Qichao An has always had a passion for designing and worked at several professional design companies prior to expanding his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Q1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have been working as a graphic designer in China for more than 10 years. Since I was a child, I liked various types of artistic creation and I have been active and uninterrupted which has laid a solid foundation for becoming a designer. During my university days, I used to intern at a few professional design companies and 4A-level advertising companies which added a wealth of experience and knowledge to my design career. 5 years later, I set up my own independent studio, specializing in brand logo design and product packaging design, which is also the main advantage of our studio. I love design work, it brings me endless joy and satisfaction and I hope I can keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q2. What made you become\/why did you choose to become a product designer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was very young, I was a person who liked to create and design so I chose to major in design in college and aspired to be an excellent designer and creative person. Product design work always brings passion and joy to me which is exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q3. Tell us more about your business\/company, job profile, and what you do.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After a long period of accumulation and precipitation, I established my own design studio – Mornice Design. The studio is committed to providing innovative aesthetic design solutions based on strategic thinking under the principle of “reduce the cost of marketing and communication , prevent useless effort for customer.” We aim to combine customer needs with market perspective, combine visual aesthetics with brand strategic marketing; provide customized designs that meet the connotation of the enterprise for customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q4. What does \u201cdesign\u201d mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Design” is like an old friend in my life, she always surprises me and makes my life more colorful. Sometimes, she might be away for a while but she’s always there when I need her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q5. What\u2019s your favorite kind of design and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Early in my career, I preferred designs that were impactful and colorful and as I grew and gained experience, I started experimenting with different styles of design. Therefore, I believe that design works should be diverse, innovative and creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q6. To you, what makes a \u201cgood\u201d design?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think design is a way to solve problems, it can better help people’s lives. Design work is not a kind of artistic creation, but should be to find and solve problems. Design should be a system with a complete logical process and design should not distinguish between beauty and ugliness, only whether it is suitable or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q7. Describe your design style and its main characteristics.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My design style should be clean, uncluttered, minimalist, I think this design style can be deeply rooted and never goes out of style, people always like simple, clean design which makes people feel comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q8. Tell us about your design process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before starting the design work, I will consult various materials of the project industry, ask the experts in the industry, and listen to their opinions. After the research is completed, I will start to draw sketches, including the general shape, color, typesetting, etc., and then discuss the design sketches with other colleagues in the studio, clarify the direction of the design ideas, and then start the specific design work. In the design, I will consider every detail as much as possible to ensure the quality of the design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q9. Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was born in China, which has a long history and cultural heritage and of course the country’s cultural heritage will influence our designs. Calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, architecture and other cultural products with Chinese characteristics provide a wealth of inspiration for our design. With the opening up and development of China, our designs are becoming more and more international and modern on the basis of retaining Chinese characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q10. Congratulations! As the winner of the 2022 NY Product Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all, thank you very much for the NY Product Design Awards. It is a great affirmation for me and the entire team to receive the Silver Award. We all know how high the gold content of the NY Product Design Awards is and how strict the review is. We are honored to be recognized by the NY Product Design Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q11. Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2022 NY Product Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The design shows the simplicity and quality of the zaishengdao rice, expressing the farmers’ yearning for life with simple and straightforward artistic language. The outer box combines the element of rice with the brand name, while the inner box uses the form of print to show the scene of farmers working. The overall design is simple and natural, while taking into account the artistic sense. The use of kraft paper increases the cultural atmosphere of the work but also shows the concept of environmental protection. The rice elements on the front of the outer box include the natural scene of rice growth, such as fields, sunlight, rain, etc. Through the arrangement and application of these elements, an abstract picture of the harvest in the field is formed. The design of the product name adopts the brush calligraphy font, reflecting the traditional Oriental charm and texture. The appearance of the garland composed of rice ears constitutes visual focus. Through color transformation, visual impact is enhanced. The color of the whole package design chooses brown related to the land, as well as orange and gold representing harvest and sunshine, bringing people a natural, fresh and simple design impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q12. What was the biggest challenge with this project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think the biggest challenge for this project was how to balance aesthetics with practicality. At the same time need to consider the environmental characteristics and natural properties of the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q13. How has winning an award developed your practice\/career?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Winning the NY Product Design Awards means a lot to me and my team. Winning the awards is not our main purpose. It is more like a mirror to see where our professional ability is and what shortcomings need to be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q14. What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Creativity, innovation and social responsibility, good ideas always impact our lives and our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q15. What makes your country specifically, unique in the design industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I come from China, where there are many excellent designers and outstanding design works. The differences between Eastern and Western cultures and aesthetics have given us a lot of creative space and inspiration. As China becomes more and more open, we are also learning the design and creativity of other countries, which will make the whole design industry more prosperous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q16. Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an interesting question. With the development and progress of the social, AI have gradually replaced people’s work in many fields, there is no exception in design industry. We can see more and more AI-synthesized images which bring more challenges to designers. With higher requirements, we need to constantly be innovating and changing. I believe that the design industry will not be replaced by AI but closer and more frequently cooperate with AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q17. If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring NY Product Design Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Young designers must focus on the things they loved and observed and think about the things around them. Repeatedly practice, enhance your design ability, try different design styles and find the style that is most suitable and good at. Prepare a beautiful portfolio that includes different types of designs, such as font design, logo design, packaging design, poster design, etc. This will get you a good job and pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q18. What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the design industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Continuously learn and create, improve your design and appreciation ability, master the latest information and news, pay more attention to design works in the industry and always keep yourself up-to-date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q19. Tell us something you have never told anyone else.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope I can have the honor to be a judge of the NY Product Design Awards and be able to join AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q20. Who has inspired you in your life and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My family and friends, who are always there when I need them most, gave me a lot of encouragement and support. It can be said that they are the source of my design inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q21. What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Never give up, persistence will definitely pay off. Be confident and stick to what you think is right. Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are gonna get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q23. Do you have anything else you would like to add to the interview?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am very grateful to NY Product Design Awards, which allows designers from all over the world to participate and spread excellent designs. Thank you for bringing great experiences to designers around the world. Next year, I will continue to participate in the NY Product Design Awards with my latest works, hoping to get good results again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The works show the simple and high-quality characteristics of ratoon rice, and express the longing \u2026 (Read more at New York Product Design Awards<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n