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

As a registered Architect, Mr.LiChun Chang is well-experienced in Architecture Design, and Interior Design globally. Mr.Lichun Chang has architecture education background in Taipei, Melbourne, and received Architecture Master Degree in Architectural Association School, London. He believes that great cities are beneficial environments for good designer’s cultivation. By the time living and working in London, he absorbed multi-culture living style, and participated some high-grade design projects in European cities while serving in Architectural Design Firm. Afterward, he joined American Architecture Firm and moved to HongKong and Shanghai for working. During the time in London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, he mostly worked on prestigious supertall buildings with great design teams. Due to the large scale of projects, he demonstrated his British trained talent for urban scale to architecture, and interior design. Therefore, he has a grand view scope for developing the design project. The art, humanity, environments, and sustainability aspects of project, are the core values for his design concerns. Ultimately, the art of living and culture are deliberately blended and delivered in his design projects. Furthermore, Mr.LiChun Chang has academic teaching background. He was a design studio master of Parametric Architectural Design in the university for 6 years in Taipei, Taiwan. It’s an opportunity for his design experiments, therefore he can try some different design approaches for his design enthusiasm. It’s important for a designer to reflect and rethink of design statements. Since he started his own design firm in 2011, he is not only doing design, but also a contractor for his own design projects. The materiality and the methods of making are both his primary focus, in order to realize the design concepts from preliminary phase to reality. It’s a comprehensive approach and a must for designers to be confident whilst controlling design development, budget, and quality. He also has great interest about inventing details for different materials meeting in a harmony composition, which is the genuine of the beauty of design in his philosophy.

LiChun Chang Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by LiChun Chang.

Designer Interview of LiChun Chang:

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?

LC : I am a Architect. I grow up in a construction contractor family. The family background made me rethink what should be built. I like to draw. So I draw many things for leisure purpose. Therefore, as a Architect, I can draw with my imagination and realize my drawings.

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

LC : We are all architecture education background. We think design and craftsmanship are both interesting. We enjoy about finding new materials or new details for spatial characters.

DI: What is "design" for you?

LC : It's thinking and realizing with imagination.

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

LC : Interior and Architecture.

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

LC : It's difficult for me to pick one.

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

LC : Baku Flame towers, in Baku city when I started working in London. It's a great opportunity for participating the design as a team member.

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

LC : Metal, Marble

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

LC : When I overlook the ocean in a mountain lookout cafe in North East Taiwan in the morning time, I feel relaxed and creative.

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

LC : What tenants will see, touch and use; the living experience of being in the space.

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

LC : Being Calm and concentrated

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

LC : Feel delighted and relieved from high pressure.

DI: What makes a design successful?

LC : Thoughtful ideas and quality of project delivery

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

LC : Overall images and expression of design. And also the philosophy.

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

LC : Be bravery to try and learn how to accept if it is failed. Then correct the mistakes. It's a positive attitude to influence people around you and the society.

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

LC : In the future, the design itself will be thrived extensively by internet images. It will be a good opportunity for good designers to grow their original design ideas with honest. On the other hand, many people will copy your ideas. So it's time to learn how to use new technology to overcome some challenges in the design phase and construction phase.

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

LC : In Ex-Chiesa di San Francesco, Como Italy. I hope I can have another chance to be there.

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

LC : The surrounding of project site, the imagination of living. Travelling is a good feed for creativity.

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?

LC : Neat and clean design style. However, I also like to see a little complexity of design. A little contradictory makes some excitements.

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?

LC : I live in Taipei City. It's very international and convenient city. The culture itself is mixed. It blends Chinese culture, Japanese culture primarily and slightly American and European Culture. It's a good cultural background for me to think out of box and accept new ideas. It's a place of art, foods, and democracy. It's pluralism. However, in the way the designer has to be calm and think what's the original design and distinguish the useful information to avoid the plagiarism.

DI: How do you work with companies?

LC : Calm and encouraging.

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

LC : Be patient and listening. Then be confident of your choice.

DI: Can you describe a day in your life?

LC : I like to wake up early and drive in the morning.Then, a cup of coffee for half hours to refresh the mind while checking the schedule. When I start office job, I like to be calm. When I am in the construction site, I like to be aggressive. Mostly, I work very long hours even overnight. The design job takes 90 percent of my day.

DI: What skills are most important for a designer?

LC : Ability of Analyzing. Ability for structuring random ideas into a communicable logic.

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

LC : Autocad, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, Revit

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

LC : Pay attention to the schedule, and don't leave today's job to be resolved the day after.

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

LC : Is it expensive?

DI: What was your most important job experience?

LC : Architect and Project designer in UK

DI: Who are some of your clients?

LC : Corporate Owners, International IT Company, Dental Clinic, Residential.

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

LC : Interior and Architecture. It requires a lot of collaboration.

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

LC : Mostly, I develop design by myself.