Interview with Shengtao Ma

When I was a kid, I was just a curious kid who was obsessed with taking apart toys and trying to put them back together. I enjoyed playing with objects and exploring their internal structures, and I never associated this with any high-end design profession. In class, I loved art class the most. I liked to doodle on paper with colored pens, depicting the wild imagination in my mind, whether it was a flying house or a car with wings, but I just thought drawing was fun and didn't rise to the level of career planning. It was later when I entered university and systematically came into contact with design courses, and learned about the huge knowledge system behind design, unlimited creative potential, and the power to change lives, that I gradually became determined to make a name for myself on this path. So, when I was a kid, I just had a love for creation and hands-on work, and I didn't foresee the design life I have today.

I think my design style is not a fixed one. At different stages or in different situations, I will find a suitable design language to convey my design ideas.

When a new idea comes to mind, it is like suddenly seeing a beam of light in the dark. For example, when designing a lamp, it suddenly occurs to you that you can incorporate natural elements such as the veins of leaves into the shape of the lamp. This moment will bring you a strong sense of excitement. This excitement is like an explorer discovering a new treasure, and you can't wait to implement this idea on the design drawing to see what it will look like in the end.

First of all, I want to thank my mother, whose persistence made me continue on the path of design. Secondly, I want to thank my school teachers, who taught me a wealth of professional knowledge and design thinking. My current achievements are inseparable from their support and help.

When I was a child, I never thought that I would become a great designer. When I was a child, I was just a curious baby who was obsessed with taking apart toys and trying to put them back together. I just enjoyed the fun of playing with objects and exploring their internal structures. I didn't associate this with any high-end design profession at all. In class, I loved art class the most. I liked to doodle on paper with colored pens and depict the wild imagination in my mind, whether it was a flying house or a car with wings, but I just thought that drawing was fun and didn't rise to the level of career planning. It was later when I entered university and systematically came into contact with design courses. I learned about the huge knowledge system behind design, unlimited creative potential, and the power to change lives. I gradually became determined to make a name for myself on this path. My ultimate goal is to promote exchanges between different cultures, guide social values, and improve social aesthetics by creating beautiful works. Of course, these are just my imaginations, but I will continue to work hard towards my dreams.

Before young designers rush to design, I think they should read more and think more, and have the courage to overturn their own ideas. Only by continuous improvement can they polish out good works.

Have a pair of glasses that can discover beauty, a brain that can be active at any time, and a heart that is always passionate.

I like to stay up late, because the night time can stimulate my desire to create.

Design fairs are a great place to learn about industry trends. Social media platforms play an important role in spreading design trends. Joining a professional design association or organization network can help you build close connections with your peers. These organizations hold events, publish industry reports, and members can share experiences and insights.

Good design should conform to basic aesthetic principles, such as balance, proportion, symmetry, rhythm, etc. In addition to basic aesthetic principles, good design can also trigger emotional resonance. A well-designed product can make people feel warm, comfortable, relaxed or energetic.

The primary purpose of design is to meet the needs of users. It is important to judge whether the design is balanced and coordinated from a visual perspective. Make sure that the design is technically feasible and meets relevant technical standards and specifications. To judge whether the design is reasonable from a production perspective, production costs and production efficiency should be considered. The design should reduce production costs and improve production efficiency as much as possible while ensuring quality.

The Explorer research vehicle that I designed is the project that I am most satisfied with, as it won the Italian A Design Award and many well-known national awards.

Philippe Starck.The alien juicer he designed has a unique appearance that makes it not only a practical kitchen appliance, but also an artistic decoration.

I currently live in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. Life here is relatively comfortable and the people I meet are relatively easy-going, which has laid a certain foundation for me to devote myself to design.

All my designs are created personally. The division of labor in the studio is clear. I am responsible for the design, and the other business is left to my partners.

I have designed posters for charity organizations free of charge many times, speaking out on important issues such as environmental protection and anti-discrimination. On the theme of environmental protection, I use very impactful images, such as endangered animals surrounded by garbage, with eye-catching appeal texts to arouse the public's attention to ecological deterioration; when designing for anti-discrimination activities, I harmoniously integrate the images of people of different skin colors, genders, and disabled groups into one picture to spread the concepts of equality and inclusion, and help these concepts spread more widely on social media and offline events.

