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Interview with Chia-Min Lin |
Home > Designer Interviews > Chia-Min Lin |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Chia-Min Lin (CL) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Chia-Min Lin 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?
CL: I have a background in graphic design and interaction design. The over 10 years of graphic design experiences have made me more aware of and interested in information architecture and cognition/behavior. So I gradually developed my own way to observe people's decision making process and turned me into an experience designer.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CL: LinStudio was founded in 2009, specializing in graphic design and integration design from systemic social perspectives. We take design as a profound language to communicate and solve problems for better relationships. We ask questions such: how could we inspire new dialog between human and technology? What kind of society do you want to live? What's the societal potential being neglected? LinStudio seek the harmonious interaction between machine and people.
FS: What is "design" for you?
CL: Design should be a profound language to communicate future possibilities. It shouldn't be considered only as a mean to achieve some style or form factors. People should pay more attention to the design process, instead of outcome.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CL: Anything that include challenges or learning opportunities makes me excited.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
CL: I like things that couldn't easily identified they have been designed, but yet still have a trace of elegance and elaboration. In other words, I like the invisible design — guiding people/users/audiences when they don't even know they've been introduce to something new.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CL: The monthly letter for my university
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CL: Material: paper / Platform:Google map & Adobe / technology: tourbox
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
CL: When I almost fell into asleep.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CL: I focus more on defining what's the problem, what's the scope and what's the prerequisite of possible solutions. This helps me to find the edges of a system and when you laid everything on the table properly, usually means the right answer is somewhere there.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CL: Depend on what stage you are in right now. The first ideation process is usually about panicking and screaming. But once you found the answer, the emotion will become focused and energetic.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CL: Super excited. Someone resonate with my work is the power to keep me running.
FS: What makes a design successful?
CL: When it is actually being used. Wears and tears makes a design project fulfilled.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CL: Depends on the scope & conditions. Some design are horrible in terms of production and execution, but yet very inspiring to others.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CL: Just thinking of responsibilities to other is an amazing achievements. Bring the concept of "from cradle to grave" to the design process is extra difficult, not to mention thinking systemically. But I do think knowing your work and its influences from holistic perspective is crucial to modern designers.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CL: I personally believe there will be no lines between different design field in the future. Modern design requires multi-functioning skills applied across the industry. But experience will continued to be highlighted, both digital and real-life expreiences. How we see technology today might shift to focus more on emotion and companionship.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
CL: Let exhibition was 2018 CCS student show. Haven't think about the next one yet.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CL: Inspiration usually come from living experiences, especially when I notice something I am not happy about it. I feed my creativity from observing other people's behaviors. Are they consistent to what they're saying? if not, there must be something wrong. What's the reason causing this discontinuous? How to make it better?
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?
CL: Logical, Future-focused, and diversified. I approach design by figuring out what's the problem.
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?
CL: America. Pros: I have plenty of time to think because this is a really isolated place. Cons: There is nothing in between. It's either too much or too little, in terms of everything.
FS: How do you work with companies?
CL: Define what's the scope of the problem. Discuss the prerequisites with clients and colleagues. Ideate. Execution. Collecting feedback and reflect on your solutions.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
CL: Observe how they work and think, instead of focus on the works.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CL: Define what's the scope of the problem. Discuss the prerequisites with clients and colleagues. Ideate. Execution. Collecting feedback and reflect on your solutions.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
CL: Floor lamp. Laptop. Tea pot. Book I am reading and my bed.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
CL: Wake up at 8 am and took my allergy pills. Work for another 8 hrs then go home cooking. Take my dog for a night walk.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CL: Don't let yourself go easy. Designers need to be able to handle stress on daily basis. So be harsh on yourself.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CL: Positive: be able to work on fun and challenge projects. Negative: Have to keep learning. It's really exhausting.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CL: Be honest to yourself. You have to believe in your work in any condition.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
CL: Be able to learn from anyone, anything.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CL: Most important tools: Pen, pencil and good eyes. Also, walking helps.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CL: Keep working all the time and sleep as much as you can when you can. Think stretegically before work. Make plans but don't stick to it. Be flexible.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
CL: could be hours, or days, or months. Sometimes it runs for years. It really not your choices.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CL: What do you do? How do you do it? what's your inspiration come from? What kind of book you're reading now?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
CL: Working with renowned artists & editors in a small studio. I've learned lots of valuable working attitude about how they treat their works. They treat everyone/everything with rigorous and resilient approaches is really a million dollar lesson to me.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
CL: Universities, libraries, artists, small business... etc.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CL: Projects that required with a little constraints but not too much. Limitations makes people be more creative.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CL: Depends on when the pandemic will ends. Really not sure right now but I will keep running.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CL: By myself. But I learn from others.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
CL: Hoping I can design something useful in the post pandemic era.
FS: How can people contact you?
CL: Email: keanu9502@gmail.com
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
CL: No
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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