Interview with Melody Yi-Yun Shiue
Designer Interview
22 April 2012
I was always interested in drawing - comics, cartoons, illustration books... fantasical animations with futuristic gadgets and gizmos developed my liking for doodling a lot of "what if's".
I was bad at history but took on art history with an interest in understanding how design came about. And at the end of high school, in defiance against Asian parents' wishes in pursuing medicine or law studies, I obstinately prioritised design as my first preference for tertiary education. Having said that, I did go through a scholarship year of design at the College of Fine Arts, realising that it was all too conceptual for my liking. Henceforth I transferred to industrial design in the second year, and that was when and how it all started.
I was bad at history but took on art history with an interest in understanding how design came about. And at the end of high school, in defiance against Asian parents' wishes in pursuing medicine or law studies, I obstinately prioritised design as my first preference for tertiary education. Having said that, I did go through a scholarship year of design at the College of Fine Arts, realising that it was all too conceptual for my liking. Henceforth I transferred to industrial design in the second year, and that was when and how it all started.
Shaping and ameliorating the way people live and interact.
medical products - they are challenging, altruistic, and concerns human factors at a stringent level than other product categories.
An integrated lateral flow test device.
pen and paper.
After watching something inspiring - could be anything, a movie, TED video, a Powerpuff Girls episode, etc.!
user, usability, adaptability, visual semantics, haptic sensors... etc.
it depends... most of the time it's just pressure, but when I get a good idea I feel exhilaration and anticipation!
It's intuitiveness for a user to pick it up and know what exactly its functionality is.
More encompassing and acknowledged by society, not just the industry itself. The realisation that design is, and has always been, a part of our everyday life and shapes what is known as 'lifestyle'.
"Step back when in a rat hole".
People recognise designers as pure executers of appearance beautification, or fashion offbeats who have no boundaries of imagination. However, there is so much more than just aesthetics and idiosyncrasy. We bridge the gap between form and function, and are the wheels that drive in gear with engineering successes toward a humanitarian and sustainable future.
Always think about the user.
Be an empathetic and holistic thinker. Keep an interest in a variety of things that help establish an underlay of inspirations which can be evoked one day.
I have only begun working at ide+ for less than a year, and aim to learn more about manufacturing, DFMA and how design and business ties together for a couple of years. I am also interested in learning about intellectual property and may do that as a masters degree. Anything is possible and I am open to opportunities offshore as well.
You need to be able to do both. Constructive criticism helps with brainstorming even if you are the only designer in the project.
email please.