I designed a product during my college years, and its name is "W-3E Mask Expressive Emotion". This is my first independently completed design work, and I was fortunate to win the Futuristic Award of the Italian A Design Award. This great achievement for my first independently completed work gave me great confidence and encouraged me to continue to work hard to create better works. It also made my name and works spread quickly on major platforms and web pages, which provided great help for my future design journey.

When I was a child, I loved drawing on paper and expressing my inner thoughts on paper. I was fascinated by the sense of freedom. At that time, I didn’t know the concept of design, and I just created whatever I wanted. Gradually, I moved from paper creation to three-dimensional creation on the computer, expressing the thoughts in my heart and mind in a three-dimensional way. It is this feeling of freedom that allows me to constantly think and create that makes me gradually fall in love with it. design.

I chose to become a designer voluntarily. I have absolute passion and love for design. This emotion will encourage me to continue on the road of design.

My current design field is biased towards the design of large vehicles and equipment. I have recently begun to try the design of lamps and audio products, hoping to make breakthroughs in more design fields.

Before young designers rush to design, I think they should read more and think more, and be brave enough to overturn their own ideas. Only continuous improvement can produce good works.

Excellent designers can improve and innovate based on existing design styles, technologies and concepts. They are good at learning and borrowing, combining popular design elements with customers' personalized needs. For example, in interior design, excellent designers will rationally use the color matching of the space according to the current popular color trends, and at the same time take into account the customer's preferences, such as adding some distinctive decorative details to give the space a certain degree of novelty. .
Great designers have groundbreaking and innovative thinking and can subvert traditional design concepts. For example, the "less is more" design concept proposed by Mies van der Rohe completely changed people's views on decoration in architecture and home design at that time. This concept led the trend of modernist design, making designers begin to re-examine the nature and function of design.

Good design should comply with basic aesthetic principles, such as balance, proportion, symmetry, rhythm, etc. Beyond basic aesthetic principles, good design can evoke emotional resonance. A well-designed product can make people feel warm, comfortable, relaxed or energized.

Good design can bring visual enjoyment to people and enhance the beauty of the living environment. Whether it is exquisite home decoration, fashionable clothing or artistic electronic products, they can make people feel the presence of beauty during use.
In the market, good design can make a product stand out. For companies, a product with a unique design can attract more consumers' attention, thereby increasing product sales.

I will design some conceptual products, which is my exploration and imagination of people's lifestyle in the future. Among the many conceptual designs, I will choose the works that are closest to current hot topics as the focus of further design.

I am currently trying to design lamps. I hope I can design unique works that touch people's hearts and make everyone's eyes light up when they see my creativity.

I think function is as important as form. I will make the best form while meeting the functional requirements. At the same time, I will make the function more perfect and humane without sacrificing form.

Philippe Starck

The unique shape of the alien juicer he designed makes it not only a practical kitchen appliance, but also an artistic decoration.

A product I designed while I was in college, its name is "W-3E Mask Expressive Emotion". This is the first design work I completed independently, and I was fortunate to win the futuristic award of the Italian A Design Award. Having this great achievement for my first independent work gave me great confidence and encouraged me to keep working hard to create better work.

Improve artistic accomplishment and learn traditional art forms such as painting and sculpture. Drawing skills can help designers better express their creativity, such as improving their ability to grasp the shape of objects, light and shadow through sketch training. Understanding sculpture allows designers to understand the shaping of three-dimensional space. Sculptures like Michelangelo's show the dynamics and power of the human body in space, which inspires space design, product design and other fields.
Learn psychology, sociology, cultural studies and other humanities and social science knowledge. Psychological knowledge helps to understand users' cognitive and behavioral patterns, and pays attention to the development of natural sciences, such as materials science, physics, etc. Advances in materials science provide designers with more material choices, and understanding the properties of new materials can leverage the materials' advantages in product design.

I will become an illustrator and create computer illustrations.

When I was in college, I thought design was about innovating functions or appearances based on original products. But after I entered this industry for many years, my ideas slowly began to change. Good design cannot be blindly rigid. For original products, innovation in thinking is more important. Gorgeous functions and appearances sometimes do not satisfy users. It is often the small details that are difficult to find that can move the user's heart more. It is only by digging out these touching details that It's a design I want to pursue.

First of all, I would like to thank my mother for her persistence in allowing me to continue on the road of design. Secondly, I would like to thank my school teachers, who taught me a wealth of professional knowledge and design thinking. My current achievements are inseparable from their support and help.

