Interview with Lumi Liu

I’ve always been drawn to storytelling. Design became the path where I could combine visuals, emotions, and purpose.

I value emotional clarity, sustainability, and cultural context. I combine hand sketches with digital tools like Rhino and Adobe.

The spark of the first idea excites me the most. But deep satisfaction comes when the design emotionally connects with others.

Curiosity, empathy, and writing skills. Storytelling across mediums shaped how I understand design as communication.

From visual work to brand systems, I now explore how design can change behavior. I hope to build a design studio bridging East and West, with values at its core.

Stay curious and don’t be afraid to start small. Listen more, compare less, and find your own rhythm.

Be honest with your values. Tools和风格都会更新，但初心不能忘。

I start my day reading or sketching. I balance design work with walks, tea, and journaling to stay grounded.

I observe trends but don’t chase them. My design is more about long-term resonance than short-term appeal.

Good design feels inevitable and leaves a memory. I value emotional impact and thoughtful structure.

When the intent is clear and the piece feels self-contained, I let go. But I always leave room for future evolution.

My modular sustainable makeup kit. It bridges cultural storytelling with responsible beauty.

Kenya Hara for his philosophical restraint. Also Tadao Ando—his silence speaks volumes.

I live between cultures—Chinese heritage and Western training. Nature, poetry, and solitude are important in my daily rituals.

I value collaboration rooted in trust. Whether working alone or with partners, clarity and respect are non-negotiable.

I’ve volunteered for mental health design initiatives and often mentor young creatives. Design is how I give back.

It gave my work international visibility, helped me reflect, and opened doors to new audiences. Awards aren't just about competition—they’re opportunities to share values.

I’m motivated by the desire to connect ideas and people visually. Design helps me express things that words can’t fully capture.

It was a personal choice. I've always been drawn to creating things and communicating visually.

I work across editorial, packaging, and experience design. I’d love to explore more sustainable product systems in the future.

Stay curious and observe deeply. Keep designing with purpose and don’t be afraid to challenge norms.

A good designer solves problems; a great one reshapes how we see the world.

A really good design is intuitive, meaningful, and resonates emotionally. I value clarity and impact.

Good design elevates everyday life and fosters better communication. It adds lasting value to both product and user experience.

I would design educational tools for children in underserved areas. I believe design can nurture empathy and imagination.

A modular storytelling space that blends illustration, sound, and interactive design. It would be a space of wonder.

Empathy. I try to stand in the user’s shoes before touching a pen.

I admire Kenya Hara, Kazuyo Sejima, and Stefan Sagmeister. They embrace emptiness, emotion, and eccentricity.

MUJI’s visual system—it’s humble, coherent, and quietly revolutionary.

My modular makeup kit NeoBamoo. It combines sustainability, emotional value, and traditional craft.

Keep looking, keep listening. I always ask for feedback from people outside the design world.

I might be a writer or cultural researcher—still telling stories.

Design is thoughtful care. It’s how we shape emotions, time, and behavior.

My mother and my partner. They gave me both freedom and grounding.

Learning to pause and listen—especially to the problem behind the problem.

Self-doubt and cultural mismatch. But they also sharpened my voice.

Tell a story, not just specs. Show the “why” behind the form.

A children’s picture book rooted in Asian mythology and healing.

To build designs that live longer than trends and speak to inner life.

Authenticity and perspective. Not just style, but insight.

It fosters empathy, accessibility, and mindful living.

A wellness toolkit that uses illustration and breathing to ease anxiety.

The sustainable cosmetics kit—because it aligns design with values I care about.

Less overproduction, more care for afterlife and emotional impact.

Toward regenerative, emotional, and hyper-contextual systems.

From a few weeks to months—it depends on testing, iteration, and heart.

From asking “why now” and “for whom.” Empathy is step one.

“Make meaning, not noise.”

Timeless design often ignores trends and creates its own path.

It expands the scale of what’s possible—but heart still leads.

Adobe Suite, Blender, Rhino, KeyShot—and sketchbook always by my side.

