We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Yen C Chen ("YCC").
Yen C is born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, He is an motion graphics designer with professional experiences of channel Identity, music video, TV commercial and image advertisement. He has held several positions as visual designer at many visual studios, being familiar with 3D and 2D techniques.Through his artistic creations he strives to bring joy, entertainment, inspiration to all of his clients and audiences.
Yen C Chen Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Yen C Chen.
Yen C Chen Design - Simplest Happiness Commercial Animation
Designer Interview of Yen C Chen:
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?
YCC : Like many people, I was just a kid who liked to paint. My father is a movie-loving person, I remember when I was a child and he nestled in the dark living room to watch Hitchcock's film, although it was not always able to fully understand, but a lot of visual creativity and drama, I believe there is a subtle impact.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
YCC : I've worked as a designer in a variety of different industries, and these experiences have allowed me to accumulate a lot of energy, and luckily they have given me a lot of creative space.
DI: What is "design" for you?
YCC : This question is very comprehensive. I think that design is the same as a lot of work, is not a high unattainable occupation, any behavior related to communication, there are design elements in it.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
YCC : Motion Graphics is also my favorite design, because it can clearly convey the idea, the process also makes me feel happy, I think doing happy is the most important. And of course, digital works are more easily passed on.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
YCC : Many of my works I love, I can introduce the "pure happiness" this work. Although it's a design job that a channel does every year, this time I set my goal for this job: to make the audience feel happy from watching. There's a highly circulated video on Youtube about a baby laughing all the time, which can induce the audience to laugh. I hope that the video in addition to the channel needs to convey the function, but also let the audience temporarily forget the reality of trouble, think of the most simple happiness as a child.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
YCC : Proofreading the layout of the book.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
YCC : I have no particular preference for materials, mainly to create the time you had at the time, or the technology I wanted to try.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
YCC : Night. The bigger the moon, The clearer my mind is, even if I want to go to bed early for the sake of health.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
YCC : During the design process, I wanted to make sure that everyone thought the same way about the direction of the design, which reduced the chance of final modifications or errors. In the process I will also keep reviewing and adjusting, hoping that when everyone see the final, get a positive idea.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
YCC : I'm happy most of the time when I'm designing. Designing is like doing everything of the world, and most of them can be ruined by the urgency of time.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
YCC : When the design work was finished, most of my emotions were calm. All emotions should be expressed in the course of work, after work I will organize the emotions, hope that through rest or family life, so that the mood settled calm, in order to prepare for the next job.
DI: What makes a design successful?
YCC : Observation. I think the more you will look at the details of life around you, the more precise lying the desired purpose.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
YCC : I will first judge the purpose of the design, the most basic to meet the needs, and see if the environment or life can be better.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
YCC : The design itself bears responsibility for environmental protection and biological survival rights. Through the message of design, the public has a more positive effect on people, plants and the environment.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
YCC : As media platforms change, whether advertising or movies are changing like never before, designers must have new ideas to deal with. For the attention of environmental protection, design should also pay more attention to the concept of perpetual.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
YCC : I haven't held an exhibition, maybe i'll have a chance later.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
YCC : My second child has just been born, from the interaction with the child to get a lot of inspiration, children can always give you a lot of surprises. I think seriously to live, observe the life around the various things, will be a very personal unique source of inspiration.
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?
YCC : I will not sum up my own design style, the same work will be because different audiences have different views, and will have different feelings about the work, I hope my work is to bring people positive, I do in the process of design also hold the same attitude.
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?
YCC : I was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan has a lot of world-leading technology and achievements, but in the country's positioning has been a lot of pressure, Taiwan is in a very vague position in the international community. This situation even more forces the island's designers to have a more determined attitude.
DI: How do you work with companies?
YCC : Most of them come to me through introductions, or through the company seeing my work.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
YCC : Each company has different cultures and personalities, I suggest from the design works to find designers, in addition, communication or the focus of the problem.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
YCC : Usually I try to get in touch with a lot of different issue, but when I start designing, I try not to look for information, I don't want any pictures to affect my design at this time. Also focus is important, a case-making process can take months to ensure that the final product continues on the way to the original idea.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
YCC : ystudio_Paper Weight. Peng Hsing-Kai_HeySong Sarsaparilla. 1000TentaclesStudio_Screaming Monster. Ken Lo_More Hugs Figurine. IKEA FINTORP_Magnetic knife rack.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
YCC : Every day with tired life, my child has just been born, every day can progress a little, from no words to running jump, very surprised a child's perseverance and motivation is how strong, but also prompted me every day want to compare to the progress of the day.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
YCC : Continuous creation, there will always be gains. Also don't sacrifice too much family life, it is an intangible value.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
YCC : Being a designer is, in some ways, something you like to do, do what you love and make money, and even use design to change people's perspectives or make the world a better place. Designers are more frustrated than the average person if they find that some of the designs around are missing or social injustices, but they can't do anything about it.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
YCC : Do every design carefully, from what can be brought about to change humanity as a starting point.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
YCC : Thinking and communicating, design is not pure art, need to let ideas can be passed out.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
YCC : Paper and pen are always my most important tools. Plus a cell phone, I don't think there's anything I can't do.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
YCC : I have procrastination, but because time is tight, the explosive power is endless.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
YCC : Sometimes it takes only a few days, sometimes months.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
YCC : Can you be a little faster? Can the word be a little bigger?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
YCC : I think all the experiences are important, I've been exposed to film cutting, advertising, MV, channel packaging, photography, graphic design... and they make me who I am.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
YCC : The person who pays me is my client. Regardless of brand awareness, from a design point of view, every brands are very challenging.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
YCC : I like videos and sculptures, one is digital way of existence does not occupy space, I can collect unlimited such works of art. And sculptures have a real touch and are rare.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
YCC : I hope to complete a work, can bring some thoughtful subject matter to mankind.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
YCC : Most of them are self-created, and i hope to work with many excellent designers in the future.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
YCC : My daughter and son, I will spend my life completing these works.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
YCC : No, enough. Thank you for question to me.