Ho Kuan Teck

Specialized in Accessory Design.

Ho Kuan Teck

About Ho Kuan Teck

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Accessory Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Accessory
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Accessory Design


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Interview with Ho Kuan Teck

Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
My company is a luxury handmade leather goods company, we run this company since 2014. Our company goal is to design our own bags and made it by hand.
What is "design" for you?
Design, is to create something that can relate to daily use or for user life.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
Leather goods design is my favorite, it's a quite big challenge to design because thereI have a lot of similarities leather goods in the market with very limitations of design.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
The first thing I designed is character design, which is for TV Commercial.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
I love leather as a material for designing, I will choose to use 3D software for more complex development.
When do you feel the most creative?
Researching is the most creative, because I can have a lot non logical thinking before develop the design.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I will focus more in final product quality and function yet the design remain the same.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
I will felt neutral and try to get more comments from friends and customers.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
The way how to translate idea to final design will be my first considered.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
As a designer, we need to design something good in design yet have quality,
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
The design field is always play an important role when develop new products or design. We can live without design.
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
The last exhibition was at Singapore last year, I have no any new exhibition unless I have get any notification from organizer or company.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
Most of my creativity inspiration comes from everyday life. I like to think differently and try more before have any references.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
I live in Singapore, the culture of Singapore is a combination of Asian and European cultures. Influenced by Malay, South Asian, East Asian, and Eurasian cultures, Singapore has been dubbed as a country where "East meets West".
How do you work with companies?
I have enough information and research before designing, and have enough freedom for develop concept before designing for companies.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
The briefing or requirement for designer must clear, leave the creativity for designer as much as possible when they doing conceptual. Companies can prepare some test for designer, this will quickly find the right designer for the company.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
Before designing, I will try to understand a keywords or requirements, looking for inspiration from the surroundings, then develop all this element and translate to design.
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
5 of my favorite design item at home was: customize pendant lights, wall clock, leather stitching pony, leather sofa and cement vase.
Can you describe a day in your life?
The day in my life is that I am still alive, this is a day that allows me to continue to create.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
Being designer, you can design your own work with no limitation. But sometimes client will limit down your creativity due to budget or marketing purpose.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
As I always said, think out of box. Life is the source of inspiration.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
Pencil and note book is always important for me. I will always carrying pencil and note book with me to anywhere.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
I love to designing when I was travel with Rapid Transit, and will schedule at least an hour for designing a day after dinner.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
It's depend on complexity of design, it can be done within few hours or few months. Mostly, I will spend about 1~2 months to design and develop a handbag.
What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
The most frequent question to me is: Who was my target audience? Will the design related with function?
What was your most important job experience?
My most important job is to focus on my own work. As long as each individual is able to accomplish their own goals, the whole will be made stronger.
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
Handbags and leather goods is the most enjoyed because it's a very fun to develop customer's requirements.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
My future plan was to keep develop my brand with good design products.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
I have a series of works-in-progress design bags, still in develop. This series is inspired by South East Asia Chinese cultural, and key word is called "Nanyang".
How can people contact you?
People can contact me from email : myuraleather@gmail.com or call the phone: +65 9187 8320

Designer of the Day Interview with Ho Kuan Teck

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I'm 3D artist for Movie and Game industry for 16 years, it's my childhood dream to become an artist. I'm also a bag designer since 2014.
How did you become a designer?
When I create first pattern of embroidery for my mum when I was 14, I wish to become fashion designer.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
My design style is more on blend the shape and keywords. more like translate abstract to shape. Most of the time I rely to my hand the most when designing, especially when I making bags mock-up by hand.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
When I design I felt excited and motivated. Always have unstoppable idea input to my head.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
My neighbour is one of the person who influence me the most. He is a philosopher, the way he think and the way he live is inspired me and influence me to keep my dream go further as a designer. He always told me we must think out the box and change our mind when stuck in one issue.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
I growth in a lower-middle income families, being born in such an environment I have experienced a lot of works, and also meet different peoples. I always dream to become designer when I was very young, I believed designer can create my own life better and live better. I wish to become famous in future, and wish to have more chance to develop more good design. Especially handbag.
What is your day to day look like?
I always stretch my body like a cat when I wake up and have a rich breakfast after brush teeth and washing my face, this action helped me to be full of energy for a day. Before I start my work, I will watch on jungle image for 5 minutes. All these is very important to me for have enough energy work until mid night.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
I always double confirm my design before I decide it's ready, I will check is the design is fit to all the note and idea or not.
What is your biggest design work?
My biggest design work is develop my own leather machine. It is a machine that optimizes the weakness of all machines on the market, and combine all the strong point. This design and development is helped me alot for my product making process

Extended Interview with Ho Kuan Teck

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I'm 3D artist, with about 16 years working experience in Movie and Games industry.
How did you become a designer?
When I was 14 years old I decide to become designer because of my teacher.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
I choose to become a designer, this is my childhood dream when I was 11.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
As a designer, I have designed quite a lot of different design like characters, concept drawing, props design. The most I like is handbag designs.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Think out of box, research more as they can. Nothing is difficult on this world, if your mind is set.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
Good designer is doing a job, great designer is creating an art work.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
The value of good design plays an important role in its category, it shouldn't be invest by everyone but at least it fulfill to the group of people who need or love.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
Not design master, but movie director inspired me, James Cameron. "Titanic'
What is your biggest design work?
I love Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, designed by Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas.. A curving roof canopy constructed from steel and glass wraps around the airport, accommodating spans of up to 80 metres. Hexagonal skylights perforate the surface of this roof, allowing natural light to filter through the entire terminal.
Who is your favourite designer?
My Lemniscate handbag, the most great part of this design was how the idea translate to the final product. I'm happy to say it was a greatest design from me for current.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Learn from mistake, always request critics. I always welcome people to critics my design, I can collect comments to improve myself or my design.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
If I didn't become a designer, I will be a Marine farming researcher. This was my second favourite job.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
Design is kind of method for idea communication with peoples, it can be a product or message. For me design is a part of life, without design there is no innovation.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
My mother and my wife, they're the people who always support me to think further.

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