Interview with Nova Hung

Since I was very young, I wanted to have my life by surrounding with art. When I was a little kid I just love to draw, when I draw I feel free. Then I grow up, I successfully went to the HKDI (Hong Kong Design Institute) to finish my study in design, to get my first job after graduate. Every job is like a maze, no model answer for a design job, it's the most difficult but also most fun way to encourage me to keep doing the job.

3 most important aspects I would say in my works: Message deliver successfully? Is it easy to remember for the audience? Can it be a more unexpectable solution apply on this job? I preferred to nail down a complex thing into a simple way to present, I believe "less is more", a simple image contains messages, it can last much longer.

I feel totally enjoying myself. It's freely and challenging because I will break through my concept and get more upwards. It's like a war that I fighting with myself. Fun and satisfy. I usually listening song when I'm working, I would pick some suitable mood of songs that can relate to the job that I'm working, it helps my concept come out more smoothly.

I think it's really helpful that my parents sent me to learn piano when I was young. I stop learning piano when I got my grade 8 piano passed, I've been learning piano for over 10years. Music learning is a really good way for a child to learn facing the achievement and train up the vision of getting better on their own. Practice is a hard and boring process, but I've learned one precious thing - the patient. Things will come out brightly if you not giving up and keep working on it. Also the very important thing I've learned from music which is the layers of a song, just like design work, the main message at the front? Or background pattern music at the back, to make a song complete.

Design is my first priority, and music must be the next. I also write my own song sometimes, it's not that good but I'm still planning to do my own record in the future. Music helps me a lot in design which is indivisible. I wish I can work on some design projects that relate to music or fashion industry in the future.

Just remember design is a service, service means everything needs to be balancing - your design concept, the design look and feel, the marketing strategy and the client's thinking. Things won't work if lack of any of it. Being creative is not just Only come out an idea, but to make your idea into the business and shock the world, getting the win-win situation.

Work hard but remember to play hard too. And don't believe in "trend" too much, the trend will pass, but your job needs to last longer than that.

Turn on my Spotify every day before starting my work. Email checking, updating the latest job in the world with social media/ Behance/ Pinterest etc. What I like the best in a boring business day which is I can come out good ideas with my partners, we modify and find a way to execute the idea, it's like an adventure, full of challenges and fun.

I think visiting exhibitions and reading books and magazines is important for us, we need to know what is the latest, but I don't think we have to do it exactly the same with the trend. I found that quite a lot of young designers are doing the jobs are very similar, I think The uniqueness of a brand is very important, if the job needs to stick to the trend, there must be a reason to convince the audience. If I think the job is suitable for the design trend, I still try to figure what uniqueness of this Job, what are more other styles I can put on it? Maybe it will become a new style?

I will define a good design if it is full of consistency, consistency means considered and effort. And questioning about would it be a forward-looking solution? How was the user experience? Is it well targeted to the audience?

I think most designers decided the design is ready when the deadline is coming. For me, there's always a way to improve the job.

I'm still reaching the bigger job of my life.

Kenya Hara from Japan. He is definitely a master of balancing, the spaces using and the typography. He affects the whole business market by his insight and aesthetic. His jobs are not just graphic design but art, is the level that I admire and wish I can reaching one day.

We are from Hong Kong, in my opinion, design knowledge can be much more popularization in Hong Kong. I think the future of design would be the whole society understand more about how design works, and how design affects human activities. So our company targeted to work on small to medium scale company, they are mass market, if they started to change, then the whole society will improve the aesthetic judgment day by day.

My company started in 2015 by me and my partner Marvis. He is working on marketing part, and me, of course, focus on the design part. Our company name is "Chatter Design", as everybody knows chatter is the meaning of people talking. After I've been worked in the design industry for over 8 years, I realized deeply that a good design base on communicate than anything, without it, everything just doesn't work. So I started my own business, our vision is to treat our clients as a friend, we talk a lot, and gain a lot.

One of our company's philosophy is to try our best to help people, we even have a clear discount offer on our official website for non-profit associate or organization. It's not only for a designer, all of us are responsible to help the socially vulnerable groups, this is what we capable, then why don't we give a hand?

It's my lucky day of being the Designer of the Day in A' Design Award. Also, it's my honor to get the award from A' Design Award, the first international award of my life. It means a lot to me, proven my ability, and telling me that the dream I'm seeking is the right direction, and it's a good opportunity to learn from other designers, sharing our vision our thoughts, I will keep doing my best. Thank you so much A' Design Award.

Since I was very young, I wanted to have my life by surrounding with art. When I was a little kid I love to draw, when I draw I feel free. Then I grow up, I successfully went to the HKDI (Hong Kong Design Institute) to finish my study in design, to get my first job after graduate.

I choose to. My family preferred I be a piano teacher so sent me to study piano when I was young. But when I finished the grade 8 piano examination I told my mom "I prefer to be a designer more"

Branding.

Never stop exploring the possibilities of the project.

message delivered clearly, and create a new trend of the design field.

Good design can affect human activities directly, invest in good design to help the business grow up completely and let the inexplicable things happen.

Tommy Li from Hong Kong. Paula Scher from Pentagram.

