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

The study of the five elements has set up a fundamental framework for the design. The essence of the five elements indicates connections and interactions in various ways. The designer draws her inspirations from such features, explores the common sense behind traditional cultures, and integrates it with traditional symbols as well as motifs. In this way, a specific visual language is generated, which is reflected by the visual materials in the design. The design not only indicates a multiple connection from both internal and external perspectives of the five elements, but also intends to establish a connection between the design and the publics. Meanwhile, the style of the design is created to meet the contemporary acceptance. Therefore, it is easier to generate a better understanding within a worldwide context. Through the concept of the five elements, the common sense rather than differences between traditional cultures are highlighted. It is wished that the design could link up a communication from the past to the current time, also reduce the limitation of time and space to some extent.

Lan Zhang Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Lan Zhang.

Designer Interview of Lan Zhang:

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?

LZ : People use their senses to perceive this world, I found within the five senses, my visual sense is quite strong，I am very sensitive to the visual elements like colors shapes, textures etc. In this way, graphical items become my tool to communicate with this world. I started learning painting in middle school, and then I went to an art university, major in graphic design. After graduated from the university, I continued to pursue my study abroad, and obtained my master, doctor degrees in Australia. All these steps lead me to the path of a designer.

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

LZ : I work in a university as a lecture at the moment, I have no design studio.

DI: What is "design" for you?

LZ : Design is a process of “understanding and fulfillment” for me. Understanding the essence of the design topic, the methods, the materials, the target group, as well as how to achieve it in a reasonable way.

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

LZ : I found traditional mystery themes are very attractive, I like to play with graphics and transform the mystery elements in a way that can be smoothly adopted to the contemporary acceptance.

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

LZ : My most favorite design is the design of maps from Sugiura Kohei. He showcases unusual angle of perceiving some normal objects by twisting the times and dimensions.

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

LZ : The first thing I designed for a company is a logo.

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

LZ : My favorite material is handmade paper, which contains uneven fiber of plants, the paper got natural texture itself, and the effect of painting can be influenced by the proportion of water or other materials, it not only shows various interactions between paper and pigments for Chinese painting, but also opens more possibilities for the painting.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

LZ : I feel the most creative when my subconscious is more active than my consciousness.

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

LZ : I focus more about how the visual elements can convey the invisible design ideas as accurate as possible.

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

LZ : The process is somehow like a dhyana practice, I feel relax when I work on my design, as long as there is no deadline.

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

LZ : I feel very delight that someone are out there who share the same or similar experience with me, we may never met but we have things in common.

DI: What makes a design successful?

LZ : Effectively conveys the core message can make a design successful. The visual aspect of the design is a viechle which carries and match with the core message.

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

LZ : I firstly consider whether the design can convey the main idea in a clear and accurate way.

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

LZ : A designer has the duty to maintain and enhance an appropriate order of our society and environment by means of the materials of design, to propose, advocate or guide the viewers, in order to form positive concepts, which can contribute to a harmony, peaceful, sustainable society and environment.

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

LZ : Nowadays, design becomes an important part of our society, the future of design will be influenced by the developments of many fields, which opens great opportunities and possibilities of design, and the continuing developments of design can also influence other fields too.

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

LZ : My last exhibition was in my city, which held in last year. I would like to hold my next exhibition in this year.

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

LZ : The design inspiration for my work comes from multiple channels. My creativity could be feed by visual, verbal, musical materials or other elements. Normally, my sources of inspirations come from ancient patterns, traditional symbols and mystery motifs.

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?

LZ : My design style integrates traditional elements as skeleton, and contemporary elements as skin and flesh. I interested in discover different aspects of this world rather than ordinary perspective. My style bases on a secular acceptance whereas explores the invisible dimensions of multiple times and spaces. The structure, perspective, organization and other visual elements in my design embodied such style.

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?

LZ : I live in China, the cultural heritage of my country affects a lot in my designs. There is rich heritage of traditional Chinese culture and art for me to employ in my design, but typical Chinese style may cause geographical limitations, I try to reduce such limitations, find out universalities between different cultures and make my design more widely accepted.

DI: How do you work with companies?

LZ : I seldom work with companies, I focus more on academic topics nowadays and I work by myself.

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

LZ : Companies need to let the designer know what they want to achieve through the design work, and the designer will figure out how to achieve the goal. More communication and close relation always lead to a better understanding. A good designer not only possess good skills, but also maintain a good motivation, these qualities work together can create suitable design, and produce good effects for the companies.

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

LZ : Firstly understand the design topic, and collect relevant materials, then conceive a plan, create drafts, amend the draft till it close to the final status, make some modifications at last.

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

LZ : Ice-tray, the ice be formed in the shape of ship, when they melt, they sink in water gradually.Astronaut Mini-light, a small USB light for laptop. Luminous astronaut looks like suspend in the air, he can distribute soft ray at night.Stone cushion, big size cushions in the shape of natural stones, which have different sizes and different types of grey color. Water drop lamp, a water drop sits in the middle of a ripples base, when the drop connect with the base, the lamp is on, the light of lamp slightly changes like the breath of human, u can even hear the low voice of water dropping. When take the drop away from the base, the lamp will turn off.Incense holder, this holder can hold many types of incense, such as coil, cones and joss-stick. It is also easy to carry with, which can be used anywhere. This incense holder is designed by myself.

DI: Can you describe a day in your life?

LZ : An ideal day in my life is wake up follow the first sunlight, stretch myself outdoors, pick up some plants from a small garden for making breakfast, water flowers after breakfast. Check emails. Do some painting and design, or make some handcrafts, then prepare lunch. Have a nap after lunch. Get up and take a walk in garden, then continue with painting or design till dinner. Have some light organic food and then read a book, go to bed.

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

LZ : Focus more on the needs of customers, create designs to serve others rather than showoff oneself is more important in practical design.

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

LZ : Being a designer has many chances to get in touch with interesting design works. However, the outcome may not always follow the original intention of designer, negotiate with client is part of the design process, and finally come up with the best solution of all the issues.

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

LZ : Build up connections, it includes the connection of all the visual elements, and the connection between the design and the viewers.

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

LZ : Understanding the design topic, and be familiar of how to transfer the idea into design accurately.

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

LZ : I normally use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, sometimes I also use handwriting pad.

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

LZ : Set up a goal and separate it into several sections, make a plan to accomplish each small target time by time.

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

LZ : It mainly depends on the specific object, skill, quality, style etc. are all factors that influence the time.

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

LZ : Many clients have certain ideas of their brand or products, they ask me if I can design in the way as they wanted.

DI: What was your most important job experience?

LZ : My most important job experience is to keep the design effective, consider more for the clients in a reasonable way.

DI: Who are some of your clients?

LZ : Gold Coast City Council of Australia, Gold Coast Chinatown Association Inc., Gold Coast Chinese Club, Zhonghua International Net TV, IAUTV Confucius News, Shandong University of Arts.

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

LZ : Currently I enjoy experimental design rather than commercial design, because it concentrates on a more focused goal, which I can manage to realize some of my original ideas that may be limited in commercial cases.

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

LZ : My future plan is to create design and artworks by experimenting them with different materials, on different devices, and different ways of display them, then exhibit my outcomes.

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

LZ : I develop the designs by myself most of the time.

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

LZ : I do not have any works-in-progress at the moment.

DI: How can people contact you?

LZ : People are very welcome to contact me by my email.

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

LZ : I do not have any other things I would like to cover at the moment.