Hongyu Wu

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Hongyu Wu ("HW") 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?

HW : I graduated from the Industrial Design Department of Ningbo University for my undergraduate studies. Currently, I am studying in the Design Products program at the Royal College of Art. I have previously interned at Frog Design Shanghai and QIU Design.

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

HW : urning ideas from my mind into tangible objects is my passion.

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

HW : o be honest, I didn't know much about design before entering university. However, by chance, I ventured into the field of industrial design and fell deeply in love with it.

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

HW : I mainly focus on behavior-driven design, particularly designing electronic products and everyday items.

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

HW : Interest is the best teacher. At the same time, fully enjoy your life is also very important.

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

HW : In contrast, excellent designers are like superior translators who can translate a concept into a product that is not only beautiful but also deeply touching and easy to understand.

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

HW : I believe that the foundation of good design is strong functionality, but what truly makes a design successful is whether it can touch people's hearts, be it through its appearance or user experience.

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

HW : Good design inspires people to explore a better life. Often, good design carries humanity's primal yearning for a better future

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

HW : I will attempt to design public spaces and infrastructure to improve the living standards of residents in impoverished areas of Yunnan Province, China.

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

HW : I am considering how to transform the function and meaning of existing infrastructure by grafting onto them, thereby better utilizing these often overlooked urban branches.

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

HW : Keen eyes for observation, piles of research stacked like walls on the desk, calloused hands, and a heart that is always passionate.

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

HW : Naoto Fukasawa and Marc Newson

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

HW : I really love Sony's QUALIA 004 SXRD projector. It is a perfect combination of technology and design aesthetics. Its appearance and performance further illustrate that design should be a discipline aimed at a better future.

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

HW : I train myself to constantly observe and think. Design is not achieved overnight; it requires continuous accumulation and reflection.

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

HW : I might become a software engineer

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

HW : To me, design is more like a "language," and designers are the "translators." It is a discipline about how designers translate technology and concepts into tangible entities that are easy to read and use.

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

HW : I would say it's my parents who fully support me as I advance in the field I love.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

HW : Pure passion and love

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

HW : Being overlooked, misunderstood, self-doubt, and depression—fortunately, persistent effort has shattered all previous difficulties one by one.

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

HW : Designers should know how to market themselves; this is a fact. Many talented designers are unfortunately overlooked because they don't know how to promote themselves. Designers often focus only on presenting the final outcome, but it's also crucial to communicate the process and thinking behind it to the audience.

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

HW : Rather than changing the world through a single product, I aspire to inspire more people to bravely explore greater possibilities for future living.

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

HW : People expect to see you continuously produce better work, but they also anticipate you stumbling along the way. This presents a challenging situation.

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

HW : Utilizing cutting-edge technology effectively in design remains a major trend in the field. However, as people's living standards improve, everyone seeks satisfaction beyond material needs. This demands that designers further enhance experience and emotional design, integrating the joy of use into every aspect of the user experience.

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

HW : I want to meet my late grandmother, who taught me about love and dedication. I want to talk about my growth and changes, reminisce about the unrealistic ideas from my childhood, and tell her that I now have the ability to turn some of them into reality.

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

HW : Green, Faro, Rice Noodle, Summer, Movie, Sony

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

HW : Perhaps thousands of years from now, when humanity no longer requires physical bodies and countless consciousnesses coexist in the cloud, I would design a "Guidebook to the Material World" for those who reminisce about the physical world.