Naai-Jung Shih

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Naai-Jung Shih ("NS") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

NS : I received Master of Architecture and Doctor in Architecture degrees from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

NS : I come up with ideas every day, and I want to be a designer as a creator or an interpreter of spaces and geometries.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

NS : I choose to be a designer.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

NS : In addition to a formal style of “design”, I also prefer to make something out of its original configuration and composition in a more de-construction manner.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

NS : Every designer is unique. She or he does not have to become anyone.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

NS : Every designer is a good or great designer whenever she or he works her or his own way out.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

NS : A good design may come with the form, the function, and the message that a design can deliver. A great design is a design keeps evolving.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

NS : A good design improves the effectiveness and efficiency of life.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

NS : I would like to design a system for design so everyone or myself can use it.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

NS : My dream project is not a design; it’s a personal inventory system of possible resources for design.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

NS : Well, keep coming back to re-interpret design and fix it may be one of the recipes.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

NS : Zaha Hadid is one of the masters I admire for her achievements architecture.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

NS : There are so many designers I prefer, in A Design Award or Pinterest for example, although I do not know their names.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

NS : In this case, Wood Storm and Billy Julie were two of my greatest designs up to now, because both illustrated a viewpoint where metaphors and physical objects meet.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

NS : A good designer can be achieved by observing, practicing, thinking, and keeping communication with people.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

NS : May be a teacher, I have been working as a professor for 27 years. If I hadn’t become a so-called designer, I still can be a designer for myself.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

NS : Design is everything.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

NS : The biggest support is the A Design Award who has provided an open environment for anyone to express itself. I didn’t even tell my wife what I am doing.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

NS : I am not a great designer. I’ll let you know when I reach it.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

NS : I guess I myself am the only obstacle to become a design master.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

NS : In these days, there are many ways to present design works. Each of them should be taken care of.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

NS : There are some projects from past that I am still working on. You’ll see.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

NS : My goal would be the creation of new interpretation or inter-relationship for design elements.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

NS : I am not an esteemed designer yet. Please do not expect anything from me yet.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

NS : A design can be a new interpretation of needs or demands that will create a better society.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

NS : I am working on metaphor- and interface-types of space order for fun.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

NS : The metaphor translation kind of project stimulated me and gave me the most satisfactory.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

NS : A BIM (Building Information System)-like changes in each stage of design would be very interesting.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

NS : The embracing of technology with environmental concerns would be something we are headed for.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

NS : It may take from 1 week to two years to finalize a design project.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

NS : Actually a new project may starts anytime and anywhere, since many of them are of my own interest.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

NS : Keep curious about anything is very helpful to me.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

NS : They are mutual influential, I guess.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

NS : Technology helps me explore different possibilities, produce prototypes, and visualize alternatives.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

NS : Other than general 3D modeling software, parametric design software and 3D printing machines are very helpful.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

NS : All the elements are important for sure in defining the characteristics or delivering a message of a design.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

NS : Just like the questions mentioned earlier, it would be very interesting to be asked about a design for its naming background or the stages in idea developing process.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

NS : How did the designer come up with the vision, interpretation, or the solution for an issue?

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

NS : Maybe a collaborative relationship, like a supporting RP company, is more suitable to define the partnership. Co-design is great for a complementarity relationship.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

NS : I think every people I have been interacted with had the influence on me more or less. The influence could be made subconsciously, so it’s really hard to tell.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

NS : For my architectural background, “Architecture: Form, Space and Order” has been always one of the most important books.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

NS : I’m not a master designer, and still working on that.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

NS : Actually I have met the author of the book “Architecture: Form, Space and Order” as one of the greatest experiences.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

NS : It's not hard to be famous, as long as you do not take it as the only judgement of your effort and stop moving forward.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

NS : Not specifically, everything has its part of interest. I do love summer.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

NS : This weekend, I took pictures of the graffiti outside a studio and found many of them were interesting.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

NS : Being curious and being a design studio instructor are two of the reasons that motivate me to self-evolve as a designer.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

NS : No it’s not obvious, although I was considered as above average in painting.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

NS : In 2018, the time has arrived to the date many former sci-fi movies have predicted, but not much difference has shown. If it’s possible, I will like to have a real Holodeck to accompany.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

NS : People only have to know that there is a guy in Taiwan loves to work on something strange.