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

Jin Ronghao, an experienced designer with strong human-computer interaction background, is responsible for the UI design of the Hyku app, which aims to provide good user experience. With a strong passion for design, he keeps seeking improvements, while exploring the cutting edge of aesthetics, beauty and efficiency. He won the prestigious Red Dot Design award, for the best of the best design in 2013. He holds a Masters degree from Southwest Jiaotong University.

Ronghao Jin Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Ronghao Jin.

Designer Interview of Ronghao Jin:

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?

RJ : I graduated from Industry Design, in the past 10 years of design career I made design for graphic design, industrial design, interactive design and other design areas. Cross-domain design help me to thinking from different views

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

RJ : Hyku LLC, established in Zhuhai, China, now has offices in Zhuhai, Chengdu and Indonesia. Our team members come from first class universities, such as Tsinghua University, UIUC ……, covering the design, development, operation, testing and other functions.

DI: What is "design" for you?

RJ : The essence of design is to make a better way to live

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

RJ : Product design, including industrial design and software design

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

RJ : The design which can improve the people’s life quality as well as the living environment in the developing areas

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

RJ : Who is the user of the design? What’s the using scenario? How to match with the business purpose?

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

RJ : iOS platform, the unified principles ensuring the users’ experience.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

RJ : Talking with the real users.

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

RJ : Clear logics to be expressed.

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

RJ : Being passionate and immersed.

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

RJ : Sense of achievement, when the design is being used by many people.

DI: What makes a design successful?

RJ : The essence is to solve the problem from users.

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

RJ : If the value of the design is correct and noble.

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

RJ : Concern about the environment, developing areas, and disabled people.

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

RJ : Take me as an example, I work in graphic design, industrial design and interactive design fields. I think the boundaries among different design fields will be obscured in future.

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

RJ : My last exhibition was displayed in the reddot museum in Singapore, 2013, after I got the best of the best, reddot design award. For the next exhibition plan, I’m willing to hold it during the iF design exhibition.

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

RJ : The inspiration is from my thinking about life. And in order to keep my creativity, I’m keeping learning new knowledges from other fields.

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?

RJ : My style is inclined to minimalism, as I grow up in the eastern culture, and realize the good design should be clear and simple.

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?

RJ : I live in China, and Chinese culture affects my design to some extend, for instance, minimalism, metaphor and graphic style. The good thing to make design in China is that the country is developing so fast, you have many chances to try and learn. Meanwhile, the cons is the sense of IP protection should be enhanced.

DI: How do you work with companies?

RJ : Build the trust and enhance it during frequent and deep cooperation.

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

RJ : Before choosing to cooperate with a designer, make good understanding between each other. And after confirmation of cooperation, give enough space to designer to create things.

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

RJ : Analyze the users’ scenarios, taking user story map as a tool to communicate with the team. Then, make some concept designs and select the right one to realize it.

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

RJ : Hyku App design、Waterwheel washing machine、the furniture from IKEA、the table lamp of Xiaomi、MacBook

DI: Can you describe a day in your life?

RJ : Thinking about the design, managing the design team, reading and watching the exhibition.

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

RJ : They should broaden their views and explore the outside world often, to know about the nature of human and their daily life.

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

RJ : A good design can change people’s life, which make you satisfied. However, sometime, the designer is hard to be understood, especially when they make front design.

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

RJ : Minimalism is better

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

RJ : Understand the background of the user and scenarios

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

RJ : Macbook、Sketch、Adobe ……

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

RJ : I’m using some effective time management tool, such as todoist, and take GTM methodology as a guide.

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

RJ : From 1 day to 1 year, concerning to its characteristic.

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

RJ : Why does user and the world need your design?

DI: What was your most important job experience?

RJ : I worked for a magazine as a design supervisor years ago. Dealing with many layout and graphic design work was very helpful exercise for me if I retrospect.

DI: Who are some of your clients?

RJ : Sichuan airline, Chengdu airline, Qingdao airline, Sichuan provincial government, DBJ…

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

RJ : App design, as it’ll be reached to millions of people in fort time. I’d love to see my design make change for their life.

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

RJ : Make more industrial design in future, and bring more convenient app to the users.

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

RJ : Work with the team, Hyku has the best team members.

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

RJ : We’re making a mobile payment app for Indonesian market, and be sure it will bring more convenient life for the local people. The team is excited about it.

DI: How can people contact you?

RJ : My email is ronhao.jin@hyku.com, looking forward to receiving all your contacts.

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

RJ : Thank you so much for the A’ design award organization supplies this fair and organized competition.