vision and skills with others. It is always great to learn from others and make some kinds of contributions to the design community. I support young designers by giving them some advice.

The preparation process for the A'Design award was enjoyable. I also like how I can see great works from others, so it's an honor for me to showcase my work with them. I think this is a good opportunity to share the latest work with people. I want to say thank you to A'Design Award for facilitating this competition.

I've always wanted to be a designer ever since I was a child.

I choose to become a designer.

I'm working as a UX/UI designer who loves to explore and design engaging experiences for users by utilizing skills and strategies I've gained through multiple disciplines, including UX, UI, visual, motion, industrial design, and engineering.

Never stop learning

The stories behind the design

Good design is making something memorable. I evaluate the usability and purpose of the design.

Good design enhances our lives, so everyone should invest in good design to enhance people's quality of life.

If I had time, I would design more concept work for interesting in-house experiences for people at home most of the time due to the pandemic.

I like all kinds of projects, so I don't have a dream project at the moment.

I think there is nothing secret. Multiple practices shaped my design.

Jonathan Ive

I like the past apple product series because it's interesting to see how user interface design has developed since ten years ago by comparing current and past products.

I think I did some great work on the interface design with very complicated information. The simplicity aspect of this design makes me feel that it is great because it's difficult to simplify interfaces with complicated information.

Keep learning and broadening your vision.

I never thought about this, so I don't know.

Design is a process of creating a great product, so design is very important to me.

People who have provided me with some kinds of support.

I think my positive vision of design helped me to become a great designer.

I can't really think of obstacles because it didn't feel like obstacles.

I think designers should present their work with confidence. Designers should believe in themselves. Everyone has different viewpoints, so designers should not be scared about learning these viewpoints while presenting their work.

Not at the moment

My ultimate goal as a designer is to design something memorable for people.

I think people will expect to see great and inspiring works from an esteemed designer.

Good design inspires people, so it will provoke people to have positive minds. Therefore, I think design helps to create a better society.

I can’t share the current project that I’m working on because it’s the work for my employer, which is under NDA, but I’m excited.

I like all design projects that my users like. Their positive feedback gives me the most satisfaction.

I’m excited to see more new technologies which can enhance our quality of life.

The emergence of new technologies and tech-savvy users will definitely bring a new trend. I don’t know where we are heading next because I see so many unexpected great works all the time.

It depends on the project. Typically redesign work doesn’t take that long. However, if it’s developing a new design, it may take a long time because of validation tests.

I start with a brainstorming activity and generate a lot of questions.

Never stop learning.

I think design sets the trends.

Sometimes it’s a support to make my design more fantastic, and sometimes it’s something essential to provide exciting experiences for my users.

I’m a UX/UI designer, so I use Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD and Protopie.

They are important components to finalizing the concept.

What’s the story behind your design? What were your challenges? How do you overcome them? What’s your vision as a designer? What is the favorite part of your design?

I get excited and try to examine the new great design right away.

I was able to come up with good work with many people, so I don’t have specific designer partners in my mind at the moment.

I think I gained a lot of valuable skillsets when I was at college, so my college experience influenced me a lot.

Design Everyday Things & The Law of UX

I gradually develop my skills by working hard on my projects. My goal is to create my best work, so this mindset helps me become a master.

There are so many, so I can’t just pick one, but I want to meet Walter Gropius, the founder of Bauhaus, and discuss his philosophy about design.

I think so because there are many great designers out there.

My favorite season is spring and winter. I like Apple and Moleskin products. I like fun places.

It was funny when a little child found a design solution that adults couldn’t figure out.

I get motivated whenever I’m with the screen. I think insightful findings make my day great as a designer.

I don’t remember, but I always wanted to become a great designer.

I think we will have lots of interesting technologies and products. I don’t know what will happen in thousand years from now because that’s too far away.

I think you covered everything!

I currently work for American Honda Motors. My department is responsible for creating user interfaces and apps for the next generation of vehicles and concepts for future human-machine interfaces deployed through mobility platforms. We also interact with engineers, researchers, and designers from other departments throughout the organization to support the development of functional interior design prototypes.

Design is a process that helps people to solve problems.

I like designing new concepts that can improve or enhance the user experience. Every moment of ideating and designing something is meaningful and fun for me, so I can’t choose just one part of it.

I have so many favorite designs, so I can’t pick one. I like every aesthetically beautiful design yet functional, like well-designed smart devices that make my daily routine efficient and laptop accessories that look simple and useful.

All of my design work for my employer are under NDA. I designed several UX/UI design works for my employer.

My favorite UI prototyping programs are Sketch, Adobe XD and Figma. I also like Apple human center guidelines and Google material design because they are great references.

I feel the most creative when I do the brainstorming activity for ideating solutions.

I value understandability and accessibility when I design something.

I enjoy it a lot!

I feel very excited and proud of myself for designing products that people like and understand.

It makes a design successful when a wide range of users frequently use it every day.

I consider usability first.

Designers should be responsible for solving problems in our society. Emerging technologies bring both advantages and disadvantages, so designers should design solutions to maximize the benefits of new technologies. On the other hand, sometimes designers should understand the restrictions to create something significant for society.

The design field is evolving everything. Tremendous new technologies are creating new opportunities. So I think the future of design is enhancing our life and society.

My last exhibition was a virtual exhibition hosted by a team in Berlin, Germany. Originally it should be a physical exhibition, but it turns out to be a virtual one due to COVID-19. I don't have a plan to hold the next exhibition at the moment.

My favorite parts of the process are the interview and user testing because whenever I interact with people, my vision gets broader. These parts of the process help me to boost my creativity.

I always try to make products that are simple to use and easy to understand but also aesthetically pleasing to see. I have seen many great products, so I want to contribute to making an excellent product for my users.

I live in California, USA. There are a lot of tech companies, so I get inspired by them all the time. California also has great weather. I like working as a designer in California with the nice weather every day.

My work and process are under NDA with my employer. I work with designers, engineers and researchers.

If a company wants to hire a good designer, it should have a clear vision.

I create an affinity diagram and interview people to understand the current situation during the initial stage. After discovering pain points from the interview, I ideate possible solutions. I also create a low-fidelity mockup and test the mockup with the group of research participants. I do A/B testing with participants multiple times before finalizing my product design.

Magic mouse, typewriter keyboard, graphic poster, laptop stand, and smart light

Due to covid-19, my day is very simple. I work or design something every day.

Always trust yourself!

Positive: I do what I like every day.
Negative: Something obvious to me is not obvious to other people. I need to find a way to minimize this gap.

Do your best all the time.

Understanding general users.

Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, and Protopie

I always try to finish my task on time, so I filter out my priorities before I start working.

It depends on the object. Sometimes it can take a 3hrs or a week.

Why did you decide to become a designer? & Why did you design this, and what was your intention?

Every job experience was important because I learned a lot from every experience. For example, I learned how to collaborate and work with people in different fields and how to design something great under restrictions.

My clients are private.

I enjoy redesigning existing products because it sharpens my skillsets.

Continue working for my current company and ideate interesting concepts during my free time.

I do both. I usually work by myself first, then share my design concept with my team. Working as a team is helpful because I can learn different viewpoints.

No, not at the moment

Email (sunny_park@na.honda.com)

I think you covered everything!