Observe the details in life. Getting inspiration from daily life, such as observing people's behavior patterns in public spaces, such as how people quickly find exit signs in subway stations, is an important reference value for the design of environmental guidance systems. Observing people's living habits under different cultural backgrounds, such as differences in kitchen design in different countries, can provide a basis for designing products with regional adaptability.

In the early stages of design, mastering design software is a challenge. During the design process, it’s easy to get stuck in a fixed mindset. Being influenced by a certain design style or conventional design methods for a long time makes it difficult to generate new ideas. Design is a highly comprehensive field that requires interdisciplinary knowledge. Lack of knowledge in the fields of art, humanities and social sciences, and natural sciences will limit design ideas.

By participating in internationally influential competitions, winning certain awards and promoting them online and in the media.

My next step will be to research lighting products, which is a new challenge for me. I will take this opportunity to improve my aesthetic and design abilities.

To promote exchanges between different cultures, it can guide social values ​​and enhance social aesthetics by creating beautiful works. Of course these are just my imagination, but I will continue to work hard towards my dreams.

Designers are expected to demonstrate distinctive design concepts. In the highly competitive design field, whether it is product design, architectural design or graphic design, designers are expected to break the rules and come up with novel perspectives. As respected designers, they are expected to set design trends, not follow them. This means being forward-looking and able to predict future design trends.

Design can serve as a carrier of cultural inheritance. Excellent design works can transcend national boundaries and cultures and promote cultural exchanges. Design styles from different countries and regions learn from and integrate with each other, enriching the global design language.

I am currently conducting research on lighting products. The new field is both a challenge and an opportunity for me. I enjoy the process of exploring and researching new things.

The Explorer research vehicle I designed is my most satisfying project because it won the Italian A Design Award and many well-known national awards.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data are further integrated with design. They not only serve as auxiliary tools, but also provide valuable references in creative inspiration and design decision-making, helping designers break through the limitations of thinking and create more forward-looking design solutions. . For example, AI can be used to analyze user behavior data and market trends to provide precise guidance for design direction.

AI will not only be an auxiliary tool, but will also play a greater role in creative generation, design decision-making, etc. For example, machine learning algorithms analyze a large amount of design data and user feedback to provide designers with creative inspiration and design direction suggestions; AI is used to generate design sketches, and designers can optimize and improve them on this basis to improve design efficiency.

There is no fixed time, sometimes a month, sometimes half a year.

When I have a new design project I start with an in-depth face-to-face meeting or phone call with the client which is crucial. At this stage, you need to work like a detective to discover the true needs of your customers. Through communication, the client's vague ideas are transformed into clear design goals.

Know its whiteness and guard its blackness.

Design often creates trends through innovative ideas and forms. With keen insight and creativity, designers are able to break through the constraints of traditional concepts and launch forward-looking design works. Design can shape new cultural concepts and lifestyles, thereby leading trends.

I was mainly responsible for the creative part of the design, and I also completed the later modeling and rendering independently.

Rhino，Keysho，Photoshop，Grasshopper

Different colors elicit different emotional responses. Red often represents enthusiasm, energy, and may also suggest danger; blue conveys feelings of calmness, trust, and professionalism. In interior design, if the bedroom uses soft warm colors, such as light pink, beige, etc., it can create a warm and comfortable atmosphere and make people feel relaxed; while the use of cool blue or gray colors in the office space can help Create a focused and calm working atmosphere. The texture of materials can bring users an intuitive tactile experience, which in turn affects their feelings about design works. Considering environmental factors can enhance the adaptability and functionality of design works. The environment also includes cultural and regional factors, and design works can reflect regional characteristics by exploring environmental culture.

How do you come up with your ideas and designs?

First, we will think about how the concept behind this design breaks through tradition. It may have innovations in functional definition, usage, or aesthetic concepts. It is speculated that the designer's source of inspiration may be obtained from a certain scene in life, technology in other fields, or natural forms.

From a technical perspective, working with engineers is ideal. For example, in product design, mechanical engineers can help transform design concepts into practical mechanical structures to ensure product functionality and stability. We firmly believe that co-design can inspire more creativity. People from different backgrounds bring different ways of thinking and perspectives, and the collision of these multiple perspectives can often produce unexpected design inspiration.

During my design studies, my academic mentors had a profound impact on my design concepts and methods. They have a strong academic background and rich teaching experience, and can guide me to understand the essence of design from a theoretical level.

