Xinming Liu

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Xinming Liu ("XL") 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?

XL : I studied Communication Design at Pratt Institute in New York. Before that, I completed my undergraduate degree in visual arts at Tsinghua University in China. This cross-cultural experience deeply shaped my design thinking.

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

XL : I’m motivated by the desire to connect ideas and people visually. Design helps me express things that words can’t fully capture.

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

XL : It was a personal choice. I've always been drawn to creating things and communicating visually.

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

XL : I work across editorial, packaging, and experience design. I’d love to explore more sustainable product systems in the future.

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

XL : Stay curious and observe deeply. Keep designing with purpose and don’t be afraid to challenge norms.

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

XL : A good designer solves problems; a great one reshapes how we see the world.

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

XL : A really good design is intuitive, meaningful, and resonates emotionally. I value clarity and impact.

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

XL : Good design elevates everyday life and fosters better communication. It adds lasting value to both product and user experience.

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

XL : I would design educational tools for children in underserved areas. I believe design can nurture empathy and imagination.

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

XL : A modular storytelling space that blends illustration, sound, and interactive design. It would be a space of wonder.

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

XL : Empathy. I try to stand in the user’s shoes before touching a pen.

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

XL : I admire Kenya Hara, Kazuyo Sejima, and Stefan Sagmeister. They embrace emptiness, emotion, and eccentricity.

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

XL : MUJI’s visual system—it’s humble, coherent, and quietly revolutionary.

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

XL : My modular makeup kit NeoBamoo. It combines sustainability, emotional value, and traditional craft.

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

XL : Keep looking, keep listening. I always ask for feedback from people outside the design world.

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

XL : I might be a writer or cultural researcher—still telling stories.

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

XL : Design is thoughtful care. It’s how we shape emotions, time, and behavior.

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

XL : My mother and my partner. They gave me both freedom and grounding.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

XL : Learning to pause and listen—especially to the problem behind the problem.

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

XL : Self-doubt and cultural mismatch. But they also sharpened my voice.

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

XL : Tell a story, not just specs. Show the “why” behind the form.

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

XL : A children’s picture book rooted in Asian mythology and healing.

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

XL : To build designs that live longer than trends and speak to inner life.

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

XL : Authenticity and perspective. Not just style, but insight.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

XL : It fosters empathy, accessibility, and mindful living.

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

XL : A wellness toolkit that uses illustration and breathing to ease anxiety.

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

XL : The sustainable cosmetics kit—because it aligns design with values I care about.

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

XL : Less overproduction, more care for afterlife and emotional impact.

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

XL : Toward regenerative, emotional, and hyper-contextual systems.

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

XL : From a few weeks to months—it depends on testing, iteration, and heart.

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

XL : From asking “why now” and “for whom.” Empathy is step one.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

XL : “Make meaning, not noise.”

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

XL : Timeless design often ignores trends and creates its own path.

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

XL : It expands the scale of what’s possible—but heart still leads.

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

XL : Adobe Suite, Blender, Rhino, KeyShot—and sketchbook always by my side.

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

XL : Color evokes feeling, material creates memory, and ambience tells the story.

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

XL : “What kind of world does this design invite me into?”

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

XL : I wonder what need it answered, and how quietly it did so.

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

XL : A curious, kind listener. Yes, co-design expands empathy and imagination.

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

XL : My design mentors, traditional artisans, and readers who shared feedback.

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

XL : Designing Design by Kenya Hara and The Future of Packaging by Tom Szaky.

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

XL : By learning publicly, asking often, and creating things I wish existed.

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

XL : I’d love to talk with Italo Calvino about invisible cities and gentle systems.

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

XL : I’m grateful, but fame is fleeting. Connection is what I treasure.

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

XL : Color: silver-pink. Place: bookstores. Food: hot pot. Season: summer. Thing: journals.

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

XL : A prototype exploded in my bag on the subway—I laughed the whole ride.

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

XL : Progress, poetry, and a good walk outside.

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

XL : I was always drawing and rearranging furniture. I just didn’t know it had a name.

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

XL : I hope we’ll design less things, more relationships.

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

XL : I’m still learning, still failing. Design is how I care for the world.