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

Janny Ji is an award-winning designer with backgrounds in graphic design, illustration and fine arts. She explores typography, visual storytelling, and critical thinking through a range of media in her design practice. She has worked for clients in the tech, finance, art, food and healthcare industries and helped them to create stories through brand systems, campaigns, spaces, motion graphics, packaging and digital platforms. Janny’s work has been recognized by the ADC, TDC, Graphis, STA, Adobe, GDUSA, Applied Arts, 3×3 Illustration, and the Society of Illustrators.

Janny Ji Designs

We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Janny Ji.

Designer Interview of Janny Ji:

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?

JJ : I was into drawing when I was a kid. After I grew up, I studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design for my undergraduate degree and later I received a Master's degree in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art. My dream was to become a painter when I was a small child.

DI: What is "design" for you?

JJ : To me, design is a process of storytelling, translating one thing into another by using various methods in order to communicate an idea or concept to a broader audience.

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

JJ : I enjoy creating works that possess strong concepts and unconventional forms.

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

JJ : I'm familiar with working with print media, tactile objects, but I enjoy exploring motion graphics, coding and technologies that can push me further.

DI: When do you feel the most creative?

JJ : I usually feel the most creative at night.

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

JJ : During designing, I focus on exploring forms that are both conceptually strong and visually groundbreaking. I enjoy struggling, failing and iterating during the process.

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

JJ : When I design, I feel excited and calm at the same time.

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

JJ : I feel grateful and motivated when my designs are realized.

DI: What makes a design successful?

JJ : There is no certain way to define a successful design. To me, the most important thing is to satisfy myself and to create something that surprises myself.

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

JJ : As designers, we should consider how our works may raise questions, motivate people and share opinions relate to environmental or social issues.

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

JJ : The "design field" is constantly evolving and influenced by the development of technology, human behavior and other factors. The future of design is full of possibilities.

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

JJ : My last exhibition was in Nantes, France in March.

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

JJ : I gather inspirations from all kinds of ways. I find observing, drawing, taking photos, reading and writing very helpful.

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?

JJ : I don't have a strict style that I tend to work with, but rather I adore clear, smart and bold ways of communicating ideas.

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?

JJ : I grew up in China and studied and worked in the United States for 9 years. I think this kind of nomadic lifestyle encouraged me to be openminded and learn from different cultures. The experience helped me to think in a similar way when designing.

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

JJ : Being a young designer myself, I think there are endless opportunities for us to learn things. It's important to have motivation and willingness to learn and explore.

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

JJ : Being a designer means you have chances to create things out of nothing, to make your ideas come true, although sometimes the workload could be heavy.

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

JJ : My "golden rule" is never giving up, learning from failing.

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

JJ : I collect things for all sorts of inspirations: movies, paintings, drawings, novels and theoretical books.

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

JJ : I am still learning to manage my time in better ways. I tend to work super late and pull all-nighters a lot.

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

JJ : It depends on the project. Some projects only take very short amount of time whereas some projects take time for iterations.

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

JJ : I just received my MFA degree in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art in May, 2019. I am looking forward to start working on exciting projects in the real world and start an adventurous journey.

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

JJ : I develop my designs myself when it is a personal project, but I also work as a team and collaborate with other designers on commercial projects.

DI: How can people contact you?

JJ : You can email me at "jji01@mica.edu" or "jannyjidesign@gmail.com".