The book "Design in Design"explains the essence of design from a new perspective. Kenya Hara proposed that “design is not a skill, but the ability to feel and discern the essence of things.” This concept prompts me to not only pay attention to the superficial form during the design process, but also to dig deeper into the meaning and value behind the design object.

Delving deeply into the fundamentals of design is the cornerstone of skill development. Design is a comprehensive subject that requires learning interdisciplinary knowledge. In the field of art, learning drawing skills can improve your ability to grasp form, line and composition. At the same time, knowledge of humanities and social sciences is also crucial. Psychological knowledge can help understand user behavior and needs. Conducting thinking expansion training can help break the stereotypes and cultivate innovation capabilities. Develop the habit of observing life and collect inspiration from daily life. Observe people's behavioral habits, social trends, and natural phenomena.

If possible, I would like to meet, talk, and discuss with every designer.

I believe that all the awards I have received come from my own efforts and the help of my family and friends. I believe that as long as you are down-to-earth and keep working hard, it will not be difficult to become famous.

I like red, black, white. I like cities in southern China. Like spring. I like to draw, watch anime, and watch movies. I don’t have a favorite brand.

That was when I was designing a new pet bed for a pet products company. The client proposed to make a pet bed that was both fashionable and multifunctional, and the target audience was young pet owners in the city. At first, my mind was full of conventional ideas. I planned to use popular simple geometric shapes in the shape, and the functions were to add common elements such as a detachable warm liner and a detachable and washable outer skin. When I first proposed it, the client thought it was too mediocre and there was nothing special to catch the hearts of young people. When I was at a loss, I went to an offline experience meeting for technology products and saw a foldable portable gaming chair that could quickly switch from an unfolded state to a flat storage state. This gave me inspiration. I wondered why the pet bed could not be portable and foldable? Young people in cities often move or travel with their pets, so portability is absolutely a necessity. So I overturned the previous plan and redesigned it. The main body of this pet bed is made of a new type of light and sturdy plastic material, with a soft cotton lining. Seeing that the products I designed bring convenience and joy to everyone, the sense of accomplishment still makes me feel endless.

Eating the delicious food I've been craving for and hearing beautiful songs and melodies make me feel good. I use online shopping to motivate me to work.

When I was a child, I never thought that I would become a great designer. When I was a child, I was just a curious baby who was obsessed with taking apart toys and trying to put them back together. I just enjoyed the fun of playing with objects and exploring their internal structures. I didn't associate this with any high-end design profession at all. In class, I loved art class the most. I liked to doodle on paper with colored pens and depict the wild imagination in my mind, whether it was a flying house or a car with wings, but I just thought that drawing was fun and didn't rise to the level of career planning. It was later when I entered university and systematically came into contact with design courses. I learned about the huge knowledge system behind design, the unlimited creative potential, and the power to change life. I gradually became determined to make a name for myself on this path. So, when I was a child, I just had a love for creation and hands-on, and I didn't foresee the design life I have today.

Artificial intelligence will be highly developed, and super-intelligent robots will have the same learning, thinking and emotional perception abilities as humans, becoming partners, assistants and even friends in human life and work, integrating into all levels of society, and undertaking various tasks from housework to artistic creation and scientific research. Humans can customize genes through gene editing, eliminate diseases, customize physical characteristics and enhance physiological functions. Nanorobots repair damage and fight aging in the human body, achieving significant extension of life span or even near immortality. Humans master advanced spacecraft and propulsion systems, use dark matter and dark energy for interstellar travel, and establish colonies on multiple planets in the solar system and other galaxies. Space becomes a new field for human activities and development. Data becomes a core resource, and unlimited intelligence and perception are achieved through advanced technology. Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are deeply integrated with data, and brain-computer interfaces allow humans to interact directly with computers using their brains.

The issues covered above are very comprehensive and I have no other issues I would like to discuss.

Different design studios are committed to not sticking to tradition in every project, boldly exploring innovative design ideas, striving to break through conventions and bring unique design solutions to customers. At the same time, we have strict quality control. From the first draft of the design to the final product, every link has been repeatedly polished and carefully crafted to ensure that what is delivered to customers is high-quality work that can withstand the test of time. Different design studio businesses include the fields of product design and graphic design, injecting a unique soul into each project, transforming customer needs into stunning visual and functional design works, and never fearing challenges from all aspects.

