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Interview with Cayrani Yap |
Home > Designer Interviews > Cayrani Yap |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Cayrani Yap (CY) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Cayrani Yap 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?
CY: As a kid, i had to represent my class for drawing competition. The instruction was to follow the sample given. My output was a drawing with my own interpretation, creativity and style, it was drawn at an angle, making it a fresh piece. Since then, I was aware of my new found passion. My interest was always to create, devise, design. Something along the line of engineering, architecture to designing. This is not to say, that i got to spend my childhood doing the things i love. Due to the academic pressure, i spent most time on study to finish the school term. It is not until the college, that i started to do something about it, to pursue design. To solve problems, to communicate to people visually. It gives me opportunities to create something tangible. My work gives sense of satisfaction.
FS: What is "design" for you?
CY: Design has always been important and powerful medium. It makes life easier, more exciting, colorful and engaging. It communicates the desired messages clearly. It never ceases to amaze me with all its possibilities, together with today's technology. Sometime, it touches the hearts and minds. It is mind blowing.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CY: The works which give me the full control. The absolute trust and respect given by the project commissioner to me as designer. A concept can be translate in many different forms. Designer's duties is to make difficult choices that solves the problems and best represent the brand.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CY: There are no fixed favorite. Ultimately, it all depends on the design strategic, ideas, and best channels to reach the intended target audiences. Creative and business work hand in hand to create great design. It's always good to be able to create a design that is relevant for broad range of platforms. That it's capable of varied usage across the different platforms. In other words, the ability to adapt these designs to print, wearables, digital & mobile seamlessly.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
CY: I have ideas flowing during my most relaxed time in the morning. Sometimes, when faced with the challenges.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CY: Each design brief comes with new challenge. Every different industry represent different creative challenge which can be quite intimidating. My routine as follows, 1. Look into the problems, the target audiences and their mindset and needs, connect the solutions, look from different perspective. We are the person who control user's experience. 2. Explore and try out new things. By doing so, I will push myself into creating something aesthetically interesting yet functional, which i have not done before. It helps to improve skills and develop stronger visual sense.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CY: Feel the excitement, anticipation for the kind of final results of my works, based on the research done. The impact of the works that can drive viewers to take action, make swift decisions. Ability to use feelings to build connection between the viewers and the works.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CY: It's gratifying and motivating to see your works out there in action. Because, people is interacting with these works, respond to them, and enjoy looking at them. It's simply empowering.
FS: What makes a design successful?
CY: Great design has to be both aesthetically interesting and functional, able to tell great story, to guide the viewers to the direction of a product/service. It's not easy as it takes years of practice and countless number of hours. And great design when viewed, it reflects brand of the design itself.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CY: There no wrong or bad designs. Sometimes it just doesn't align with the vision of the project. It is an effort of different people with differing opinions. The context is always important, so it's great when clients are clear and specific about it. Ensuring the guidelines are clear for the designer.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CY: There will be always a need for craft. Premium skills that has its own passionate audiences. As long as we commit ourself to achieve that "expectations", we will remain valuable. Constantly improving and learning, together with our strong foundation.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CY: There is no specific source so to speak. anything includes the lives i live, everything i do, influences what my design approach will be. I get inspiration from everything, be it products i'm looking at or environment i'm currently in.
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?
CY: My style is achieved through years of learning, practicing based on different industry, clientele, working culture. It is build by going through challenges. Recently, I have been exploring and adopting happy, joyful approach to my works. I want to be able evoke the joyful feeling when looking at my works. Life is fast paced, challenging as it is, so why not view at some mood-uplifting works, be it an ad, poster and whatnot. Listening to the songs i love, drinking my favorite coffee, helps to set the approach to the problems i attempt to solve. By scribbling on piece of paper does wonder even.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CY: Each project comes with new challenge. Every different industry represent different creative challenge which can be quite intimidating. As i go through motions of creating creative solutions, i learn to develop my routine. At the beginning of new project, My job is to ensure i get clear context, guidelines. Ask questions to clear the doubts and to save time. There is always something new to learn, new trends, new tool, new source of inspiration. "Never stop learning" motto. For me, there is always a new direction to go with. No matter how intimidating the project sounds. Yes, it is an intimidating yet fulfilling process, looking into the problems and to find solutions.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CY: Always committed to achieving the highest level of your style/expectation in order to stay relevant. With all the automation, this is our value as premium designer.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
CY: To get out of your comfort zone. To try out new and different ways of designing the same project over and over again. You never know what you might identify about yourself as designer in the process.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CY: Adobe software. There is no specific sources so to speak. I get inspiration from everything, be it products i'm looking at or environment i'm currently in.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CY: Planning ahead a week schedule of work lists by terms of urgency. Doing and thinking as much as possible during the most productive time frame. As designer, we have our time set when we need creative siesta. And this is the time, where you can't possible force yourself to be productive. With that being said, we can always use any time outside work, while journeying home back and forth, to think. You never know, ideas occasionally surprises us out of nowhere.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CY: How do i manage to think of different ideas, style and execution for different type of businesses within that time frame. We always have to multi-think through different concepts based on the design brief from different departments in a company. It takes years of practices to juggle between works. It is not easy, as we will lose focus. And getting the focus back consumes time. Taking a short stroll along greenery does incredibly job at disentagling the mind traps.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
CY: Every job comes with its own set of experiences and challenges. These exposures are what makes us better designer. As we inadvertently will improve our skill sets. It is the commitment and perseverance that counts. Once, i was an independent designer. I worked on everything on my own. Meeting & connecting with new people, being exposed to wide range of projects and mindsets of each clients. These are the people who seek me out as a creator. It defines who i am as designer, my style, commitment and determination.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CY: I'm able to work as a team or individually. With that being said, most of my works are developed by myself.
FS: How can people contact you?
CY: My contacts is by email. It is cayraniyap@gmail.com
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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