We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Qiuyu Li ("QL").
Alex Li (Qiuyu Li), ph.D., born in Beijing, China in 1992, arrived in Japan in 2013. After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Information Science, he pursued his research in design under the guidance of Prof. Yoshimaru Takahashi, In 2024, obtained a Doctorate in Fine Arts. With a strong interest in the design principles of 20th-century constructivism, Alex aims to revitalize traditional constructivism by incorporating East Asian aesthetics and exploring new possibilities. His experimental results have garnered numerous awards both domestically and internationally. A member of prestigious organizations such as the NY TDC(New York Type Directors Club), World Design Consortium (WDC), International Association of Designers (IAD), International Design Club (IDC), and Alliance of International Business Associations (AIBA), Alex actively engages in these communities, contributing to their missions and initiatives.
Qiuyu Li Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Qiuyu Li.
Qiuyu Li Design - Hearing Extraordinary Dream Logo
Qiuyu Li Design - Utopian City Poster
Designer Interview of Qiuyu Li:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
QL : It is important for art to express one's feelings and emotions in some form, and it does not have to be completely understood by people. On the contrary, it is important for design to make people understand and convey the intention. However, looking at history, we must not deny that art and design are deeply connected. In short, even if you design, you should have some interest in art.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
QL : TOMBO Inc. is a design firm based in Osaka. We are a team of nine dedicated members, and we also have an office in Tokyo. At TOMBO Inc., we strive for high-quality design, offering the best proposals and friendly service to our clients. Our office environment is homey and vibrant, characterized by a lively and energetic team. Each member brings their unique strengths to the table, working together as a cohesive unit to tackle projects. TOMBO Inc. is committed to realizing our clients' visions, using the power of design to create both emotion and value. With our passion and creativity, we deliver designs that exceed expectations.
DI: What is "design" for you?
QL : For me, there are two aspects to design. One aspect, design is a means of communication, like language, and through design you can convey your thoughts to the world. Another aspect is that design is a social role
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
QL : I like modern typography in the 1920s. More specifically, I like the simple, clear design. The reason is that visual elements are information, and excessive use of visual elements can create extra stress and obscure important information that conveys the design. That's why I like simple modern designs.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
QL : I like designs that are simple and clear in intent. I would have liked a design that was visually stimulating. But I don't really approve of works that excessively appeal to my personal tastes. For example, designing a color scheme by simply choosing colors based on personal likes and dislikes may disrupt the equilibrium necessary for the design.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
QL : We designed a character logo for a sushi restaurant. Based on the initial proposal and incorporating the client's feedback, I made improvements to create a cuter logo that perfectly aligns with the brand's ambiance. I am proud to have delivered a design that has delighted our client.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
QL : Utilizing geometric elements tends to result in a distinct design. In addition, letter and string forms can serve the same value and function as geometric elements.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
QL : In general, good ideas are more likely to be generated at night. At night, people have more time to themselves, so they can concentrate more easily, and when people are concentrated, they can think objectively and deeply about things, which is the basic condition for generating the best ideas at that time.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
QL : Most importantly, we must consider the client's requirements first. After satisfying this requirement, the designer's originality may be fulfilled to the extent appropriate. It must be in equilibrium.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
QL : When I design, I always consider the harmony between individual elements from an analytical point of view. I strive to convey the message I want to convey as clearly as possible.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
QL : When I complete a design, I feel very satisfied and relieved, but after a while, I feel empty and start thinking about making an even better design. It feels exhausting, but in this way you will probably move up and up in your design skills.
DI: What makes a design successful?
QL : I think it is important to actively communicate to the world that the design is a success, not just individual efforts. By showing your design to many people, you will hear advice from various perspectives, and this is important advice that will help you improve your design.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
QL : From my point of view, the design work is first judged on whether it clearly conveys the author's intent, and then the overall visual quality. For example, the elements used in a design have absolutely no meaning to the function of the design, and I will not approve a design that is abused simply because of personal likes and dislikes.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
QL : Design plays a role against creating a new culture in society and at the same time, there is a need for a proper perception of design from society and the environment. It is very irresponsible for designers to be lightly perceived as just a painter, and this is not good for the development of design, nor for the development of culture.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
QL : From the perspective of design history, design is deeply connected and interacts with the development of art. Therefore, we expect that future developments will develop in this manner.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
QL : I participated in an exhibition held at the Heiwa Paper Gallery in Osaka. This exhibition was organized by the Japan Typography Association and brought together various creators. My exhibit was a poster commemorating Helvetica. Through this design, I aimed to celebrate and express the history and charm of Helvetica, a symbol of typography. The poster received positive feedback from visitors, and the exhibition allowed us to share the allure of design with many people.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
QL : My designs are influenced by the work of El Lissitzky, a representative of the Russian avant-garde, the Bauhaus and Frankfurt School, the new typography of Jan Tschichold, and the Swiss designer Josef Müller Brockman. As pillars of design, we consider these theories to be of significant referential value to the development of design.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
QL : My design always discovered fascinate structures among them, and based on these structures, It will explore new possibilities for typography through the composition of letters and architectural structures. With an awareness of space, It aims for a more expansive diversity of typographic expression and a modern typography that is appropriate for today's aesthetics.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
QL : I'm from Beijing, China, and now I live in Osaka, Japan. Asians are influenced by their unique sense of writing. My design aims to be completely international, excluding the concept of nations, so no matter where I live, I first focus on what countries have in common. I think that although there are different cultures, if you look closely, you will find that there are many similarities between human beings.
