We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Xinyue Wu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Xinyue below.

Xinyue, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Inspiration and Beginnings
The idea for my creative services business, PinPaint, was born out of a blend of childhood memories and everyday observations. As a child, I often drew little flowers and animals on my bags and painted visions of home on my bedroom walls. My family never scolded me for these “scribbles”; instead, they gave me the space to explore and express myself freely. This freedom to create left a lasting impression on me.

The Spark
As I transitioned into adulthood, I noticed a significant lack of spaces for easy self-expression. The clothes and bags we use daily seem pre-designed and pre-packaged, leaving us as mere consumers in a fast-paced world. This realization sparked a desire in me to bring back the joy of DIY creation that many of us experienced in our childhood. I wanted to shift people from passive consumption to active creation, rekindling the simple joy of making something unique with their own hands.

The Concept
This led me to develop the concept of PinPaint, a brand that champions personal expression and co-creation. By allowing people to choose and arrange pins to create their own designs on bags, I wanted to offer a canvas for self-expression in everyday life. Each pin and each arrangement tells a unique story, turning an ordinary bag into a personalized piece of art.

Market Insight
Delving deeper into market research, I discovered a growing demand for customized, personalized products. People crave items that reflect their individuality and personal stories. The idea of using pins to create custom designs on bags fits perfectly into this trend. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about embedding emotion and meaning into everyday objects.

A Vision for the Future
I believe this endeavor is worthwhile because it taps into a universal desire for self-expression. By providing a platform for people to create and share their unique designs, PinPaint can bring back the joy of creation that many adults miss. It’s more than a business; it’s a way to reconnect with the innate creativity we all possess.

Xinyue, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hello! I’m Xinyue Wu, the founder of PinPaint and an independent product designer. PinPaint is a brand dedicated to personal expression and co-creation. We offer a unique way for people to design their own bags by selecting and arranging pins to create personalized artworks. Our mission is to break free from the constraints of pre-designed products, rekindle the playful creativity of childhood, and provide adults with a creative and therapeutic outlet in their daily lives.

From a young age, I found joy in drawing, crafting, and designing. This passion for creativity led me to pursue a career in product design, earning 26 national patents along the way. My journey has been driven by a desire to create products that not only serve functional purposes but also bring emotional value and joy to people’s lives.

At PinPaint, we provide a platform for individuals to express themselves through customizable bags. By choosing from a variety of pins, our customers can create unique designs that reflect their personal stories and styles. This process transforms an ordinary bag into a one-of-a-kind piece of art, allowing for tangible and meaningful self-expression.

I’m most proud of how PinPaint has helped people rediscover their creativity and find joy in the process of making. Seeing our customers’ delight and pride in their personalized creations is incredibly rewarding. We aim to build a community where everyone feels inspired to create and express themselves freely.

For potential clients, followers, and fans, I want you to know that PinPaint is more than just a brand—it’s a movement towards embracing individuality and creativity. Our products are designed to bring a smile to your face and a sense of accomplishment as you carry a piece of art that you created. Join us on this creative journey and let’s make everyday life a little more colorful and a lot more expressive.

Follow us on Instagram at @pinpaint_official to stay updated with our latest designs and projects. Thank you for being part of our story.

In addition to our signature customizable bags, I’m also working on various other projects in industrial design. For example, I am developing a stress-relief brush that mimics the soothing sound of rain. These projects align with my focus on emotional design, aiming to enhance everyday experiences through thoughtful and innovative products.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In recent months, I made the difficult decision to separate PinPaint from XinyueDesign. This was not an easy choice because XinyueDesign already had a substantial collection of visual materials and packaging with its logo. This meant I had to redesign a new logo and create new brand materials for PinPaint. However, this pivot was necessary and ultimately worthwhile.

As XinyueDesign progressed, I realized it was challenging to house two somewhat divergent product lines under one brand. One line, such as the rain-sound stress-relief brush, leaned towards industrial and experiential design. The other, the bag and pin project, focused more on personal expression and co-creation, requiring collaboration with other creators rather than remaining a solo design endeavor.

From a business perspective, it’s crucial to specialize, especially with limited time and resources, to create a memorable brand. Having a single brand with two different product lines made it difficult to maintain a cohesive visual identity, which in turn restricted creative freedom. Additionally, a brand name needs to be simple and easy to remember.

Thus, I made the decision to create PinPaint, a brand that celebrates personal expression and co-creation, allowing for more focused development and marketing. This pivot allowed both XinyueDesign and PinPaint to thrive in their respective niches, ensuring that each brand could grow and succeed without the constraints of the other.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The driving force behind my creative journey stems from the realization that adulthood often imposes too many rules and complexities, stripping away the simple joys that once made us genuinely happy. I aim to influence people through product design because products are ubiquitous in our lives. For instance, designs like Gaetano Pesce’s La Mamma chair inspire me with their ability to evoke happiness and energy.

Imagine if the products around us could subtly elevate our positive emotional energy. Could this lead to a world with more happiness and immersive experiences, where more people can truly enjoy life and discover its small wonders? This belief fuels my thesis project at the School of Visual Arts, titled “Xinyue: Delight in the Everyday”. It explores how everyday products can bring delight into our lives. You can explore more about this project on my blog here：https://productsofdesign.sva.edu/projects/xinyue-delight-in-the-everyday

This mission drives me to create designs that not only function well but also resonate emotionally, aiming to enhance daily experiences and foster a more joyful world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xinyuedesign.com
• Instagram: pinpaint_official
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinyue-wu-28520827b

Image Credits

Cassie Zeng