When I was in college, I thought design was about innovating functions or appearances based on original products. But after I entered this industry for many years, my ideas slowly began to change. Good design cannot be blindly rigid. For original products, innovation in thinking is more important. Gorgeous functions and appearances sometimes do not satisfy users. It is often the small details that are difficult to find that can move the user's heart more. It is only by digging out these touching details that It's a design I want to pursue.

There is no specific style limit for the type of work I like. Rather than a specific style, I prefer to accept ever-changing forms.

Among many designs, I prefer unconscious design. Works that are not designed for the sake of design are even more rare and valuable.

When I founded my own design company, it was when the global epidemic broke out. A famous product I designed for patients was named "W-3E Mask Expressive Emotion". This is the first design work I completed independently, and I was fortunate to win the futuristic award of the Italian A Design Award.

I like wooden materials, which give people a return to nature feeling. I have no particular preferences regarding platforms and technologies.

I think quiet nights are the best for brainstorming, so that your wild ideas won’t be disrupted by outside sounds or events. At the same time, maintaining a high level of excitement also helps me create and design.

I think function is as important as form. I will make the best form while meeting the functional requirements. At the same time, I will make the function more perfect and humane without sacrificing form.

I am always in a state of excitement when designing, and the joy of expressing my inner thoughts fascinates me.

I will unabashedly show my joy and excitement, but when I am excited, I will also re-examine my design, hoping to further improve and improve it.

I believe that daring to think and imagine is the key to successful design. At the same time, daily accumulation of knowledge and understanding of design are also particularly important.

I will judge the basic quality of a design from the perspective of combining function and form. Designs that are eye-catching and resonate with people are the best.

I think it is necessary to have a deep understanding of users' needs, expectations and behavioral habits. In addition, it is also necessary to promote exchanges between different cultures, be able to guide social values, and enhance social aesthetics by creating beautiful works.

Design will be cross-integrated with more disciplines, such as biology, medicine, psychology, sociology, etc. The boundaries between design and other fields will be further blurred, and cross-border cooperation will become the norm. Designers need to have interdisciplinary knowledge and abilities and be able to work with professionals in different fields to create innovative products and services that incorporate multiple elements and functions.

The last exhibition of my works was in Yantai Design Town, Shandong, China. I have no clear plans for the next exhibition.

My design inspiration comes from life and every moment that makes me feel special. I think that tiring work cannot inspire my creative inspiration. Appropriate relaxation of my brain is a good way to burst out inspiration.

I think my design style is not a fixed style. At different stages or for different situations, I will find a suitable design language to convey my design ideas.

I now live in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. The life here is relatively comfortable and the people I come into contact with are more easy-going. This has laid a certain foundation for me to devote myself to design.

I am not responsible for this aspect, and negotiations with other companies are handled by others in the studio.

I think designers who have sharp minds, dare to imagine, and treat every project with care are what most companies need.

I think finding problems is the most difficult part of the design process. After I have specific ideas, I will start with market research, then appearance sketches, and finally three-dimensional modeling and rendering.

Barcelona Chair,Egg Chair,Tulip Side Chair,Eames Lounge Chair,PH-lampe

I like to stay up late. Night time can stimulate my creative desire.

Before rushing to design, I think you should read more and think more, and be brave enough to overturn your own ideas. Only continuous improvement can produce good works.

My thinking is not limited by age. I like bold creation and imagination. Compared with the current top designers in the world, my aesthetic needs to continue to improve, and my design thinking also needs further training.

Know its whiteness and guard its blackness.

There is a pair of glasses that discover beauty, a brain that can be active at any time, and a heart that is always enthusiastic.

Rhino，Keysho，Photoshop，Grasshopper

I will try my best to divert time from doing other things and put all my energy into design.

There is no fixed time, sometimes a month, sometimes half a year.

How did you come up with this design?

No special work experience.

It is more oriented to young people, including Chinese students taking postgraduate entrance examinations and Chinese postgraduate students.

In product design and graphic design, I can create freely and express my inner thoughts to my heart's content.

I will continue to work on design and hope to go higher and further on the road of design. My next step will be to research lighting products, which is a new challenge for me. I will take this opportunity to improve my aesthetic and design abilities.

My designs are all my own creations, and the division of labor in the studio is clear. I am responsible for the design, and other business is left to my partners.

It is currently in the learning and improvement stage, and no new designs have been carried out.

Google email: senheilinbaimuhui@gmail.com

The issues covered above are very comprehensive and there are no other issues I would like to discuss.