We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Yumeng Li ("YL").
Yumeng Li is an award-winning designer that helps make the World a better place with their original and innovative creations and advanced design works.
Yumeng Li Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Yumeng Li.
Yumeng Li Design - Hui House Architectural Exhibition Book
Yumeng Li Design - Hui House Limited Edition Artbook
Yumeng Li Design - Meta Zen Tactile Meditation Playset
Designer Interview of Yumeng 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?
YL : My journey into the field of art and design is deeply rooted in my academic and familial influences. This early exposure to art seamlessly merged with my academic pursuits in design engineering and design research, where I explored and applied mathematical aesthetics and computational tools to parametric, lightweight, and ergonomic design. This educational foundation gave me a solid understanding of art, design, and technology, enriching my ability to innovate within a cultural context.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
YL : At PEAR & MULBERRY, we are dedicated to pioneering humanity-centered design. Our studio focuses on developing health and therapeutic products that merge cutting-edge technology with intuitive design principles. Each project is an opportunity to enhance well-being through innovative solutions that are empathetic and inclusive.
DI: What is "design" for you?
YL : Design is a philosophy that permeates any life aspect; it involves systematic innovation in behavioral experiences; It's an art that speaks without words; It's a methodology for self-cultivation.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
YL : Projects that challenge the status quo and introduce new paradigms of user interaction.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
YL : Bio-design that incorporates the geometry of life, symbiosis, biomimicry, and plant intelligence.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
YL : The first project I designed for a company was in Beijing, where I created fashion tech accessories for a celebrity photo shoot that was a collaboration between fashion buyer brands and magazines. The pieces included 3D printed elements and incorporated soft robotics, as well as pneumatic and magnetic mechanisms.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
YL : Algae-based materials which can be 3D printed and are inherently biodegradable.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
YL : Creativity flows freely and can come at any time.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
YL : It depends on the stage of the design. In the initial stages, my priority is concept validation, ensuring that the initial concepts properly address user pain points and leave enough opportunity for imagination and evolution for the clients, users, and our team.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
YL : Excited and empowered.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
YL : When my designs are realized, the immediate response involves taking a break or shifting focus to gain a fresh perspective for objective evaluation. This helps transition to the next stages of communication and handover. Honestly, I don’t often consider my emotions during this time; it’s more about ensuring the project's smooth continuation.
DI: What makes a design successful?
YL : Creativity, social needs, humanity-centered.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
YL : Design Concept Validation.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
YL : Ensure the design solution is sustainable both socially and environmentally, with a focus on long-term impacts.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
YL : The design field is evolving towards more sustainable and ethical due to cultural innovation and technological advancements. The future of design will focus on cultural inclusion and creating solutions that benefit humanity.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
YL : My most recent display featured 'Hui House,' an architectural exhibit Book from the Hui series that received accolades including two recent A'design Awards. It was part of a Huizhou culture-themed exhibit at a national first-tier art museum in China. Over the following two years, we are set to curate a touring exhibition in the same Hui series themed 'Hui Ink Sticks,' which is the origins of Chinese pigments.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
YL : My design inspiration comes from various sources such as music, dance, and nature…
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?
YL : Born in a musical family and having studied folk dance from a young age, I've grasped how music can convey profound messages and evoke a sense of the ineffable, and how dance reveals the power of dynamics, interaction, and visual intensity. These have infused my design style.
DI: How do you work with companies?
YL : Fostering mutual growth; focusing on how altruism is ultimately mutually beneficial; being passionate while keeping a long-term, objective perspective.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
YL : This ties back to my previous point: the relationship is about mutual selection and partnership. Professionalism, sincerity, and a flexible, passionate mind will ensure a win-win situation for both sides.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
YL : The design process is not a straight line but a spiral that ascends. Throughout the process, it's crucial to maintain flexible thinking and resilience to strike a balance between sense and sensibility.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
YL : Floral arrangements featuring naturally designed plants that capture math art like the Fibonacci sequence, fractals, and the Mandelbrot set. Tea ceremony, Design books and handmade book sculptures, and my coffee bar.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
YL : Every day brims with new discoveries and boundless imagination.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
YL : Keep an open mind, stay humble, and be inclusive. Sometimes, new approaches can tackle old challenges and lead to tremendous success unexpectedly. So, avoid creating pseudo-problems or fabricating needs just for the sake of design.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
YL : As a designer committed to innovation and tackling long-standing problems, you will discover that each challenge and triumph improves your experience and capabilities to effect societal change.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
YL : The real distinction between ego and empathy lies in focusing on genuine user insights instead of relying on extensive detached questionnaires.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
YL : Beyond basic design expertise, the ability to present compelling demos through storytelling is increasingly important.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
YL : Design Thinking, Cross-disciplinary vision, Out-of-box observation.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
YL : Indeed, in most cases, simple personal time management is insufficient when it comes to a design team or studio. Design management frameworks and project progression models could work for transforming interdisciplinary collaboration and cohesive team efforts into significant time-saving advantages, avoiding the pitfalls of poor planning and inadequate communication.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
YL : It depends on the kinds, user groups, and the scope of the designed object. Most collaborative projects also vary from one month to several years.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
YL : How to coordinate interdisciplinary collaborations for turning designs into finals?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
YL : Every stage of my professional journey, grounded in design engineering and science, has been instrumental in shaping me into the design leader I am today.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
YL : Our client portfolio spans various sectors, including luxury automotive brands in the accessories, interior seating, and HMI departments, athleisure fashion sectors, high-end cosmetic brands focused on manufacturing and packaging innovations, as well as national and local museums with a focus on art and installations. For PEAR & MULBERRY, the studio I co-founded, all of our clients are highly esteemed and crucial to our work. Recently, we've finalized several brand collaboration projects that are scheduled to hit the market soon, but due to confidentiality agreements, I cannot disclose specific brands or product details at this time.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
YL : I enjoy design work that benefits the community and has the potential to change people's lives. For example, designs that reflect and preserve cultural heritage, such as those that help save endangered cultures, or designs for children, like therapeutic shoes that provide mechanical support to prevent bone diseases at certain developmental stages.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
YL : As we expand the scope and reach of our design studio, our next steps involve developing the departments within the studio and partnering with scholars such as design school lecturers and art museum collaborators. Together, we are set to establish a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural innovation design. This initiative will focus on introducing and emphasizing new concepts and the significance of integrating design with culture and technology.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
YL : Both! I enjoy the process of my own exploration, and I am also very happy to work with some energetic innovators or pioneers in a team. Even when working independently, I often exchange ideas with forward-thinking professionals across fields. The sparks of inspiration between each other can lead to new breakthroughs.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
YL : Yes, I am currently working on a touring exhibition about the origins of Chinese pigments:” Hui Ink Sticks” collaborated with multiple museums and galleries after the A’design winning project ” Hui House” as a series. I am mainly responsible for the interactive, visual communication, and experiential design aspects of the art and culture domains of the “Hui Ink” exhibition.
DI: How can people contact you?
YL : Linkedin or email ilsali.idea@gmail.com
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
YL : Thanks for your time! Stay tuned for our next projects by following https://www.pear-mulberry.com/