DI: How do you work with companies?
QL : Until now, most of the time, exhibitions and events have been the first opportunity to connect with companies and collaborate on projects. There are also connections through social media, but there are few substantive projects.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
QL : In general, companies often choose designers who fit their own philosophy. Also, award-winning designers are often chosen. Designers who actively disseminate their design work are also often chosen.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
QL : I will fully understand the client's requirements, think of ideas based on them, make experimental prototypes and plans, discuss with the client, and if there is an agreement, I will work on the final product.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
QL : 1. Lissitzky's book "For Voice". 2. Favorite Moka express. 3. Perfume Package. 4. A' Design Award trophy 5. Wooden tableware
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
QL : My life is like building a kingdom, from a person with nothing, meeting a partner, going through countless competitions, losing some, but getting back up there, trying again and getting stronger. I am building my kingdom.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
QL : Don't hesitate to make a lot of designs, and then you should show your work to many people and send it out to the world, giving you confidence. You will get a lot of opportunities and contacts by being active. This is a great advantage for young designers.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
QL : In general, it is considered crippling for designers to have to consider the client as their first priority and not be able to live their lives in their own way. However, if one deeply understands the essence of design, this concern disappears, and one can feel a very strong sense of accomplishment in being closely connected to society. This is one of the positive aspects of becoming a designer.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
QL : In my opinion, the surest way to improve one's design skills is to look at and analyze a lot of excellent design work, to understand the author's intentions and theories, and to create a lot of work at the same time.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
QL : Designers are, in a sense, similar to researchers. The most basic skill is the ability to think. Design requires analysis and theory building, so advanced thinking skills are essential. A wide range of knowledge is necessary to develop thinking skills. It is also very important with regard to culture, especially a high level of aesthetics.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
QL : I have always used Adobe Illustrator and recently tried Affinity Designer as well. The operation is mostly similar, but there are a lot of things that I am not used to, and once you get used to it, it is an easy to use software.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
QL : I think a good way to manage time more efficiently is to create a planning chart. However, since the planning chart is a method that assumes intensive work, I think that time outside of intensive work should also be utilized. For example, we can use the time on the train to think of ideas or design directions.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
QL : Depending on the size of the job, if the project is small enough and we have a good meeting, we can finish everything, including revisions, in less than a week. Larger projects require more time. However, client meetings usually take longer than expected, and therefore the completion time will be longer than expected.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
QL : I am often asked, "Do you paint?" This depends on the environment, but where I am from, I feel like I don't understand design properly. I think this is a problem with the local education system. Therefore, I think we need to make more efforts to spread design knowledge and design culture in the future.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
QL : For me, the most important experience is not particularly important. Because all work experiences are important to me.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
QL : Most of my clients are company representatives that I have met at trade shows and events. By meeting them in person, they learn about my design philosophy and design skills, and then I have the opportunity to collaborate with them.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
QL : I like sophisticated, clear designs best, but I also very much like designs that are visually stimulating. But just because a design is visually stimulating doesn't mean it is unintentional.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
QL : In the future, I plan to take more interest in cultures related to Asia and produce a visual book on unique Asian customs. The book will be based on 72 Season conditions related to weather phenomena and agricultural life in Asia. Through typography, I intend to create images of various weather phenomena and landscapes of agricultural life.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
QL : I have been designing alone for a while now, but I am also looking for compatible partners and teams on a daily basis.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
QL : A visual book on 72 Season is in the works. It is a very time-consuming production. And before I can make it, I have to look up some knowledge about the customs, so that I have some understanding of them, which will help me in the production. When it is all done, it will be a visual book. At the same time, posters for the exhibition are being made at the same time.
DI: How can people contact you?
QL : I will always be in touch via social media and email. We may discuss things in person if necessary. Sometimes we talk via video call if we can't meet.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
QL : As a designer, health care is also very important. Healthy eating, drinking, and rhythm of life can have a positive impact on your design work by keeping you in a positive mood at all times.