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Becoming a creative individual felt like answering a call that had long echoed in Yohe Wang\u2019s heart and has since then worked for renowned companies like IDEO and Apple with a proven track record of creating disruptive designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interview with the 2023 MUSE Creative Awards Winner \u2013 Yohe Wang<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your creative background.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am Yohe (Hanzheng) Wang, a highly driven product designer currently working at Albertsons who previously worked at renowned companies like IDEO and Apple. With a proven track record of creating ground-breaking designs that merge emerging technologies with innovative consumer products, my work involves multiple areas, including eCommerce, healthcare, retail, education, media, museum, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Born in Wenzhou, a city renowned for business and seafood in South-Eastern China, I pursued my passion for design and obtained a BE degree in industrial design and an MFA degree in interaction design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q2. What made you become\/why did you choose to become a creative?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Becoming a creative wasn’t just a career decision for me. It was more like answering a call that had been echoing in my heart since I was young. When I was a child, I was deeply attracted to creative toys like Tangram and Lego. I enjoy using these little blocks to create a world in my own unique way. I also enjoy the feeling that my ideas can freely take form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my mom bought me my first camera, I hung it on my chest and tried to capture every unique moment of my life. I was interpreting the world from my own perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most profound allure of creation is the ability to transform ordinary things into extraordinary experiences. And I found immense satisfaction in the process of design – the birth of an idea, the exploration and shaping of it, and finally, the manifestation of this concept into a tangible design that can impact and inspire the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I created “Behind the Seen,” I was not only motivated by the idea of leveraging emerging technology to motivate young generations to participate in this revolutionary movement but also by the journey from talking to kids and their parents to understand their ideas around climate change, to creating AR content to deliver the idea of decarbonization, to testing out a giant AR globe spinning in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like I said in the beginning, being a designer\/creative wasn\u2019t just a career choice but also a magic power that constantly inspires me to be curious, hands-on, creative, and innovative and always to have a heart that wants to make the world and people’s lives better.<\/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 I am currently a product designer at Albertsons, I lead the design for the eCommerce fulfillment team to deliver the best-in-class customer and associate experience for grocery shopping. My work has been driving success for last-mile delivery experience, fast delivery experience, and alcohol delivery experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are one of the biggest grocery companies in the US, with 18 banner brands. We are on a mission to revolutionize the shopping experience for our customers with personalized digital discoveries that are engaging and memorable. We aim to change the way people think about food, cooking, and feeding their families, and we want to provide the ingredients and options to suit every lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My daily work includes the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Collaborate with cross-functional team to define best-in-class customer and associate experience for key fulfillment initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Balance customer needs and technology constraints and translate business strategy into actionable design insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Develop design solutions for new problems and improvements to existing features across multiple applications (apps and websites).<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Visit the store and fulfillment center to understand the user persona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q4. What does \u201ccreativity\u201d mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, creativity means many things. It\u2019s a capability of always learning new ideas, keeping myself refreshed, and transforming ordinary things into extraordinary experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, creativity means \u201cnew.\u201d As a designer, my passion is to innovate a ground-breaking experience to inspire and impact the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, I need to be a lifelong learner and always be curious about new ideas, new technologies, new human patterns, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondly, creativity means \u201ccreating.\u201d Ideas are cheap. The execution that makes it come to life matters more. As a designer, I am not only a creative thinker but also a maker. Whether it is a high-fi screen and interactive prototype or a physical product, I enjoy the process of transforming a concept into a tangible design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but not least, creativity means \u201cgood\u201d, because we’re always creating better experiences for the future. As a designer, we are creating products, services, and experience that makes our lives and world better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q5. To you, what makes a \u201ccreative\u201d idea and\/or design?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To me, a ‘creative’ idea or design is about breaking traditional thought patterns and presenting something fresh. It involves reimagining the ordinary, challenging norms, and creating meaningful user engagement. A creative design isn’t just visually appealing\u2014it works effectively, stirs emotions, and interacts harmoniously with its surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A truly creative design can be simple yet impactful, providing innovative solutions and adding unexpected value. It’s not about being different just for the sake of it but about making a real difference, spotting opportunities where others see hurdles, and positively affecting people’s lives. That’s what I believe makes an idea or design genuinely ‘creative.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winning Entry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind the Seen, an AR climate museum experience<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind The Seen is an AR exhibition about climate change that brings teenagers together to learn about the problem \u2026 (Read more at MUSE Creative Awards<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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