{"id":26758,"date":"2024-05-13T10:40:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T10:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muse.international\/?p=26758"},"modified":"2024-06-12T06:16:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T06:16:45","slug":"interview-with-youtian-duan-from-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/interview-with-youtian-duan-from-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Youtian Duan from the United States"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Youtian Duan is an artist, designer, and co-founder of Another.World studio. Her art weaves narrative, memory, culture, and innovation together and invites viewers to explore the complexities of the self and reality. She holds an MFA in furniture design from RISD and is currently studying at Harvard GSOD. Duan enjoys all kinds of design and finds their existence intriguing, including those that are considered failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My name is Youtian Duan. I’m an artist, designer, and co-founder of Another.World studio. I’m currently studying at Harvard Graduate School of Design, and I hold an MFA in furniture design from Rhode Island School of Design. My art is a vibrant tapestry where I weave narrative, memory, culture, and innovation together. My creations are a playful yet profound reflection of the authenticity of life and the emotional rollercoaster we all ride. Fascinated by the dream world, I capture the essence of the subconscious, turning it into art that speaks to the soul. Each piece I create is an invitation to adventure, encouraging viewers to explore the complexities of the self and the ever-shifting landscape of reality.<\/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

I’ve been good at art and design since I was a kid. I have a strong sense of my own emotions and the feelings of others. I like to tell stories that connect with people, and art is a great way to do that.<\/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

Welcome to Another.World, a place where Yingxi Ji and I let our creativity run wild. We believe in a world where people can face their inner demons with laughter, where being vulnerable is okay, and accepting yourself is the greatest achievement. My goal with our playful and innovative projects is to create a safe and inclusive place. I want people to explore their complexities, embrace the parts of themselves that might be uncomfortable, and come out the other side stronger, more resilient, and true to who they are. Here in this special place, we call Another.World, we make furniture, objects, graphics, and loads of fun! Come join us on this journey!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q4. What does \u201cdesign\u201d mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design to me means creating objects by hand with good intentions to bring happiness to those who see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q5. What\u2019s your favorite kind of design and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This question is a bit tricky, haha. I deeply believe that everything that exists is reasonable. In a broad sense, I like all kinds of design, even those that are considered failures by conventional standards, because I find their existence intriguing. People can always learn from failures. If we’re talking about aesthetics, I believe my taste is based on a unique system formed by my own experiences, and it evolves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q6. To you, what makes a \u201cgood\u201d design?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, a “good” design is easy to use; the object itself should clearly explain its function, how to use it, and how to care for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q7. Describe your design style and its main characteristics.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whimsical! It has human-like qualities and a sense of story, so when people look at it, their imagination can take over, helping them think about what’s going on with this piece of furniture. It reminds them of their own stories and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q8. Tell us about your design process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first step is to take inspiration from my dreams. I believe that dreams are not just nocturnal illusions; they are true reflections of my inner world, echoing my past experiences\u2013both those easily recalled and those deeply buried and “forgotten.” Next, I sketch the idea and test it with various materials. I usually go with the flow; the result often looks nothing like the original sketch, but it always turns out to be the best version!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q9. Congratulations! As the winner of the 2024 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

I think this is a great encouragement for me! I’ll keep working hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“flock of sheep” is a modular furniture concept designed to enhance social interaction in public spaces. Inspired by the cohesive nature of sheep herds, this design features sheep-shaped modules that are soft to touch and easily rearranged to create \u2026 (Read more at NY Product Design Awards<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about this interview<\/a> with Anqi (Angela) Chen from the United States, the Silver Winner of the 2024 NY Product Design Awards.<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Youtian Duan is an artist, designer, and co-founder of Another.World studio. Her art weaves narrative, memory, culture, and innovation together and invites viewers to explore the [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":26764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[372,540],"tags":[360,492,488,382],"yoast_head":"\nInterview with Youtian Duan from the United States<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Winner interview with Youtian Duan from the United States, the Silver Winner of the 2024 NY Product Design Awards.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/interview-with-youtian-duan-from-the-united-states\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Interview with Youtian Duan from the 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