Favorite fruit? Dragonfruit, Durian and Papaya
Current pandemic hobbies? Hiking for inspiration, ikebana for feeling texture again with my hands, practicing Mandarin, for culture and Finnish, because Vikings and good head-banging metal.
Favorite artists? Matt Mahurin, for his unique and powerful, almost controversial vision in editorial illustration in the 90s, and Pat Steir for her dream-like paintings.
Also inspiring: James Jean for his god-like precision and execution. Sam Weber and João Ruas for their realistic painting and technical ability. Chip Kidd for his playfulness and creativity on the page, where you DO want to judge by a cover.
Favorite comic?
SAGA by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Blankets written by Craig Thompson, an endearing story of growing up in the Midwest, finding first love and spirituality. Beautiful Darkness by the infamous French duo Kerascoët.
What I value: Listening. empathy. self-awareness and humility. These are too rare in our country’s culture and rhymthms. Listening and hearing comes first in order for understanding and appropriate action to follow. Perhaps if we valued more of these traits, we might have more compassion in our motions. With more compassion may come the collective strength to beat some of our greatest challenges: America’s ability to tackle climate change, systemic racial, gender, and income inequality, and healthcare for all.
What I fear: Not being fully present for those very dear to me.
Why I pursue design and illustration: Because the work is fun and the journey is rewarding. Really, it’s that simple to me. A few years ago my sister and I were talking about why she opted for the decades of school to become a veterinary neurosurgeon. She answered, “What could I never tire of? What could I do until I am 80 years old and my mind is still intact? What will I never get bored of?”
For me, anything creative and collaborative makes a career worth sticking with. I have many more thoughts on the industry, but that's for another time.
Favorite drink? Roobios with a splash of honey and soy milk.
What does your name mean?
Typically when a baby's born into a Chinese family, the child receives 3 characters. The first character is your Family name, like mine is Wang / 王 (translated to King ).
My following 2 characters are a combination of one character borrowed my mom's name, and one from my dad's (so egalitarian!). Though their characters were quite complex, so luckily for me, they recognized that I, an American-born baby, might struggle with writing their characters. They kindly changed my name to easier characters with the same sounds: xīn / 心 (translated to heart) and lì 利 (used in context for a smooth and bump-less journey).
What are some things you're tackling right now?
My family grew up with mixed cultures, Swedish-American with Chinese/Taiwanese. Our dinner tables had chopsticks and forks next to our dishes, Jazz and Chinese opera playing in the air. Our conversations, like many cultures, shared diversity of thought: on politics, culture, and growing up as an American.
Looking at recent times, and seeing how my childhood stories and ethics shaped me and brought me balance of differing perspectives, I realized design’s ability to communicate our culture and stories. Designers and Illustrators can use their skills to promote certain narratives, and destroy others. That, to me, is a powerful motivation to continue creating positive and reinforcing work that supports our most vulnerable communities.
I am passionate about design, but my work and time aim to serve companies and leaders who understand the need to empower those who are underrepresented and overshadowed. I am careful to work on projects that not only strive to make the world better in the future, but also projects and teams that do not forget to improve our current society every way we can today.
What drives your design process?
It's a repetitive motto of my generation, but the word passion sticks out. My stepfather was a Woodstock trombonist hippie who stood up for ideals. His passion was to share through music and jazz. No matter how repetitive, I think a certain level of passion will always drive meaning.
Doing work for the sake of work may pass a day very slowly.
Passion gets you grit. It teaches you how to wake up early in the morning even if you’re a night owl, and can keep you awake an extra hour or two even though you’re tired to the bones. It makes you pick at the corners and stay generous with your treasures (learnings or earnings). It helps you make a difference. With passion, you surpass your limitations because you don't see them as unsurpassable barriers.
To quote Sagmeister, "I remember in a Minale Tattersfield book that said: "In my experience, every designer whose prime aim in going into business was to make money while at the same time producing good design, failed on both counts. I believe that designing is something you have to do for love. If you are committed first and foremost to producing good design then you'll make money as a by-product because good design is something people are willing to pay for. But that financial reward will be a bonus, a gift."
To echo Sagmeister, good design makes a big difference. Good designers are well worth their time. When you find one, pay them well and fairly, because these designers work tirelessly to be good people too.