I have over 22 years of experience in design and over 7 years in industrial design education. I worked as an exhibition designer and freelance designer from 1993 to 2003, I used to study in the UK for my master's degree, 4 years aboard study really broaden my view and also make me have the high levels of self-confidence in design, and then I worked as the art director for a jewellery design company. Since 2007 concurrently teaching product design part-time in design schools and universities in China. I have worked in education full-time from 2009 while maintaining my design practice up to now.
I think the main reason is I love creating beautiful things when I was a child, especially like to drawing something in my fantasy world. It quickly became clear to me in high school that I love Chinese traditional painting and western oil painting. I don't know anything about design at that time actually, not just me, even in the whole society of China. Fortunately something happened in the late 80s of last century of my country. I got chance to study the product design in the local University, and also that is my first time understand the concept of design, and I really enjoy to create some different.
My work across a range of design field, including graphic design, interior & spatial design, exhibition design, product design, advertising and interaction design. It is difficult to choose which one is my favorite, if have to choose, I prefer product design, because it is more closer to our daily life.
First of all, make sure you really love design and enjoy it. Secondly, you should have a wide range of knowledge and social responsibility. Thirdly, always concentrate in one direction that you really interested in. Finally, sometimes you should stop talking, but never stop practicing.
Good design is innovative, Good design makes a product useful , Good design is aesthetic, Good design helps us to understand a product, Good design is unobtrusive, Good design is honest, Good design is durable, Good design is consequent to the last detail, Good design is concerned with the environment, Good design is as little design as possible, Good design doesn't over design, Good design should find the balance between form and function. in addition, keep asking yourself or someone else is this good enough? If they don’t say “Wow”, you know you have some work have to do.
Good design is not just about the aesthetic improvement of our environment – it is as much about improved quality of life, equality of opportunity and economic growth. Good design can help anyone make your life much easier and environmentally friendly.
One of the design masters who has influenced me the most is Sir Jonathan Ive, he is the chief design officer (CDO) of Apple Inc. we graduated from the same university, I think the most important thing he taught me is you have to make the real design model by your own hand, not just drawing.
One of my design work I really like to talk about, I can't say that is greatest, actually it just a set of bowl. you know ancient Chinese use rice soup as the glue to make the highly effective paper armor, according to this production method the bowl made by rice and rice paper, light as if there is no weight when you hold it in hand, it would be a new way to reduce cost and carbon emissions.
Design is the ability of grasping all the details. I am a person who love life and pay attention to the little details of daily life, design is an integral part for me.