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Interview with Wen-Heng Chang |
Home > Designer Interviews > Wen-Heng Chang |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Wen-Heng Chang (WC) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Wen-Heng Chang 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?
WC: The first inspiration of my design journey was from my father, who is a product design. I major in Industrial design in college. I found my passion for design after I worked in the professional industry. Now I am a postgraduate student in Milan and I am learning more about Italian style of design.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
WC: Now it's only an personal studio, the aim is just only to better let more people know my personal works and design philosophy.
FS: What is "design" for you?
WC: Design is a part of life style. A good design is always beautiful and attractive for me. It can better improve people's daily life, bring the memory, impression, inspiration and awareness to people. Make a even stronger connection with their own culture.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
WC: I like to challenge different design fields, such as furniture, light, transportation and wellness for the elders. After I come to Milan, now I try to use different design thinking and strategy, and cooperate with different people to design products.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
WC: I think my answer will be the PORSCHE 911 type 996. I think it may be an unexpected answer. I must say that Pinky Lai, who was the former chief design of PORSCHE is one of the best designer in my mind. His works can welly represent the combination of beauty and function.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
WC: It was an rj-45 plug wall outlet, which can also see as the internet jack. I helped the company to totally improve an failure project. I modified the structure of production molds and tools to let this product become a workable one and released it to the market.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
WC: It's an hard question. I can say that any latest technology and material can be an ingredient for me, such as VR and driverless car.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
WC: It depends. Normally I will have creative thinking when I was along or after a free chatting with friends.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
WC: It depends. Recently is more about the global issue and the COVID-19.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
WC: I like to let myself totally emerge into the environment of design and enjoy it.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
WC: Satisfaction and grateful.
FS: What makes a design successful?
WC: Beautiful and affordable. A good design need to let user have strong connection with it depends on their own background and culture.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
WC: the appearance and function, and what kind of problem it solves.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
WC: To use design to solving these problems in an more effective way and need to be more environmental friendly.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
WC: Good service and cooperate with machine.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
WC: Actually my last exhibition was date back to 2013. I had my thesis project show with the YODEX Exhibition in Taipei. I think I will have my next exhibition this year with my latest A Design Award work.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
WC: Always see other people's design and always let my daily life become a part of my inspiration.
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?
WC: I try to make my design more beautiful and functional. Also to have more consideration about the users.
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?
WC: I was born in Taiwan. Now I live in Milan. Different culture do really give a lot of different inspiration about design.
FS: How do you work with companies?
WC: Before I came to Milan, I work as a product engineer for four years. I used to support my company in different kind of fields. I need to be a communicator and connection between the clients and the factories, to improve the design concept and make into mass production process. On the other hand, I also had experience to start from the beginning of research&design process to the launching of marketing. I can say I learned a lot about how to be a team member in a company.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
WC: First, I was quite lucky to join a relatively smaller company, which I could had a lot of opportunities to experience different kind of work. I met a good mentor who was my product manager. He fully trust my ability. In conclusion, I think the company need to spend time and provide enough resources to let a junior designer learn and grow. On the other hand, a good designer is who can think outside the box and solve the problem.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
WC: Normally, I start from study and take reference of other designers' works. And it's very important to get inspiration from different design aspect, such as architecture , vehicle and fine arts. Then how to use my imagination to combine the resources I have and use the right tool to create my design is very important. If possible, have good discussion and opinion exchange with your team members is also very important. Then make the the prototype to test the function is important as well.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
WC: My Alessi Moka pot, my chair, my toilet, my lamp and my balcony.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
WC: Now I am a student. Normally I take about 15 minutes to manage myself. Then I have a simple breakfast, and a cup of coffee is very important. I like to walk to school, it takes me about 15 to 20 minutes. Normally I only have 3 hours of lecture per day. I will spend some time to discuss with my teammates for our workshop project in the school. Then I like to visit the supermarket to so some purchasing before I go home. Then I make myself the dinner. After I came to Milan, I learn how to boxing, so sometimes I will go boxing with my friends in the evening.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
WC: For myself, I am still learning how to be a good and qualified designer. I just want to say that based on my personal experience, don't limit yourself in specific field, try to expend your knowledge in different profession. On the other hand, be a good member in a team and try to exchange your opinion with others is extremely important, it can make you a good leader in the future.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
WC: I am very appreciate to become a designer. You can have a opportunity to crate some with your mind is very enjoyable. However, sometimes others will take your effort as granted, they don't realize how much time you spend on it.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
WC: A good design need to be reasonable, affordable, solving the problem and beutiful.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
WC: Observation and research
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
WC: I used to use the Solidworks the most due to I was a product engineer. Now I still use it as my main tool of modeling. For rendering, I use the Keyshot. I also use the Photoshop and Illustrator for the graphic. On the other hand, I use the Sketchbook Pro for digital sketching, and also I like the free hand sketching. Recently I try to learn some Rhino. I own some books about car, fine art, product and design skill. They always give me some inspiration at different moment.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
WC: It depends, I need to say that I am not a good time controller, and I still learning how to use my time more efficiency. It's really a big task for me.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
WC: It really depends on how much teammate and resources you have. Sometime you have the lead time pressure to finish a project, but have the limit of time is very important, it can push you to design good objects.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
WC: Who is the user? Whats the problem? Whats the technology? How much is the budget?
FS: What was your most important job experience?
WC: I worked in a small company in Taiwan in the structure cabling field. I learned a lot about many thing.From professional skills, solutions for clients, communication with factories to get along and hang out with my colleagues.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
WC: It very depends on who you work with. I can be an individual or even a big company.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
WC: Anything about elegant, beauty and dynamic.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
WC: I hope I can use my personal experience of education and culture background to design more product. I hope can can more clearly know my passion of design and keep improve it.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
WC: It depends, now I work more with other people.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
WC: Recently, my friends and I is planning to brand our own street fashion product. We are now start fro our logo and we are still in the research progress about our product position.
FS: How can people contact you?
WC: Through the facebook or Instagram, just using my name "Wen-Heng Chang". Leave me the message, I will answer you.
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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