Lan Zhang

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Lan Zhang ("LZ") 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?

LZ : People use their senses to perceive this world, I found within the five senses, my visual sense is quite strong，I am very sensitive to the visual elements like colors shapes, textures etc. In this way, graphical items become my tool to communicate with this world. I started learning painting in middle school, and then I went to an art university, major in graphic design. After graduated from the university, I continued to pursue my study abroad, and obtained my master, doctor degrees in Australia.

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

LZ : I begin with painting in my childhood, and select graphic design as my major in University. Design gives me an additional channel to communicate with myself and other people. All these steps of learning and study lead me to the path of a designer.

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

LZ : I become a designer based on my painting experience, I choose to become one naturally.

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

LZ : I do VI design the most, I wish to design more of logos, because a logo is like a condensed story, such small image can carry lots of information.

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

LZ : Every person have there specific path, they can all receive their reward by diligent work.

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

LZ : A good designer does what they are supposed to do, a great designer supply unexpected pleasant surprise.

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

LZ : A good design conveys effective communication form both mentally and visually. If the final design can match with the overall plan and works well in the market, it can be a good design with practical value.

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

LZ : A good design contains aesthetic and practical value in general. Good design can influence everyone in a positive way, people can obtain benefits from good design in various ways.

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

LZ : I would design commonweal items as everyone is equal, everyone has the right to experience the joys and benefits from design.

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

LZ : My dream project is relevant to mystery theme, which requires the cooperation of spaces, materials, lights etc. This project provide another dimension of our current world, it might be the same with, might be opposite to this world, it is different from but could be a reflection of our circumstance.

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

LZ : It is important to build up connections, which includes the connection of all the visual elements, and the connection between the design and the viewers. Keep the design effective, consider more for the clients in a reasonable way.

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

LZ : I get inspired from Alan Chan, Kohei Sugiura, Tashi mannox etc.

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

LZ : My most favorite designs are the maps from Sugiura Kohei. He based on the two dimensional platform whereas showcases unusual angle of perceiving some normal objects by twisting the times and dimensions.

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

LZ : My greatest design so far is a series of posters, featuring the theme of Tibetan five elements. The five elements is a general concept which may vary due to different contexts. I capture the fluctuate nature of the five elements, situate it in a Tibetan context, and reveal it in a way that can be widely accepted by contemporary public.

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

LZ : Be familiar with basic rules of design, and keep updated trend in mind, and unite these two facts logically in design.

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

LZ : Although my previous major gives me a clear concentration on graphic design, I always interested in jewellery design, I make some drafts and create accessories in my spare time.

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

LZ : Design is a process of “understanding and fulfillment” for me. Understanding the essence of the design topic, the methods, the materials, the target group, as well as how to achieve it in a reasonable way.

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

LZ : My biggest supporter is my parents, they arouse and encourage my interest on handcrafts, painting and designing in my childhood.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

LZ : I still have long way to go toward a great designer. In my opinion, a great designer not only satisfied with the quality of a design itself, but also pays attention to the positive influence that a design can bring to the society.

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

LZ : I do not regard myself as a design master at the moment. My current position is lecture in a university, to fulfill my job obligations first could be some distracted factors of focusing on design.

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

LZ : I think designers should present their work in an objective professional and outgoing way.

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

LZ : My next design project is relevant to Tibetan Buddhism symbols and motifs. My rough idea is to experiment them with different materials, on different devices, and different ways of display them, then exhibit the final outcomes.

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

LZ : As a designer, I wish to create timeless work that can be widely accepted without limitation of time and space.

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

LZ : Most people tend to expect brilliant work that can totally match with their imagination, or stunning work that will be blown away. They also care about whether the design works well in the market.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

LZ : A designer has the duty to maintain and enhance an appropriate order of our society and environment by means of the materials of design, to propose, advocate or guide the viewers, in order to form positive concepts, which can contribute to a harmony, peaceful, sustainable society and environment.

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

LZ : I am currently working on VI items of my brand, in which I can express more personal favourism.

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

LZ : So far, a series of posters gave me the most satisfaction, which featuring the theme of Tibetan five elements. The five elements is a general concept which may vary due to different contexts. I capture the fluctuate nature of the five elements, situate it in a Tibetan context, and reveal it in a way that can be widely accepted by contemporary public.

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

LZ : I would like to see more environmentally friendly design, the material, the method, the process of design can all be benefit to both human and nature.

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

LZ : I think the design field will continually headed towards a sustainable and interactive direction.

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

LZ : It mainly depends on the specific project, skill, quality, style etc. are all factors that influence the time to finalize a design project.

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

LZ : I start with collecting information, and relevant materials for the design project.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

LZ : I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.

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

LZ : I think the trends and the designs is interactional related, sometime trends influence more on the design, while sometimes design create new trends.

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

LZ : Technology can make the design process smooth, also assist in the design effects, it provides endless possibilities to design.

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

LZ : I normally use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, sometimes I also use handwriting pad.

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

LZ : The color, materials and ambient works as a whole in design. The color can easily catch the viewers’ eyes, and leave an early impression on the viewers, different colors possess different meanings. The materials not only affect on the viewers’ eyes but also affect on the sense of touch. The ambient can set the design off, it could be regard as part of the entire design.

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

LZ : I wish people to ask whether the design convey or develop the original idea of the design

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

LZ : How does the designer come up with this new idea, where the inspiration comes from?

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

LZ : I do not have a design partner, I believe in co-design.

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

LZ : My master had the most influence on my design. He enlightened me to reflect on an object from multiple angles, which enriched the depth and width of my design.

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

LZ : “Life and modeling” had the most effect on my design. I pay more attention on the expression of imperceptibility in my design after reading this book.

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

LZ : Keep on accumulating experience is an unavoidable process. Always keep an open mind absorb good ideas and develop own idea is also important.

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

LZ : I would want to meet with Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. I wonder how do the Buddhism wisdom reflects the design, and how to transmit these wisdom to the public effectively through design?

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

LZ : extant. Famous is constructed with many factors, I focused on my study in previous years, and now I start create some works. I wish my work in the future can communicate well with viewers.

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

LZ : Sometimes my favorite color my vary due to different reasons, I like bright and light color generally. I like place that did not been over exploit, where I can experience the time flow from past to current by means of historical remains. I like spring, it is full of vitalities, I sow my wishes and the following seasons I work towards these goals. I like Chinese food, the species of Chinese food is very rich, and every region has particular tastes. I like vintage, they are full of characteristics of the associated age. My favorite brand is Issey Miyake, it based on traditional spirit whereas been well actualized by contemporary process.

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

LZ : I design a business card and make mistake of the name of that client. His surname should be “Whiting”，but I typed “Whitehead” instead. This mistake makes him laugh, he said, I do have whitehead, the spelling of my name is wrong but the description of this word is quite suit on me.

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

LZ : As a designer, I always keep in mind is come up with new ideas, discovery new possibilities of existing items, which enhances the quality of life. I make plan for a design project to ensure a certain direction, and set staged targets, then achieve each target one by one to accumulate achievability.

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

LZ : When I was a child, I am interested in painting and handcrafts, they forms a base for me develop my way towards a designer.

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

LZ : Future is full of possibilities, I believe intelligent systems will cover lots of areas. The world is connected in various ways like a net, which blurred many boundaries like regional boundaries, time boundaries, race boundaries and so on.

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

LZ : I wish my fans to know designer is one of my roles, as everyone has more than one role in one’s life, and I am glad to know new friends in the role of designer for a start.