We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Andrew Chong ("AC").

Andrew Chong is an Australian-based, award-winning and multi-disciplinary designer working across experience design, environmental design, graphic design, branding strategy, digital and multi-media design and product development. With a decade of experience in corporate identity and designing luxury brands, Andrew creates agile and iconic brand personalities, identities and designs that thrive across diverse global marketplaces. Designing innovative 3-Dimensional and 2-Dimesional design solutions, he creates brand strategies, architecture, packaging identity systems and digital experiences for emerging, national and global enterprises. Fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, Andrew is a graduate from Brunel University London and holds a MA in Design and Branding Strategy and a BA in Interior Architecture and Design from Nottingham Trent University (Distinction). Andrew was also awarded a highly competitive Tier-1 U.K. Graduate Entrepreneur Visa to start and run his own eCommerce design business.

Andrew Chong Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Andrew Chong.

Designer Interview of Andrew Chong:

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?

AC : I am an is an Australian-based multi-disciplinary designer working across experience design, environmental design, graphic design, branding strategy, digital and multi-media design and product development. With a decade of experience in corporate identity and designing luxury brands, Andrew creates agile and iconic brand personalities, identities and designs that thrive across diverse global marketplaces. Designing innovative 3-Dimensional and 2-Dimesional design solutions, he creates brand strategies, architecture, packaging identity systems and digital experiences for emerging, national and global enterprises.

DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

AC : Andrew Chong Design is not only providing interior design service but I am also a brand strategist and graphic designer. This means I am not an ordinary designer, but also one who specializes in branding and graphic design. This added training and specialization give me different insight into the interior design process and make me more marketable to different clients across industries.

DI: What is "design" for you?

AC : Design is a method, solution and a complex recipe to solve problem aesthetically.

DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?

AC : Mostly my projects are Interior Architecture and design, but simultaneously I did cross all design platforms and trying to be an all rounded designer.

DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

AC : I would say an Arne Jacobsen’s Egg chair or a Lounge chair by Charles Eames is timeless. . Both improve the look of any room immediately, especially if they are tan leather.

DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?

AC : An exhibition design for Panasonic.

DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

AC : I love browsing through Behance, Dribbble and Instagram because they are so many great and inspiring designs out there.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

AC : Afternoon after 12PM, not sure why.

DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

AC : Functions and usability. Beauty came after.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

AC : I always feel excited and passion, and of course very anticipating for the outcome.

DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

AC : Of course... tired after sleepness night! But always worthy and fullfilling.

DI: What makes a design successful?

AC : Love. As a designer we need to love what we create.

DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?

AC : Well, frankly saying the outlook made it's first impression. People loves looking at beautiful thing. But I will also think about the usability and it's function.

DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

AC : We need to give some loves back to the society, that is why I often involved in Pro-bono work and helping organisations with my specialties.

DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?

AC : I do think 3-D printing will be the next 'BIG' thing and everything will be evolving around it.

DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?

AC : It was couple of years ago in Italy, not sure when will be the next one.

DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

AC : I always skectch and theres where I got my ideas from.

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?

AC : Responsive!

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?

AC : Currently I lived in North Queensland in Australia. It's a small beach town and the design scene is not so establish. Lot s of opportunities tho.

DI: How do you work with companies?

AC : Mouth to mouth, always introduced by connection. And I run my business mostly online.

DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?

AC : Don't only look at their skillset, their attitude is the most important aspects.

DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?

AC : It depend on projects, but I will always start with mood boards and sketches, and then visualise them in 3D software. Love to play around in 3Ds Max, it creates amazing conceptual presentation.

DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?

AC : My Louis Vuitton Steamer Bag, Ipad, my vintage Versace glasses, Arne Jacobsen chair and my japanese animation figures.

DI: Can you describe a day in your life?

AC : I spent my day mostly in front of my computer, most of the meetings are carried out on Skype. But I am lucky to have my dog with me and makes me go out more often.

DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?

AC : The industry works so different nowadays. More and more young creatives have a mind of entrepreneurship and always want to run our own design practices. The European country is a great platform for new designers to explore themselves and we have an equal chance to shines, although in a really competitive ways; unlike the Asian side of the creative world, which slightly more depending on the networking, for me it’s seems a little old school way of thinking. People in the Far East will prefer more experience, more mature designers, or someone introduced through connections to work for them; while here we all share a chance. If the design is good, the designer will have a great chance to showcase, to design and to build it.

DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?

AC : We got to do what we love! But when time comes by, we will do more client management and liaising instead of designing. We just need to balance it up a little.

DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?

AC : I am really enjoying the process of designing and being creative, and the creative thinking can be apply every moment. I particularly love the challenges every time I’ve seen the brief from the client. As a designer we are not only been paid to make things pretty; but to make thing works and benefits people’s life. We always struggle to balance up the functionality & the aesthetics. That’s our job to make things works and look pretty. Design will change the world and make lifes easier; and I am glad I am part of the people who are in the top roll to implement this.

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

AC : Communication skills. We need to communicate our ideas, and lead our clients on communicating their ideas.

DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?

AC : As a designer, we not only need to know how to draw and style; but also need to make sure we keep up with advances in industry specific software. . I am constant updating my knowledge of 2D tools and 3d rendering programmes and using iPad apps for sketching, etc. But my next move is going to be less technical and I will concentrate more on business development and marketing my own brand.

DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

AC : This is the only thing I am still learning!

DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

AC : The momentum of Interior Design is quick. Commercial projects have a clear brief, sharp vision and usually we get straight to the point and the design gets completed quickly. But for residential projects, it’s all about personalising and getting the right mood and feel. Doing this takes time and it is best to let ideas evolve so the client is happy with the choices presented and even happier with their final choice. A unique home design is far more difficult because every detail is different and needs to be considered.

DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?

AC : I hate being asked 'Whay is your style'...

DI: What was your most important job experience?

AC : I’ve worked with Shaun Clarkson for the Absolut Projects. All of the project are about designing a brand focused environment for all Absolut Vodka and Absolut Elyx globally. I was leading a team alongside Shaun Clarkson on proposing suitable décor and styling elements to put into their global catalogue. The team’s goal was to ensure Absolute has a specific and ‘cool’ collection to use in their event, party and branding activities. Shaun Clarkson also has a long term relationship with the Pernod Ricard Group and I’ve worked on Chivas, Pernod Absinthe, Perrier Jouet Champagne and Oddka branding projects as well. I recently lead on the design of Pernod Absinthe and Perrier Jouet Champagne theme room for The Box London, an exclusive cabaret nightclub. For the Selfridges project, I worked under the Pitfield London label, to design a home décor product and furniture collection for their Home and Accessories Department for Christmas 2013. Pitfield London used to have several products selling in Selfridges’s Home and Accessories Department so they’ve invited Pitfield to have an exclusive collection for them during the best sale season- Christmas. This collection is all about bespoke and one-off pieces. It was a fun and exciting project with four themes: Creature Comfort; Embellished; Precious Metal and Electric Eclectic. I was also lucky to work alongside my friend who used to work with Alexander McQueen, Eley Kishimoto and Richard James London produce the furniture collection with handmade and limited pieces.

DI: Who are some of your clients?

AC : Absolut Vodka; Absolut Elyx; Chivas; Perrier Jouët; Pernod Absinthe; Selfridges; Harvey Nichols; Pitfield; Prime Burger; Clink 78; Rotisserie Excel London; The Box London; Bloomsbury; Omega; Converse; Temperley London; Cîroc; Ketel One Vodka, Smirnoff; Johnny Walker Gold Label; Don Julio Tequila; Remy Martin; Gordon’s Gin; Ron Zacapa; Schweppes; & Zeo

DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?

AC : Commercial projects, because the pace is really quick.

DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?

AC : Will establish my own design studio here in Australia and hope to gain more exposure nationally and internationally.

DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?

AC : I often develop designs myself, but I do work with other designers when needed.

DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?

AC : I am currently planning to set up my own design practice in Australia and I am currently completing a global brand activation project for Absolut Vodka.

DI: How can people contact you?

AC : www.andrewchongdesign.com, or email andrew@andrewchongdesign.com

DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?

AC : One thing I really want to tell the new designers that being the creative industry has never been easy; there are always new people with new skills and better price to beat us down. But what make us special is our personality and the style that distinguished each of us. Out there there is always competition, but the competition makes us a better person.