| THE AWARD |
| CATEGORIES |
| REGISTRATION |
| SUBMIT YOUR WORK |
| ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS |
| TERMS & CONDITIONS |
| PUBLICATIONS |
| DATES & FEES |
| METHODOLOGY |
| CONTACT |
| WINNERS |
| PRESS ROOM |
| GET INVOLVED |
| DESIGN PRIZE |
| DESIGN STORE |
| THE AWARD | JURY | CATEGORIES | REGISTRATION | PRESS | WINNERS | PUBLICATIONS | ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS |
Interview with Jackie Lai |
Home > Designer Interviews > Jackie Lai |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Jackie Lai (JL) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Jackie Lai by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
JL: I have a diverse background with engineering and design education. The 'need to create' inspired me to be a designer.I am constantly intrigue by the ability to model or create stuff from nothing.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
JL: My company focus on building meaningful spaces that inspire and enhance user experience. Recently I have a breakthrough in using VR (Virtual Realty) for our projects.
FS: What is "design" for you?
JL: Design for me is about adding value to life. Good design makes you think: why did I not think of that?
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
JL: Beside designing spaces, I like to design graphic and merchandise that can allow free-flow of style. Designing Tees are one of the expressive works I love to do.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
JL: Simple, streamline spaces or product with clean detailing with prominent materials. One example is to have a simple white with high quality stainless steel trimming or black with gold streamline trimming.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
JL: My first project is an exhibition space for a booth, a group of us conceptualize an idea of their own and the creative director picked mine. It was built and drew positive feedback and re-affirmed my career as a designer.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
JL: Technology is constantly evolving as I am intrigued by the software Unreal Engine that gives a great ambient to the models we made. The material Copper is one of my favourite elements.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
JL: I feel the most creative during my coffee time with a design magazine at hand.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
JL: The flow and continuity of the concept
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
JL: Excited and Curious!
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
JL: Satisfaction and Pride.
FS: What makes a design successful?
JL: A design is successful if someone can feel your passion, skills, and creativity converted into a finished product.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
JL: The WoW factor, a good design would really stands out.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
JL: Great designers care hugely about the real people who will use the product, service, building or experience they are developing. The designer ensures that solutions meet real needs, whether the users are fully aware of them or not.When it meet real needs, it is part of sustainability.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
JL: Design is becoming an increasingly fluid and fast-moving sector, where lead times to market are getting shorter. Technology would be the future and would have an important effect from the supply chain, simplifying production processes, increasing speed and volume as well as reducing unit cost.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
JL: My last exhibition is about “The Evolution & Alliance: the beginning of diversity", LINC Gallery, South Korea.The next one would be with A Design Award.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
JL: Design inspirations come from day to day life. I feel my creativity by observing, through fashion, architecture and products. Influence is energy and inspiration is drawn from all corners.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
JL: I like simplicity with details, details that gives an exclusive outline of the object. It would be perfect if the outline is the metallic element like copper or brass.I approach design as a combination of passion, skills, and ideas converted into a finished product
FS: 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?
JL: I live in a metropolitan city called Singapore. The culture in Singapore is defined by the different ethnic groups in the city-state, hence our design created have a diverse cultural identity that defines Singapore. The pros are culture-driven projects were generally well received, appreciated, and preserved by our citizen, cons would be such that it may not be suitable to other countries outside Singapore.
FS: How do you work with companies?
JL: Design is now an equal partner with many enterprises including technology, business, urban planning, science, medicine and education. Design is collaborative.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
JL: We need to allow and encourage the flow of creativity for designers, allow them to be updated with the progress of the design projects and make them feel proud of the outcome.The company should select the designers based on their passion and character.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
JL: Site analysis forms the groundwork, research, iterations, prototype , trial and launch.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
JL: Grammophone, Nakamichi Speaker, My lego house, Nespresso machine and my sport shoes.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
JL: Breakfast, Studio, Lunch, Studio, Dinner, Family...
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
JL: I would like to tell the younger generation of design students this pragmatic process of making ideas tangible and design should result in a particular ability to make things simple.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
JL: Besides having several designer parties, being a designer is to allow passion infuse into his or her works. However in some countries, designer are underappreciated and need to be recognized as a professional.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
JL: Be conscious of your spaces, design is all around you, everything man-made has been designed, whether consciously or not.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
JL: Design evolves quickly. Stay Hungry for knowledge. Influence is energy and inspiration shall drawn from all corners.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
JL: Any books and surroundings can be an inspiration. I hate to say but Internet has plenty.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
JL: Extreme time require extreme measures.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
JL: It ranges from 5 min to weeks..
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
JL: That I earn big bucks
FS: What was your most important job experience?
JL: The most important part of the experience is the opportunity to travel and meet oversea like-minded designers.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
JL: I did a range of projects from residential and commercial. More recently is the Corporate Suites for Formula One Singapore,a cluster of spa projects Natureland in Singapore and a futuristic project in Marina One Residences.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
JL: I like to do commercial hospitality projects as it really allow creativity to be performed to the max.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
JL: I would like to acquire more hospitality projects and to engage more in technology and online platform.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
JL: Yes I have a team and we brainstormed it together
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
JL: I am on this pro-bono project in exploring cultural & heritage conservation had also brought to life the projectnamed “The Cha Project” to revive the only Chinatown in Kolkata, India.
FS: How can people contact you?
JL: Interest parties can contact me via email, jackie@copperda.com or jackie@jiastudios.com
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
JL: Nil
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
Press Members: Register and login to request a custom interview with Jackie Lai.
| SOCIAL |
| + Add to Likes / Favorites | Send to My Email | Comment | Testimonials |