Mastercard rebranding. That design is really shocking me that a huge company being a pioneer to leading the simplicity design in front of the world. It's really courageous to move into this step.

I think I couldn't pick any of my jobs to be "the greatest", because I put all my effort into all project that I worked on.

Never satisfy easily.

I think I maybe a piano teacher or singer? haha

Design is connecting people, good design makes people fall in love.

Definitely my partner Marvis. He encourages me to start my own business, he trusts in my work so much, giving me so much confidence. Also, we are a couple too, so he is my family and my soulmate.

In 2015, my partner Marvis and I founded our company, Chatter Design. Marvis manages the marketing aspect of the business, while I focus on design. The name "Chatter Design" reflects our belief that effective design is rooted in communication. Having worked in the industry for over 10 years, I've come to understand that good design is all about effective communication. Our vision is to treat our clients as friends, fostering open dialogue and collaboration to achieve the best possible results.

I believe that open dialogue is essential to creating successful designs that meet the needs of our clients. By fostering an environment of open communication, we encourage our clients to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback throughout the design process. We listen attentively to their needs and collaborate with them every step of the way to ensure that the final product meets their expectations. This approach allows us to build strong relationships with our clients and deliver designs that truly resonate with them.

I believe that a job should not be defined by its category, but by the potential to push boundaries and drive progress. Design, for me, represents a constant challenge in my life - the challenge to create visually appealing and impactful products while also effectively communicating with the client. When clients understand the true value of design and what it can bring to their business, it makes the job all the more enjoyable and the results all the more successful. At Chatter Design, we strive to go beyond just meeting the client's brief and aim to create designs that truly push the boundaries of what's possible. This approach helps us to not only meet but exceed our client's expectations and drive innovation in the industry.

My own company branding. The logo, the cartoon character that represents our company, the brand image of our company.

That must be "Behance". Gathering all the best design works up there that really inspired me a lot.

Can my design deliver the message that it aim to do? Communication is the very first considered point.

I feel totally enjoying myself. It's freely and challenging because I will break through my concept and get more upwards. It's like a war that I fighting with myself. Fun and satisfy.

Exciting and thankful. A motivation to keep me pushing myself get better and better.

The message that the design can deliver, the image of the design that can catch target audience attention, also a new idea that to keep the design environment progress.

Could target audience get what you are presenting? Would it be a direction or confusion?

A designer should not support the "Free pitching" action. Mostly those free or very low-cost job would come out lots of bad design to the society, we are designer, we have to keep ourselves upward, and elevate the whole society's esthetic level. Not to ruin it. Most of the customers that don't know how to judge esthetic, we are designer we have the responsibility to educate them.

For my opinion, in Hong Kong, design knowledge can be much more popularization. I think the future of design would be the whole society understand more about how design works, and how design affects human activities.

My inspiration comes from everywhere. The place that I go, the video I watched, the book I read, friends of mine, the game I play, the experiencing of my life.

I think my design style is simplization that I'm still working on it. Simple but unique is not easy, I think I will keep reaching and create a style that belongs to me.

I live in Hong Kong, which is a famous international city, and we got lots of great designers here too. I can learn and inspired by them, also we got lots of exhibition here. But I think design concept can be more popularization which I'm working on it now.

To understand their needs as I were them. Keep asking a question of "what if". We are friend and we are looking for an answer together.

A good designer never rest. I'm not meaning the working hour, I'm talking about their mindset. They can't stop attracting by information or picture that related to design. Just let them create, don't interrupt their thinking, the answer needs time.

My design process would be researching before I start. Sometimes not only research on the job-related information, sometimes it can be totally not related but I can get inspired by it, to see the possibility of this project. Then I will share my concept with the client first, to commit in the same direction, then I will start my sketching and work on it.

My Piano, My iMac, "Back to Future" poster, Bobbie Brown make up case, Chatter Design Calendar 2018 :-)

Just remember design is a service, service means everything needs to be balancing - your design concept, the design look and feel, the marketing strategy and the client's thinking. Things won't work if lack of any of it. Being creative is not just Only come out an idea, but to make your idea into the business and shock the world, getting the win-win situation.

Being a designer is full of creativities, maybe funny too, but design is a really time-consuming work on our own, so maybe we are busy all the time. :-P

Never stop being curious.

Knowing how to judge esthetic.

Adobe software, and my collection in Behance or Pinterest, my design books also.

It really depends on the job time-lime length to decide how long I can struggling or researching on it.

It mostly around 3-6 months.

Where did your inspiration come from?

I was working on a Hong Kong fresh seafood delivery company branding. It's a really tight schedule and got to handle the whole branding including website design and develop, also photo shooting too. Which was a really experiencing to gain so much seafood knowledge of this time and had fun with the crew.

Sony, China Unicom, Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC), The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), FuLum Group, Mic Kitchen, Private i Salon, Choi Fook Wedding Banquet Group etc.

Branding, because to build a brand image just like building a country. The challenging and satisfying is unforgettable.

We will try our best to educate more customer to understand more about design, not only the big brand, we wish design can be more popularization in the future.

I will do the first step of the design project beginning, sometimes I need to work by myself, sometimes I need to cooperate with other partners or buddies.

My email: nova@chatterdesign.com / or for more contact information here: http://chatterdesign.com/