This weeks feature is with the talented multidisciplinary designer and recent graduate, Angela. Angela was born and raised in Italy and is currently living in Glasgow. Her practice is broad and diverse: constantly exploring different aspects within communication design and learning new skillsets. Inspired by her experience of growing up among different cultures, Angela's works explores themes of connection and identity, aiming to leverage diversity.
How are you today?
Great! I feel very energetic, and I am ready to dive into my today’s to-do list! There are many competition deadlines in the next few days, so I need to catch up on some works I would like to submit!
What initially inspired a career in design?
I have always been passionate about creative subjects. When I was a child, I used to draw a lot. I really enjoyed it, even if I was not very talented at doing that. During high school, I came across different design disciplines, including graphic design, which I wanted to discover more about. The workshop spaces of my school allowed me to experiment with different printing techniques and play with materials, colours and types. It was back then that my design journey started!
What are your main inspirations and motivations behind your work as a branding designer?
Many of my personal works are inspired by everyday experiences. I enjoy observing my surroundings: people, places, and nature could all become a starting point for my works.
Design is powerful, and as a designer, I would like to create projects that can positively impact the society. My projects allow me to speak loudly and communicate things that matter to me: it creates a connection between me and the world. Creating inspiring and distinctive identities is one of my main goals!
Design is powerful, and as a designer, I would like to create projects that can positively impact the society.
I think when I moved to Glasgow was a moment when I felt the need for a slow living. I needed to slow down to think about my future and understand better what I wanted to communicate through my work. Glasgow is a city that makes me feel very peaceful and relaxed. I could spend an entire day in a café working on my projects or just reading a book. There is not much sun here, but there are many lovely people who have brought sunshine to my everyday life!
Huge congratulations on graduating! What does a workday in the life of Su Ying look like at the moment?
Thank you! At the moment, I haven’t started my internship yet, so I have plenty of time to dedicate to personal projects. I like to make a daily plan to keep myself more productive. I usually start the day with my cup of coffee, which helps me to be more focused and less sleepy! I typically dedicate my morning time to researching issues that intrigued me and navigating through design blogs, where I can explore inspiring works created by other designers. In the afternoon, I usually spend 3-4 hours working on my project with some short breaks in-between and before having dinner, I dedicate some time to reading!
So I came across your project ‘Third Culture Museum’ at the Glasgow School of Art degree show back in June 2022, and I loved it; the concept, the branding, everything! Can you tell us about this project and how the idea came about?
Sure! ‘Third Culture Museum’ is a branding project I created during the last year of my study at the Glasgow School of Art. It is a cultural institution I have imagined for Third Culture Kids (TCK), individuals whose developmental years were spent outside their parents’ culture. I am a TCK, my parents are from China, but I was born and raised in Italy. The intersection of two totally different cultures shaped my vision of life and strongly influenced my design practice. The idea for this project came during a conversation with some of my friends when I realised how different my experiences were compared to individuals who grew up in one culture. Therefore, I decided to create a project to promote an awareness of TCK and celebrate this cross-cultural experience. The identity of ‘Third Culture Museum’ takes inspiration from the linguistic brackets, creating a playful system, and inviting viewers to consider their own connections and disconnections.
What inspired the creative process of this project?
I was mainly inspired by TCKS’ stories that I came across when I was developing the identity system for the museum. I think they allowed me to consider multiple aspects of the TCK experience, considering both positive and negative elements of growing up cross-culturally. Also, talking with my TCK friends really helped me in turning my idea into visual elements!
I was mainly inspired by TCKS’ stories that I came across when I was developing the identity system for the museum.
Who do you look up to in the industry the most and why?
Nowadays, the industry is full of talented people, there are a lot of designers that I admire, and Michael Bierut is one of them. I literally watched all his talks! I find it intriguing how he can take us through his design process, showing both what worked and what didn’t. The “behind the scenes” of his works allowed me to understand his projects better and learn from them. Moreover, his attitude toward design and his approach to rejection are all very inspiring to me. I am always afraid to be rejected, but he made me realise that sometimes criticism can give me a more significant margin of improvement: I can learn more from the idea that didn’t work. Another very inspiring designer to me is Wanwai Shum. I really like her projects, which are very experimental and innovative! Her typographic works are very intriguing and unique! I really recommend having a look at her works!
I am always afraid to be rejected, but he made me realise that sometimes criticism can give me a more significant margin of improvement: I can learn more from the idea that didn’t work.
So you said you enjoy travelling, what is your favourite place that you have visited so far?
Barcelona is my favourite place, I went there a few years ago with my peers, and I enjoyed my stay there! The city has many traditional food markets, they are huge, and you can find every kind of local food: I could spend the whole day there! I think Barcelona is a city that brings me a lot of joy, full of creativity and colours! It’s a place full of surprises! Local people are very warm-hearted and welcoming. I will definitely return there in the future!
I am a big lover of creative spaces and design blogs to seek inspiration, and I noticed that you are too! 👀 what are some of your favourites?
Yes, I love browsing design blogs and creative spaces! Whenever I discover an interesting one, I would be happy for an entire day! My favourites are ‘The Design Kids’, ‘Visuelle’, ‘The Brand Identity’, ‘Design Reviewed’ and of course ‘Point of You’! They are all very inspiring blogs where I can immerse myself in the design world, explore exciting projects, get to know emerging designers and enrich my knowledge! There are also some blogs dedicated to type, which I usually look at, such as ‘Typeroom’, ‘Femme Type’ and ‘Fonts in Use'.
What is your main piece of advice for any underrepresented creatives reading this just now, and feel hesitant to kick-start their career ?
I think that it is important to follow your passion and fight for what you love doing! Sometimes we encounter many difficulties during our journey in pursuing our dream, but we should never give up! The beauty of this world lies in its diversity, and every voice matters!
The beauty of this world lies in its diversity, and every voice matters!