Color evokes feeling, material creates memory, and ambience tells the story.

“What kind of world does this design invite me into?”

I wonder what need it answered, and how quietly it did so.

A curious, kind listener. Yes, co-design expands empathy and imagination.

My design mentors, traditional artisans, and readers who shared feedback.

Designing Design by Kenya Hara and The Future of Packaging by Tom Szaky.

By learning publicly, asking often, and creating things I wish existed.

I’d love to talk with Italo Calvino about invisible cities and gentle systems.

I’m grateful, but fame is fleeting. Connection is what I treasure.

Color: silver-pink. Place: bookstores. Food: hot pot. Season: summer. Thing: journals.

A prototype exploded in my bag on the subway—I laughed the whole ride.

Progress, poetry, and a good walk outside.

I was always drawing and rearranging furniture. I just didn’t know it had a name.

I hope we’ll design less things, more relationships.

I’m still learning, still failing. Design is how I care for the world.

I currently work as a visual journalist at a media company, where I help turn complex written content into compelling visual narratives. Our organization often covers in-depth reporting and research-based stories that can be difficult for general audiences to understand.

What excites me most about the role is the opportunity to learn from different fields. Every project allows me to step into a new world—whether it's science, health, history, or culture—and understand the stories behind the information. My job is to bridge the gap between expertise and the public by transforming those stories into clear, engaging visuals.

In many ways, I see myself as a visual storyteller: someone who listens, interprets, and communicates ideas through design.

I see design as a language and a bridge at the same time. Like language, it helps us communicate ideas. But more importantly, it connects things that might otherwise remain separate.

In my work as a visual journalist, design connects academic research and public knowledge. Many health and science topics are valuable but difficult for non-experts to access. Through design, I can help make that information more approachable and meaningful.

I think every design discipline plays a similar role. Industrial design connects innovation with users. Architecture connects people with the built environment. Design itself is rarely the final destination—it exists to create relationships and understanding.

That's why I see design not simply as a way to make things look better, but as a bridge that helps people connect with ideas, knowledge, and each other.

The type of design work I appreciate most is work that combines strong creative expression with practical value. I admire projects that are not only visually engaging and original, but also genuinely useful to the people who experience them.

As designers, creating refined and aesthetically pleasing work is a fundamental responsibility. We often have a deeper understanding of visual language and aesthetics than the general public, so a certain level of craftsmanship is expected. However, I believe the more important question is how that beauty can serve a purpose.

For me, great design is not just about making something look good—it is about using creativity and aesthetics to improve understanding, solve problems, or enhance people's daily lives. The challenge of balancing expression and functionality is what makes design meaningful, and it is something I constantly think about in my own work.

I’m especially drawn to playful design. Because I often work with highly academic and complex information, I think it's important to approach these subjects with curiosity and a sense of play.

The designs I admire most are visually lighthearted and engaging, yet still rich in content and accurate in their communication. To me, the ability to make complex ideas feel approachable without losing their depth is one of the most powerful qualities of design.

One of the first feature images I created for the company was about COVID-19. It was designed at the end of 2023 for a year-end article that reflected on the major COVID-related news and developments from the previous year. The project challenged me to summarize a complex and global topic through a single visual concept.

My favorite medium is colored pencil. I love its texture and the creative possibilities it offers. Like crayons, it carries a natural sense of playfulness and innocence, which resonates strongly with me and often influences the way I approach visual storytelling.

In terms of technique, I primarily work with digital illustration and occasionally use 3D rendering in my projects. However, I am always drawn to the texture and warmth of hand-drawn work. Even when working digitally, I often try to incorporate organic, handcrafted qualities because I find them more expressive and engaging than perfectly polished visuals.

I feel most creative when I am in nature. I enjoy sketching outdoors and observing plants, flowers, and animals in their natural environments. Their forms, colors, textures, and patterns are an endless source of inspiration for me.

Nature is full of unexpected details and visual richness, and I often find ideas simply by paying close attention to the way things grow, move, and interact. These observations frequently influence my work and help me bring a greater sense of curiosity and authenticity to my designs.

