We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Caxton Chung ("CC").
Caxton Chung is a graphic designer from Hong Kong, he graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Design, Visual Communication. He has been working in international financial institutions for years with extensive experience on corporate branding, visual identity, collateral design, event branding, layout design and infographics etc. He is passionate to deliver high-quality and practical designs. He also show a great interest in typography, photography and video making.
Caxton Chung Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Caxton Chung.
Designer Interview of Caxton Chung:
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?
CC : I graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Design, Visual Communication in 2006. Since then, I have been working as a graphic designer in finance industry. I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a designer, but I am enjoying my job and having fun through the design process.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CC : I work for Nomura, an Asia-headquartered global investment bank.
DI: What is "design" for you?
CC : Design is an action of solving problems with a sense of aesthetic.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CC : I like identity design and layout design the most
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CC : If I remember correctly, it was layout design for a corporate factsheet
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CC : I would say paper and printed items because they are tangible, I like to feel and appreciate them by holding on my hands.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
CC : I feel the most creative when I am having casual chats with my friends.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CC : Typography! As I think typography is the basic element for graphic design, and it crucially determine how good a design can be.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CC : It varies, it depends on what kind of project it is.
DI: What makes a design successful?
CC : When the users find the design practical and value it, it is a successful design
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CC : s it user friendly? Do users feel comfortable when using it?
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CC : For society, I think designers bare a responsibility to raise the bar higher in terms of problem solving. For environment, I think designers should help the environment being sustainable.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CC : Due to the development of technology, it is a lot easier to design, to create and to execute. So anyone who how to use design software can design. I believe “Design” will be a prevailing industry in future.
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?
CC : I live in Hong Kong, which is a place with a unique culture. It is a mix of Chinese heritage with Western cultures. This definitely affects my way of thinking and my designs. I see this mixed culture more as an advantage. Because I think a good mix or a good balance of East meets West mindset will help my designs being appreciated by a wider group of audience.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CC : I usually start with creating some visuals in my mind visualizing how the design should be. Once I had a more clear direction, I will turn this idea into virtual on computer and creating some different options. Then I will pick the best option and modify it until I feel it is good enough to call it a complete design.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CC : On positive side, being a designer has the privilege to think unrestrainedly; while on negative side, being a designer has to develop excessive patience to deal with different kinds of criticism.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CC : Details Make a Difference
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
CC : I would say “critical thinking”, “sharp eyes” and good communication skills.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CC : 29. My tools are very basic, I use colour pencil and a piece of blank paper for the drafting. And I mainly use Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe InDesign for execution.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CC : I don't have a particular way to manage my time. But I would keep reminding myself on the deadline, no matter how the design process goes, the design has to be presentable and completed on time.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CC : “When can we see the design? “
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CC : I enjoy working on identity design and layout design. I think it is because the audiences’ feedback on these designs is quite instant and direct.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CC : In terms of work, I will keep equipping myself to create better designs. In terms of private life, I would like to travel to South America soon.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CC : It depends on the scale of the projects. I work solo and as a team too at office.
DI: How can people contact you?
CC : I can be contacted via my email. And I am quite active on social media, just search for “Caxton Chung”. I have tried searching my name on the internet, there are not many other Caxton Chung.