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Interview with Stella Guan |
Home > Designer Interviews > Stella Guan |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Stella Guan (SG) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Stella Guan 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?
SG: I am a multidisciplinary designer with experience spanning across print and digital (web) design, video production, animation and art direction. I originally went to school for broadcast journalism and worked as a TV producer right out of college. After a year or so, I decided that I'm more of a visual personal than a wordsmith. The only thing that made sense to me was to go back to school and study design. After completing my design education at Pratt Institute in New York, I started working as a junior designer at a small agency. After a few career moves, I find myself landing at JPMorgan Chase as an in-house senior visual designer.
FS: What is "design" for you?
SG: Design means solving a practical problem in a beautiful and effective way.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
SG: I love designing interactive user interface and experiences.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
SG: I don't have a set time when I feel creative. I'd say that sometimes I would go to see a movie and a scene would inspire me to create an idea. Sometimes, I would listen to a song and the lyrics would inspire me to jot down another idea.
FS: What makes a design successful?
SG: A design is successful when it effectively solves the problem. It is not a successful design when it only looks pretty - a lot of people can make things look pretty but they're not all good designers. The combination of creative problem solving and visual beauty is the key to be successful in design.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
SG: I think design is getting more and more involved in the business side of things. We have to raise awareness that design is just as important, if not more important, as other business functions. The future of design would be that it is a closely integrated function in any type of organization and that the general public would realize the importance of design in the success of any products or endeavors.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
SG: My suggestion would be to treat your designers as a partner, not someone who provides you with a service. Designers should be selected based on their style, efficiency and communication skills. Good designers know how to pitch and present their design. They also have a solid understanding of the company's product and best design practices to help convert customers.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
SG: I take breaks when I encounter a creative block. I think most designers sit around at their desks for way too long because it is sort of inevitable when your creativity is flowing. But we need to step away and refresh our mind when we're stuck. I think reminding yourself that great work is not built in a day helps.
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.
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