Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aiqi Zhang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aiqi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

In school, during presentation sessions, students often showcase their entire creative processes, which is a smart way to highlight their thinking process. However, in professional contexts, there arises a need to master a more concise and focused presentation approach, tailored for colleagues and clients. The ability to distill complex explorations into short and clear presentations becomes crucial, as it prevents confusion among colleagues during collaboration and ensures clients perceive the content as relevant without unnecessary processes. While classrooms encourage exploration, workplaces demand efficient messaging. Integrating practical communication skills into the education system provides students with the ability to navigate professional demands and prepares them for the challenges of dynamic workplaces.

It’s important to note that this shift doesn’t aim to undermine the value of showcasing processes in school presentations. Instead, it’s about helping students understand the significance of selecting and conveying relevant content in a professional presentation deck. Therefore, emphasizing concise presentation skills within the curriculum is essential to better prepare students for real-world scenarios.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a multidisciplinary designer obsessed with extreme medias and bold thoughts. Whether it’s about pushing boundaries in terms of scale, multiple dimensions, or complex concepts, I’m always seeking ways to extend my work beyond screens and pages.

Two years ago, I graduated from ArtCenter College of Design, where my design approach centered around extensive research, interpreting information into inspiration, and making thoughtful design decisions.

Presently, I’m part of the design team at TBWA\Media Arts Lab (MAL), an advertising agency renowned for its expertise in creating advertising and marketing campaigns for Apple Inc., and its exceptional design environment. Within MAL, as a designer, I collaborate closely with internal colleagues to gather insights and generate creative concepts for our exclusive client. I craft visual presentations for projects using diverse artistic techniques and theories, actively participating in presentations and work sessions to assist in explaining and substantiating design direction.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

In the creative field, having non-creative individuals as clients for creative professionals is a common yet challenging collaboration, since conveying concepts using design language can be tough for non-creatives. However, at the same time, this relationship holds unique potential and complexity.

As a designer, I value their insights into the brand’s mission and vision, which fuel my creative process and transform abstract ideas into visual outcomes. Building trust and mutual respect is crucial for both sides before beginning the whole process. In other words, clients need to know better about who they are working with, and designers need to delve into the market for research. During the collaboration, communication is key for a successful partnership. Non-creative clients need to provide timely feedback and clearly understand which direction to choose. This approach helps designers deliver design responses that match the brand’s needs.

Allow me to share a meaningful experience: A chef reached out to me to design an event menu for his restaurant. He expressed his appreciation for one of my works and guided me through his restaurant, which led to a deep impression on me. The experience allowed me to seamlessly integrate the brand’s narrative into the menu, using a bold concept to persuade and sell the idea. The chef decided to incorporate the menu design permanently, confirming the success of our cross-disciplinary collaboration.

I am still excited about the prospect of non-creative individuals becoming my future clients. Together, we can craft a branding system infused with profound insights through collaborative endeavors.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

In his “Composers as Gardeners” speech, Brian Eno discussed a reconsideration of an individual’s position as a creator:

“My topic is the shift from ‘architect’ to ‘gardener’, where ‘architect stands for ‘someone who carries a full picture of the work before it is made’, to ‘gardener’ standing for ‘someone who plants seeds and waits to see exactly what will come up’. I will argue that today’s composer are more frequently ‘gardeners’ than ‘architects’ and, further, that the ‘composer as architect’ metaphor was a transitory historical blip.”

This concept is worth pondering. While the speech explores the relationship between composers and music, it also resonates with the thought process of designers. I used to be more outcome-focused, striving to exert control over every factor. In the past, I tended to prioritize results and choose a direction within a predetermined range. However, in my self-initiated projects, I adopted a new approach. I started without having a picture of the finished piece in my head and embraced the research process. Like a gardener sowing creative seeds, I embraced the idea “of bottom-up organization, of things growing from the bottom and turning into things of greater complexity.” In essence, I’ve learned to embrace experimentation and the potential of different outcomes.

Source: “Composers as Gardeners” speech by Brian Eno.

Contact Info:

• Website: aiqi.me
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aiqi-zhang
• Email: hello.aiqi@gmail.com

Image Credits
Aiqi Zhang