We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Chloe Liew ("CL").
Chloe Liew is a versatile and well-versed Malaysian interior architect. With the exposure in oversea for more than 10 years and originally grown up in Malaysia, she acquired vast experience in using multi-cultural elements into her designs and makes them to be very unique as compared to others. In every piece of her design, she always thinks out of the box by adopting the approach of story-telling into space planning as well as design conceptualization. Chloe always places humanity as the center core while performing her design, and then capture the emotional value into design from multiple angles and perspectives. Most importantly, she can strike a balance between the practicality and aesthetic in her design, therefore, her end products do not run too far away from reality. She believes in great masterpiece interior design will finally be treasured and treated as an eternal art.
Chloe Liew Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Chloe Liew.
Chloe Liew Design - Avenue Green Sheshan Kindergarten
Designer Interview of Chloe Liew:
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?
CL : I always wished to be an architect, but end-up to be an interior architect, due to the Interior Architecture course takes shorter time to graduate for a Bachelor degree, while interior design is another field that i would love to explore too. So, I am glad that I could get the balance as being an Interior Architect.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CL : ELTO CONSULTANCY GROUP (ELTO) is a group of companies of which offers targeted services through the respective companies, to the intended clients. ELTO internationally provides architecture, interior, brand identity, art, and product design services. Our Company name in full is "Eleven To One" (ELTO). It paints a concept of a clock. To draw a middle line on the clock, 12 o’clock is the boundary. When hour hand straddles from 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock, it is beyond the boundary. It is just as design crossing different fields and creativity is always an essential. From 11am-1pm, or 11pm to 1am, there is neither ending nor beginning. It is a perfection of ever-lasting. It is beyond design through penetration and integration.
DI: What is "design" for you?
CL : Design is about an exploration into life, as if a play that could tell stories.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CL : I love interesting projects that could go wild and extraordinary concept, that could raise one's emotions and interactions.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
CL : This award winning project, Avenue Green International Kindergarten. It is a project surrounded with wonderful nature, that reminds me the importance to appreciate mother nature. It makes me feeling young again. It fuels my creativity, tickles my inner child and nurtures my soul for design, like a resurrection.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CL : Salon De Ning, a Jazz bar in The Peninsula Hotel, Shanghai.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CL : I am open to any materials. But I would like to promote sustainable materials in design, as I believe that we as designers/ architects play very important role in protecting our earth and environment through awareness in sustainability.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
CL : Every morning. I am not that kind of designer who seek for ideas at late midnight. I need sufficient rest.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CL : The conceptual stage which is the story-telling part
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CL : I feel playful, and sentimental.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CL : I feel touched and proud of the teams.
DI: What makes a design successful?
CL : It is passion and professionalism that drives the force and desire to create some good stuffs.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CL : The design intention, and how the intention turns into reality.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CL : We need to increase our environmental sustainability and social responsibility efforts. We have the opportunity to infuse sustainability concepts into our lives through the products and spaces we design. For example, we can use only environmental friendly materials and try to promote awareness to the public through the design outcome. Let our design speaks our intention and responsibility.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CL : I believe there will be impact of COVID-19 on wellbeing and the future of work of design. We need to be well equipped to harness the challenges and explorations in design, to make meaningful contributions in the future. In which the design would be more humane and concern about the environment.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
CL : Last exhibition was in Malaysia. Next I think might be end of 2020.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CL : Design inspiration is coming from everyday life and experience. I think meditation is a very good tool to keep mind calm and focus.
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?
CL : I do not own any specific style. I have very dynamic and daring approach towards different kind of project identity. Sometimes I can be very soothing, poetic and ZEN, while sometimes I am very playful and wild. I like to tell different story according to the personality I understand from each space.
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?
CL : I was born and grew up in Malaysia where full of different culture and heritage. Then i start working and living in Shanghai, a very cosmopolitan city. The very different culture and lifestyle at both cities inspires me a lot. I see different effectiveness and mentality, that let me always consider a lot at humanity and the living philosophy.
DI: How do you work with companies?
CL : I am the design director and i will gives design thoughts and directions.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
CL : Companies need to encourage designers to think differently and also give them opportunity to try. I always judge on the passion, professionality and responsibility at work.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CL : I will first do research on the client background, specificities of program, site, function, and history which is essential to the creation of rigorous design work. From there, I will come out with a concept or story for the design.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
CL : Clock, incense holder, tea pot, table lamp and my cat's house.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
CL : I will have meditation session in the morning, with my cat sitting next to me before I start working. After work，I will do exercise and reading. If not too busy, I will cook.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CL : I would like to use this quote from Steve jobs : "stay hungry, stay foolish". Do not limit ourselves or to set any border.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CL : Positives: young is always the best to have more opportunities to grow and learn. Negatives: lacking of experience and people might not trust your ability of design.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CL : keep trying and developing design to the max (if time allowed!)
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
CL : Communication and presentation skills
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CL : Photoshop, Illustrator, Autocad, 3d Max, Pinterest, Frame, Dezeen etc
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CL : Have a To-Do List and start with the most important tasks.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
CL : It depends... few days to few months. This project (Avenue Green International Kindergarten) took about 15 months from preliminary design to completion of site.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CL : "what and where is your inspiration coming from?" I think this is a question that most people are curious about designer.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
CL : Few years of time that I stayed with my mentor Henry Leung from CAP atelier ( company name previously was Chhada Siembieda Leung Pte. Ltd)
DI: Who are some of your clients?
CL : Coca-cola, Universal Music, Air Asia.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CL : Projects that are seeking for new thoughts and direction; Client who are willing to try and go for something unique with their own personality.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CL : I am now doing some product design with Agarwood. I hope my career path is more diversified.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CL : We work as a team.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
CL : We are creating an office space for an Airline company. We inject lively and vibrant spirit into the office with the charm of flying. It's very interesting and totally different style from this kindergarten project.
DI: How can people contact you?
CL : I can be reached at my email: chloeliew@eltoconsultancy.com
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
CL : No. Thank you very much.