Gudao Design Studio

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Gudao Design Studio ("GDS") 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?

GDS : I graduated from Huaqiao University in 2013 and have been engaged in the design industry for five years.

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

GDS : A good product brings its sense of accomplishment and honor, and its products are recognized by consumers, which inspires me to become an excellent industrial designer. Of course, the career of designer has always been what I pursue, and I dream of becoming an excellent designer.

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

GDS : My dream is to be a good designer

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

GDS : I like furniture, kitchenware, consumer electronics and so on, I think furniture and kitchenware are full of warmth, consumer electronics have unlimited technology imagination.

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

GDS : There is no absolute relationship between designer's excellence and age. Age gives only a little experience on how to solve problems effectively. Exquisite life experience, will let us have different views on the design.

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

GDS : Excellent designers are dedicated to the design concept, and great designers contribute to design ideas. The value of the works of great designers is far greater than the design itself, which is of great significance to social thought and aesthetics.

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

GDS : Whether a well-designed standard effectively solves various problems and excellent design standards have social and environmental value.

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

GDS : Good design not only has a beautiful appearance, but also has a strong user experience. A good design cycle can only be formed if consumers not only support good design.

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

GDS : Kitchenware and furniture design. For young people just like myself.

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

GDS : There are many types of products have not been touched, designers never stop, as the design career continues to move forward, the contact of products will be more and more.

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

GDS : Constant learning, constant observation of life, constant problem solving, this is the secret of the designer's success.

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

GDS : I think I learned a lot from Dieter Rams and Naoto Fukasawa. Dieter Rams' ten principles of design, Naoto Fukasawa's unconscious design concept.

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

GDS : The wall type CD machine designed by Fukazawa Naohito for NUJIWhen designing a product, designers not only express beautiful things. Instead, it focuses on how to make it establish a relationship with the owner in the next life. First of all, it should be complete, balanced, and concise (this is not limited to the visual sense); it is then in its movement, space, and performance, in other words, making a clever design for the period of time with the relationship. In addition to the basic mission of the product, with the designer's opinion, create emotions that cannot be expressed in words and images.

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

GDS : The folding electric wheelchair designed at present, I think, is the most difficult and learned the most. Folding and storage is an eternal problem. I have learned a lot from mechanical transmission, linkage structure and structural support.

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

GDS : Constantly learning the design methodology of outstanding designers, and the problem solving methods of outstanding designers. Understanding the life gives us inspiration.

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

GDS : I would have to be a engineer.

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

GDS : Design is to solve all kinds of problems, my design is to solve the problem, hope my design is more meaningful to society and human beings.

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

GDS : No matter what kind of designer, the designer's achievement comes from the recognition of consumers. Good feedback of consumers, society and environment is the designer's biggest support.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

GDS : Excellent customers, excellent design teams and opportunities are the conditions for becoming excellent designers.

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

GDS : Lack of self-confidence and opportunity

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

GDS : Designers should have a better platform to showcase their work. The designer's platform is not enough, hope to access the public platform, as the designer's work itself is designed for the public.

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

GDS : More looking forward to new areas, there will be more opportunities and challenges, and constantly learn new design knowledge.

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

GDS : As a designer's ultimate goal is to design more good design works, I hope my design works into the design history.

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

GDS : The customer's expectation is that we design better-selling products. The public's expectation of the designers is to design products that are more easy to use, look good, and cost-effective.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

GDS : Designers should constantly learn, improve aesthetic and moral concepts, so as to design more beneficial products to society.

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

GDS : Design an interesting product, have a creative flash in the brain, solve a problem or design a beautiful shape I will feel excited.

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

GDS : Medical design project is my most satisfied at present, because I studied the physiological structure, pathological theory and other issues, I think the product will be more meaningful.

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

GDS : I want future designs to be more prosperous, and as technology advances, form is not limited to technology. Designers are more respected by the public.

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

GDS : I think the design community will become more centralized, the design services more systematic, and the designers will work together. The products of virtual products will make the designer industry become diversified and centralized.

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

GDS : From several days to months, design cycle is proportional to the complexity of the design project.

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

GDS : When I take over a new design project, I will study the design trend, consumer research and enterprise needs.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

GDS : Explore questions and design more meaningful products.

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

GDS : From the macro view, big trends of the society and technology set the designs, from the micro view, design sets the small trends for daily life.

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

GDS : Technology and design are complementary and indispensable, technology promotes the development of design, design develops the progress of technology.

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

GDS : Rhinoceros，keyshot，Photoshop，AdobeIllustrator

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

GDS : Color, material and ambient are the basic elements of design, formed the character of a product.

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

GDS : Whether the design is solving some problems or meaningful.

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

GDS : I will imagine the designer's ideas, deduce the design process and study the solution to the problem.

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

GDS : With a common design concept and ideal is the best partner. Team work can give full play to the characteristics and advantages of each designer, will make the product more perfect.

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

GDS : The communication between designers, the conversation with more consumers, listen to the opinions of the design master will be more helpful to the design work.

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

GDS : 《Designing Design》 《The way of Technology 》

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

GDS : Constantly learn to solve problems, improve the aesthetic, improve the design expression method, observe life problems.

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

GDS : Dieter Rams

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

GDS : Recognition of design awards enhances the sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. Design industry is a pragmatic industry, especially in China, the designer base is very large, the difficulty of fame is very big. Platforms and opportunities are important.

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

GDS : peacock blue, bean green and black a place by the sea Chinese food autumn reading Muji

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

GDS : When a friend wants to introduce me a good product, this product is my design.

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

GDS : Every day is the beginning of the design career, will encounter different problems, encounter different types of products. The new design project will bring me a lot of energy.

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

GDS : Like challenging things when I was a child, like creative toys.

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

GDS : The future is full of hope, the future is a technology-led environment, the future needs the designer creativity.