Tony Lau Chi-Hoi

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Tony Lau Chi-Hoi ("TLC") 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?

TLC : I graduated from department of Interior Design, The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong; I have also been St. Martins College, UK to pursue advanced studies.

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

TLC : The aspirations to solve issues and problems, to create, study and be surrounded beautiful objects motivate me to design. I became a designer so that my rebellious thoughts and crazy ideas can be translated into actual solutions and products.

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

TLC : I won’t say I voluntarily chose to become a designer, or forced. I was born this way!

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

TLC : Light fixtures and furniture.

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

TLC : First of all I do not consider myself as a legend at all, yet I encourage young designers to stay open-minded to new ideas, never stop learning and appreciating knowledge. Also, be persistence and do not give up easily!

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

TLC : A good design is for everyone’s use. It serves its mass users well. A great design must fulfill all the client’s needs, perhaps be better than his initial expectation. It also should be revolutionary and innovative, as well as distinctive in academic value.

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

TLC : Apart from its functionality and aesthetics, its value cultural heritage, innovation will also be considered.

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

TLC : A piece of good design is to serve its purpose and well-received among users. It will eradicate the issues and inconvenience that the user face!

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

TLC : Interior furnishing for high-end fashion brands.

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

TLC : Collaboration with high-end fashion brands! Furnishing the interior set ups for their boutiques, launch cross-over projects and exhibitions etc.!

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

TLC : As Mother Teresa said, “do small things with great love”.

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

TLC : Ieoh Ming Pei. He is a true legend in the architecture and design sector. He was the first architect to employ glass as the main material of the curtain walls of his designs. His incredible vision and persistence strived to overcome all the technical issues back in the days. I was truly moved and inspired by him. My respect towards him is beyond words.

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

TLC : Steven Holl’s chapels. The exquisite spatial planning, the amazing manipulation of natural light and fixtures are impressive! He gave a fresh and creative interpretation to these holy spaces by his design.

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

TLC : My greatest design is a non-profitable project for a paraplegic lady in her 30s. A Chaplain from a hospice care centre reached out to me, inviting me to help furnishing the flat that was given to the lady, on a budget of only $5000 HKD. The greatest aspect of the design is that, it includes the human touch in everything from hard to soft furnishings. The project was planned and executed subsequent to through interviews and visits, so that my team and I comprehend her limitations, wants, needs and preferences.

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

TLC : Be persistent, open-minded to learn new knowledge and ideas.

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

TLC : esigners provides solutions and satisfy their clients; whereas as an artist, I create works that satisfy my own enjoyment and fulfill my spiritual needs.

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

TLC : To me, design is my life and faith. It’s my live-long passion. I live for it.

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

TLC : Religious faith aside, my own faith and belief motivates me to keep striving.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

TLC : My sensitivity to grasp comprehend the client’s needs through careful observation to gather insights.

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

TLC : Let me quote from Spiderman, “with great power comes with great responsibility”.

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

TLC : We should avoid communicating with difficult jargons and technical terms. Speak their language and present with clarity.

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

TLC : Products and home furniture.

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

TLC : To be recognized as an icon and a classical example among designers.

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

TLC : They expect me to produce both beautiful and useful designs.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

TLC : Design is a means to visualize and materialize the belief of “hope, love and faith”.

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

TLC : I am really excited about developing a showroom displaying the latest interactive digital technology of virtue-reality.

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

TLC : My greatest design is a non-profitable project for a paraplegic lady in her 30s. A Chaplain from a hospice care center reached out to me in 2010, inviting me to help furnishing the flat that was given to the lady, on a budget of only $5000 HKD. Without careful planning and design, the small flat was not accessible to a resident with special needs at all. My colleagues and I furnished the flat on a voluntary basis. My greatest satisfaction came from the client’s rare grin on her face and the continuous problem-solving process during the project. My client was skeptical, the budget was extremely low, lots of restrictions were imposed upon my team, by the housing and construction laws.

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

TLC : I see more environmentally-friendly or sustainable products and concepts are available in the market recently.

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

TLC : Apart from the direction of environment conservation, social innovations will be a big deal for the design field. Design nowadays, are considered a tool to combat social injustice and inequality and provide solutions to social problems; instead of a means of adding luxury on top of some extravaganza projects.

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

TLC : It may take anything from months to years, depending on the scale of the project.

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

TLC : Site-visit.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

TLC : As Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

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

TLC : The general trend and design trends interact with and influence one another!

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

TLC : It is just a tool to be utilized during the design process. The most important key is the creative and thoughtful mind and ideas, as well as the experience, knowledge and skills possessed by the designer!

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

TLC : Pen and paper, drawing sketching and model-making.

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

TLC : Those are just a form of “dress code”.

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

TLC : My concepts and sources of inspirations.

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

TLC : I feel so excited that I may scream or even cry!

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

TLC : High-end fashion brands. I LOVE CO-DESIGN!

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

TLC : My father and my sons

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

TLC : “Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta” by Mother Teresa.

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

TLC : Be humble and never forget why you start. Stay hungry, stay foolish; have an open mind to learn continuously.

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

TLC : Jesus Christ. He’s not just a religious figure. He is a man of wisdom, a convincing speaker and an influential leader.

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

TLC : I do feel surprises, great bliss and joy about them. I treat every competition like it’s the last, that I would tell myself to make the most out of it.

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

TLC : Color: Every single color within the spectrum; Place: home Food: home-cooked cuisines and chocolate Season: winter Brands: Jean-Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford, ISSEY MIYAKE

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

TLC : As an animal lover myself, I find designing projects for pets and plants interesting. I had to take everything from their ages and breeds in consideration. The material used in the living space and furniture, style, size, height and placement of hard and soft furnishings, as well as the overall spatial arrangement etc. …are considered fun and challenging.

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

TLC : As long as I can enjoy watching my favorite movies and reading books, I will be filled with inspirations, positive emotions and creativity. My motivation comes from my faith and belief.

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

TLC : I used to be very rebellious, naughty, disobedient and goofy. I love to come up with new ideas and play small pranks on the others.

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

TLC : I believe things will develop in their opposite direction when they reach to a point of extreme. With robotics and artificial intelligence overwhelming, connections and actual interactions between people are becoming weak. One day, everyone will realize that such phenomenon is unhealthy and it will be stopped. They will start to crave for spiritual satisfactions.

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

TLC : I sincerely advise my clients, audience, friends to live their lives to the fullest. As Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love”. Always maintain curiosity to everything around you, keep asking questions about your status, and be creative and open-minded.