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Interview with Xiaokai Li |
Home > Designer Interviews > Xiaokai Li |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Xiaokai Li (XL) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Xiaokai Li 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?
XL: I have always loved art since I was young and believe that art or design can make life better, so I chose art design from college and have been working in design since graduation.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
XL: Our studio is a research and exploration-oriented innovative design laboratory, including interior design and furniture design. We try to cooperate with people in different fields, hoping to improve social environment through design.
FS: What is "design" for you?
XL: Design is a kind of revelation. The designer uses a unique eye to discover the original things and logic.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
XL: I prefer to design stools and tables because they are most commonly used in life.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
XL: Classic furniture and architecture from the Bauhaus period.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
XL: All plywood furniture in a reading hall.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
XL: Real materials, such as wood, stone, and metal, are connected in the simplest and most direct way.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
XL: The most creative when seeing different landscapes while traveling.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
XL: The logic of the design.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
XL: I tend to be quiet when I design.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
XL: When the design is realized, it is hoped that time is still at that moment.
FS: What makes a design successful?
XL: Can continue to study.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
XL: Practical and form.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
XL: Designers should learn to observe and discover the shortcomings in society and the environment, and then propose solutions to these problems in a targeted manner.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
XL: In the contemporary era, people actually pay more and more attention to themselves. I hope that in the future, people will think more about the relationship between people and the environment and the relationship between people and the universe.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
XL: It is my usual observation and thinking about the form and structure of things around me.
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?
XL: Can express the minimalism of the work simply and clearly.
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?
XL: I live in Hangzhou, China. The form and structure of Chinese ancient buildings and furniture have a great influence on me.
FS: How do you work with companies?
XL: We mainly focus on the output of design thinking.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
XL: The company should retain the original ideas of the designer as much as possible, and use this as a basis for deepening the landing. Good designers have their own ways of thinking.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
XL: I don't usually do design on purpose, many of them deepen the inspiration accumulated from daily observations.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
XL: Furniture designed by myself for the studio.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
XL: Engaged in brainstorming in the company every morning, deepening the morning's ideas in the afternoon, and generally watching things related to design or art at night.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
XL: Young people must be patient and have the spirit of study.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
XL: Designers generally have occupational diseases, and it is difficult to experience life with the eyes of ordinary people.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
XL: The design must have its own logic.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
XL: Hand-drawn, text, and design software.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
XL: I usually record my inspiration by hand drawing with pencil, and then make it with 3Dmax.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
XL: The time to think about the plan and the time to deepen the plan are divided into time periods.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
XL: Depending on the design object, some will take a few days and some will take a few months.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
XL: What is the principle of design.
FS: What was your most important job experience?
XL: Each stage is more important.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
XL: There are no restrictions, and everyone who likes our design may become our customer.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
XL: I prefer minimalist works because they express clearly.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
XL: I hope to cooperate with people in different fields.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
XL: Design by myself, and then put the product on the ground through teamwork.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
XL: I am now designing a wooden stool, its form is also more interesting, the stability of this form needs to overcome many technical problems.
FS: How can people contact you?
XL: You can leave a message via email or ins.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
XL: No thanks.
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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