The creative director of Yen Design describes what goes into creating a well-crafted product, his sources of inspiration and his favourite piece of art
I am Generation T is a series of quick-fire Q&As with some of the extraordinary individuals on the Gen.T List
Yen Po-Chun’s love for music and design comes together in his work, which focuses on creating album art and packaging for some of the region’s best-loved acts. The Taiwanese creative runs his own visual design firm Yen Design, which has worked with companies and governmental organisations on projects, some of which have won awards such as the Golden Melody Award and Red Dot Design Award. On the side, he also hosts a podcast called Before Midnight, which has seen guests such as actor and singer Aaron Yan.
Yen shares more about what makes good design, his sources of inspiration and his favourite art piece here.
How do you define "good design"?
Design is a form of expression and good design is being able to express it well. Only by having clear ideas and values, and expressing them with context and logic, can we create work that resonates with people.
How has the pandemic impacted the art and design world?
The pandemic has changed the world, we can never go back to how things were. The current situation is like a big social experiment and everyone is experiencing a collective memory.
In terms of art and design, when we convert physical exhibitions into virtual ones, the question is how can we recreate experiences through virtual means? Taking everything physical into the digital world is not an alternative solution, as you have to consider people's expectations and needs. When we are on social media, for instance, we aren't experiencing a real connection.
[Physical] exhibitions are difficult to replace. For example, when we visit the art museum to see an exhibit, the moment you enter the space, you have started an interactive experience, talking to people you meet there and taking in the atmosphere of the scene—all of this can't be easily replicated virtually. There are no clear answers to how we can best execute exhibitions and showcase art now, but many people are seeking the answer.
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