Interviewe mat Caxton Chung

I graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Design, Visual Communication. For years, I have been working as a graphic designer in financial industry. Before that, I have worked in a graphic house and a chained retail store as a graphic designer as well.

I don't like routines, I like being creative and I am always excited by seeing or doing something new. I think that is my motivation of being designer.

I chose to become a designer. I don't think anyone can be forced to be a designer. If someone is not enjoying the process of design, one won't be creative enough to do design.

I am an in-house graphic designer, I do a lot collateral designs, event identity designs, layout designs and infographics design. I wish to do more logo and identity designs.

First, I don't think I am a design legend, and I think I am still young too. Haha.

I think I hardworking is the key to achieve your goal.

I think good design is able to improve the quality of life and lifestyle of human, it is definitely worth to invest in good design.

If I had the time, I would like to design a Traditional Chinese typeface for Hong Kong people. Because I think there are not enough choices of Chinese typeface for designers to use.

I would like to design an event identity for a Silent Film Festival.

For sure it is the Techo calender that won the A’ Design Award this year. I think it is the structure of this calendar makes this design outstanding.

Being objective and have a clear mind to judge and improve my own ideas/designs.

There would be a million possibilities.

In a way the designer feel the most comfortable, but at the same time, it has to be clear and informative enough for the audience to understand the design.

I would like to have my own design studio, a studio not just doing graphic design but all kinds of design. And hopefully it is an international one with projects in different places in the world.

Design is a process of problem solving. Good design means good solutions, for sure it will be a better society if there are more good designs.

I just started working on a logo design project for an education foundation. I think it is very meaningful.

“Details make a difference”

I think it is a “Chicken or Egg?” situation. I believe the trends and the designs are mutually influencing each other at the same time.

I mainly use Adobe software to do designs, I think it plays an very important role.

Mainly Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.

Although I am not an architect and I didn't study architecture. I would like to meet Frank Lloyd Wright. I love his works.

I graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Design, Visual Communication in 2006. Since then, I have been working as a graphic designer in finance industry. I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a designer, but I am enjoying my job and having fun through the design process.

I work for Nomura, an Asia-headquartered global investment bank.

Design is an action of solving problems with a sense of aesthetic.

I like identity design and layout design the most

If I remember correctly, it was layout design for a corporate factsheet

I would say paper and printed items because they are tangible, I like to feel and appreciate them by holding on my hands.

I feel the most creative when I am having casual chats with my friends.

Typography! As I think typography is the basic element for graphic design, and it crucially determine how good a design can be.

It varies, it depends on what kind of project it is.

When the users find the design practical and value it, it is a successful design

s it user friendly? Do users feel comfortable when using it?

For society, I think designers bare a responsibility to raise the bar higher in terms of problem solving. For environment, I think designers should help the environment being sustainable.

Due to the development of technology, it is a lot easier to design, to create and to execute. So anyone who how to use design software can design. I believe “Design” will be a prevailing industry in future.

I live in Hong Kong, which is a place with a unique culture. It is a mix of Chinese heritage with Western cultures. This definitely affects my way of thinking and my designs. I see this mixed culture more as an advantage. Because I think a good mix or a good balance of East meets West mindset will help my designs being appreciated by a wider group of audience.

I usually start with creating some visuals in my mind visualizing how the design should be. Once I had a more clear direction, I will turn this idea into virtual on computer and creating some different options. Then I will pick the best option and modify it until I feel it is good enough to call it a complete design.

On positive side, being a designer has the privilege to think unrestrainedly; while on negative side, being a designer has to develop excessive patience to deal with different kinds of criticism.

Details Make a Difference

I would say “critical thinking”, “sharp eyes” and good communication skills.

29. My tools are very basic, I use colour pencil and a piece of blank paper for the drafting. And I mainly use Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe InDesign for execution.

I don't have a particular way to manage my time. But I would keep reminding myself on the deadline, no matter how the design process goes, the design has to be presentable and completed on time.

“When can we see the design? “

I enjoy working on identity design and layout design. I think it is because the audiences’ feedback on these designs is quite instant and direct.

In terms of work, I will keep equipping myself to create better designs. In terms of private life, I would like to travel to South America soon.

It depends on the scale of the projects. I work solo and as a team too at office.

I can be contacted via my email. And I am quite active on social media, just search for “Caxton Chung”. I have tried searching my name on the internet, there are not many other Caxton Chung.