Interview
Zou Yuanhua
1 Congratulations on winning the 亚洲色吧! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?
My name is Zou Yuanhua. I have been deeply involved in the design field at Wande Chang. The reason why I focused on the company's design was that I firmly believed that good design can bridge the gap between traditional and modern needs. For instance, integrating Chinese cultural connotations into products can bring about positive changes. Especially in creating solutions that are tailored to users and adapted to the elderly, design becomes a powerful bridge connecting culture and life.
2 What does being recognised in the 亚洲色吧 mean to you?
It's a huge honour! The 亚洲色吧 are globally influential. For me, this recognition is not only an affirmation of my design philosophy that integrates Chinese cultural elements and human-centred concepts, like the "Xiong Da" product's combination of traditional culture and aging - friendly features, but also a motivation to keep exploring how design can better connect culture with life needs, and bring more innovative and warm - hearted works.
3 How has this achievement impacted your career, team, or agency, and what opportunities has it brought so far?
For my career, it's a strong validation, boosting my confidence to keep exploring the integration of culture and design. For the team at Wonder Chief, it's a huge morale booster, making us more passionate about creating user-centred, culturally-rich designs. For the agency, it enhances our reputation in the international design arena. So far, it has brought opportunities like more clients seeking culturally-themed design collaborations and invitations to share our design concepts at industry events.
4 What role does experimentation play in your creative process? Can you share an example?
Experimentation is crucial in my creative process as it helps break boundaries. For the "Xiong Da" product, we experimented with combining traditional Chinese cultural elements (like cultural connotations from ancient stories) with modern ageing-friendly design. We tested different material combinations to ensure both cultural expression and user-friendly experience, which finally made the product stand out.
5 What's the most unusual source of inspiration you've ever drawn from for a project?
For the 鈥淴iong Da鈥� project, an unusual source of inspiration was traditional Chinese elderly care customs and stories of inter-generational love within families. These intangible cultural elements, which are not typical design references, guided us to infuse cultural warmth and humanistic care into the product, making it more than just a physical item but a carrier of heritage.
6 What鈥檚 one thing you wish more people understood about the design process?
I hope more people understand that design is not just about the final appearance; it's a process of continuous exploration and integration. For example, in the 鈥淴iong Da鈥� design, we combined cultural inheritance, user needs (especially for the elderly), and technical feasibility. It involves multiple iterations, from understanding cultural connotations to testing materials, and every step is to create a work that truly connects with people and culture.
7 How do you navigate the balance between meeting client expectations and staying true to your ideas?
In projects like 鈥淴iong Da鈥�, I first deeply communicate with clients to align on core values, such as integrating Chinese culture and caring for the elderly. Then, I explain my design ideas based on these values, seeking a balance. It's about making clients understand that our ideas can better meet market and user needs, creating a win-win situation.
8 What were the challenges you faced while working on your award-winning design, and how did you overcome them?
When creating the award-winning 鈥淴iong Da鈥� design, a major challenge was integrating traditional Chinese cultural elements (like cultural connotations and aesthetic styles) with modern ageing-friendly functional demands. To overcome it, we deeply studied cultural heritage materials and elderly users' real needs, then cooperated across disciplines (designers, cultural researchers, ergonomics experts) to repeatedly adjust the design, ensuring both cultural expression and practicality.
9 How do you recharge your creativity when you hit a creative block?
When facing a creative block, I turn to traditional Chinese culture. For instance, I鈥檒l immerse myself in ancient Chinese art, folk customs, or philosophical ideas. Like how the cultural roots of the 鈥淴iong Da鈥� project inspired us鈥攔ediscovering these rich heritages helps me break through mental barriers. Sometimes, I also take a walk in historic neighbourhoods, observing the blend of old and new, which reignites my design thinking.
10 What personal values or experiences do you infuse into your designs?
In my designs, especially for 鈥淴iong Da鈥�, I infuse the value of respecting traditional Chinese culture and the experience of understanding inter-generational care within families. These make the design carry cultural heritage and humanistic warmth, connecting the past and the present, and caring for users' emotional needs.
11 What is an advice that you would you give to aspiring designers aiming for success?
Stay true to your cultural roots and user-centred values. Like in our 鈥淴iong Da鈥� design, blending Chinese culture with practical needs. Also, keep exploring, never fear failures in experimentation, and always care about how design connects with people's lives.
12 If you could collaborate with any designer, past or present, who would it be and why?
I'd love to collaborate with Chinese traditional craft designers from ancient times. Their deep understanding of integrating cultural meanings into handicrafts, like infusing philosophical thoughts and aesthetic tastes into daily utensils, could inspire me to better blend traditional Chinese culture, as we did in the 鈥淴iong Da鈥� project, with modern design, creating works that carry a richer heritage.
13 What's one question you wish people would ask you about your work, and what's your answer?
The question I wish people would ask: 鈥淗ow do you ensure the cultural essence of traditional China remains vivid in modern-day designs like 鈥榅iong Da鈥�?鈥� My answer: By deeply studying cultural symbols and their inherent meanings, then innovatively integrating them with contemporary user needs. For 鈥淴iong Da鈥�, we dug into traditional concepts of care and family bonds, translating them into tangible design elements that resonate today, keeping culture alive in function.