During the design process, I pay close attention to the audience's perspective. I try to put myself in the position of someone who knows nothing about the topic and think about how they would understand the information.

During the design process, I often experience mixed emotions. On one hand, there is the joy of creating. On the other hand, there is the struggle of constant trial and error, searching for the right solution. In the end, when I finally find the most suitable way to express an idea, there is a great sense of satisfaction and happiness.

When a project is finally completed, what I feel most is a sense of relief. By the time a piece is ready to be published, it has usually gone through multiple rounds of revisions and countless back-and-forth discussions with different stakeholders. So in the end, it often feels like taking a deep breath and finally letting it out.

I think there are many factors that determine whether a project is successful. The most straightforward one is audience response. In the media industry, that often means looking at performance metrics and whether the content resonates with readers.

From an artistic perspective, success can also be measured by whether the visual language or creative approach is innovative, and whether the design truly fits and enhances the content it is meant to communicate.

When evaluating whether a design is successful, I first consider the relationship between form and content. The visual form should not overshadow the message itself; instead, it should serve and enhance the content being communicated.

I believe designers are an important part of what brings new energy and positive change to society. We are not necessarily creating something entirely new, but rather using our creativity and artistic perspective to make society more beautiful, meaningful, and engaging.

In the age of artificial intelligence, I believe the future of design will become even more human-centered. In recent years, the design industry has been significantly impacted by AI and other technological advances. For example, some entry-level illustration work may increasingly be replaced by AI-generated images.

However, I believe the future of design lies in the human element. As more things become automated, inexpensive, and impersonal, the qualities that come from people—the emotions, experiences, perspectives, and sense of connection between the creator and the audience—will become even more valuable. That human presence, and the ability to create genuine resonance, is what I believe will remain at the heart of meaningful design.

My most recent exhibition was in New York and featured my neuroscience-inspired series. The work explores themes related to the brain and neural systems through visual storytelling and design.

My next exhibition will take place in July, and it will feature the same series and body of work.

My work draws inspiration from nature and from life itself. Because I work in the field of public health, I have come to realize how limited our understanding of ourselves can be.

On a macro level, our understanding of human society is still incomplete. On a micro level, many people know very little about the cells and biological structures that make up the human body. Exploring these subjects—from social sciences to life sciences—is incredibly inspiring to me. Whenever I have the opportunity to dive into these different scales of understanding, I often find new ideas and creative inspiration.

My design style exists somewhere between traditional spirituality and contemporary visual expression. I enjoy using elements such as light and color to convey emotion and create an emotional atmosphere.

I currently live in New York, and I believe its culture is shaped by influences from all over the world. Being exposed to such a diverse range of perspectives has greatly helped me expand my understanding of both design and art.

My role within the company is to translate ideas into visual communication. As I mentioned earlier, I am responsible for the visual presentation of content within a collaborative team environment. I work closely with editors and other team members to understand what they want to communicate, and then I transform those ideas into effective visual narratives.

My advice for collaboration between companies and designers is that it should be a two-way learning process. For designers who have just graduated, it is often difficult to fully understand the needs of the market and society. At that stage, it is important to study strong examples of mature design and learn from experienced professionals.

From the company's perspective, I think it is important to recognize and value the unique talents of different designers. Recent graduates often possess fresh perspectives and creative qualities that have not yet been shaped by market expectations, and those qualities can be incredibly valuable. At the same time, experienced designers bring a deeper understanding of the industry and a stronger ability to navigate complex projects.

Ultimately, there is no single approach that works for everyone. The most effective collaborations come from recognizing the strengths of each individual designer and creating opportunities for those strengths to flourish.

My design process usually begins with understanding the information. Then I explore possible visual directions, create sketches, communicate with different stakeholders, and gradually refine the details until the final work is completed.

I have collected many thoughtfully designed objects from the MoMA Store. For example, I have a small avocado-shaped vase that I really like. These kinds of objects maintain a simple aesthetic while adding a sense of joy and personality to everyday life.

Another example is the Apple Watch. Its design is very minimal, yet it integrates functionality in a way that genuinely supports and enhances daily life. I appreciate designs that can balance simplicity, usability, and a sense of delight.

A typical day for me begins with checking my emails and reviewing the request sheet. I then identify the priorities for the day and start researching the topics I’ll be working on. Throughout the process, I communicate with other members of the team, develop and revise designs based on feedback, and continue refining the work until the final version is completed.

For young designers, I think it is important to actively seek advice, ask for help, and learn from outstanding designers. These experiences provide valuable nourishment for growth. Over time, you can absorb those influences, make them your own, and allow them to take root in your own creative practice. Then, with patience and continued effort, they will eventually grow and flourish.

I think designers occupy a unique position between art and business. They are able to maintain a certain level of creativity while also working within practical and commercial contexts. I see that balance as one of the greatest advantages of being a designer.

The downside is that the work can be very demanding. It often leaves little time for personal projects or independent creative exploration. As someone with a strong desire to express ideas and create, I sometimes find those time limitations frustrating.

My golden rule in design is probably “seven parts learning, three parts making.” I believe it’s important to maintain an open mindset throughout the design process and constantly absorb inspiration from other designers, from nature, and from different industries and disciplines. Then, the key is to transform those influences into something that reflects your own perspective and creative voice.

I think the most important skill for a designer is communication—the ability to understand other people's needs while also clearly expressing your own ideas and perspectives.

The tools I find most useful in my design process are platforms like Miro and Notion. They provide a very intuitive way to organize mood boards, collect references, and document ideas.

Because my work often involves scientific research and complex written content, I need to combine visual thinking with information gathering. These platforms help me organize inspiration, structure research materials, and develop concepts in a way that makes the creative process much more efficient.

When it comes to time management, I like to set clear time limits for myself. For example, I might allocate three hours to a particular project. If I haven't solved a problem or finished the task within that time, I'll switch to something else and come back to it later.

I find that stepping away from a challenge often gives me a fresh perspective, and when I return, it's easier to evaluate whether the issue I was struggling with is actually important or worth pursuing.

From the initial concept to the final design, a project typically takes about one week to complete. This is the usual timeline for creating the visuals for an article in our workflow.

As a designer, the question I get asked most often is, “Where do your ideas come from?”

My ideas usually come from the content itself—from the articles I’m working on, from nature, and from the things I immerse myself in and explore. Inspiration often emerges through observation, research, and curiosity about the world around me.

One of the most important lessons from my professional experience has been learning to listen to the ideas and stories of the people I work with. It was through collaborating with others that I truly realized design is a bridge.

I came to understand that no matter how much I study, I will never become an expert in every field. However, by listening to experts from different disciplines, I can build upon their knowledge and perspectives. This allows me to quickly understand complex subjects and create designs that communicate their ideas effectively.

My clients include media companies, small business owners, and even Michelin-starred restaurants. For example, some restaurants have commissioned custom choking emergency posters tailored to their specific needs. I enjoy working with a variety of clients because each project presents different communication challenges and opportunities.

I’m particularly drawn to design projects where the information is clear and concise, but there is still plenty of room for creativity. I enjoy finding ways to communicate ideas simply and effectively while exploring unique visual approaches and creative solutions.

My future goal is to lead a team in creating stronger and more impactful visual storytelling in the field of health journalism. I hope to continue exploring new ways to communicate complex health information through design and help make important knowledge more accessible and engaging for the public.

I typically lead the design process myself, while actively gathering feedback from team members throughout the project. Their input helps refine the work and ensures that the final design communicates the intended message effectively.

One project I’m currently working on is an exploration of data visualization. I’m interested in discovering more interactive ways to engage audiences and exploring how playful illustration can be combined with serious data and information. My goal is to make complex topics more approachable without compromising the accuracy or integrity of the data.

You can reach me by email. Lumiliudesign@gmail.com

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