We were lucky to catch up with Ivan Kuo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ivan, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When was the last time you browsed your phone’s photo album, trying to reclaim indescribable feelings? Perhaps it was in a bookstore after work, the taste of nostalgia haunting you as you reflected alone. The smell of books, the muted traffic outside… Spaces have a unique way of engraving memories through our senses. They enhance experiences and engage our receptors, inviting us to explore the messages subtly conveyed through design.

As an interior designer, I believe that design is not just about problem-solving; it is also a form of art. Growing up in an environment where 90 percent of my peers were rocket scientists, I desperately sought a purpose in interior design while pursuing my undergraduate degree in Taiwan. I struggled initially, but that suffocating fear gradually faded after several collaborations with Birdy Yang, a dear friend, talented designer, and mentor. “We Never Know Time Until…” was the first project where Birdy and I shared ideas and created something truly meaningful together. This experience made me realize that spatial design could be profound, poetic, and philosophical. Our subsequent capstone project, “Remains’ Symphony,” aimed to create metaphysical journeys for retrospection and imagination.

Through these experiences, I concluded that the mission of interior designers is to evoke emotions in users as they experience the spaces we design, allowing them to form their own memories and interpretations, like pieces of art, spaces are both rational and emotional, subjective and objective, and they are a part of your everyday life.

Ivan, 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?

This is Ivan Kuo, a second-year master’s student in interior design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I am from Taipei, Taiwan, an island rich in cultures and global influences—from aboriginal villages and European forts to Ming and Qing dynasty architecture and Japanese Western-inspired buildings.

My love for spaces began early. At 12, I was captivated by the basilicas and cathedrals of Italy, dreaming of becoming an architect. However, the fate led me to major in interior design during my undergrad in Taiwan. After the eventful life there, I applied to grad schools in Europe, facing a series of rejections from Politecnico di Milano, KABK, and the Royal Danish Academy. This setback shattered my dream of an academic journey in Europe amidst historical architecture and the scent of espresso.

Yet, this “grand failure” brought me to the US, where I found a new path in interior design. As I begin the second part of my master’s program, I am more passionate than ever. I have the support of my family and wonderful friends who ease my nerves when school becomes overwhelming. Most importantly, I have firmly established my role in design—to create evocative spaces.

I believe that design is an art form that transcends mere functionality. I see the role of interior designers as evoking emotions and memories in users, allowing them to experience spaces in deeply personal and interpretive ways. Like art, these spaces become integral parts of everyday life, ultimately delivering serenity to my users.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I would say getting recognition. (Neither a groundbreaking nor enlightening answer, and not even sustainable, I assume.) As an interior design student in a postgraduate program, you are expected to know how to design spaces holistically. Yet, in the creative industry, a universal solution does not exist. Hence, when my design is appreciated by my bosses or professors after a long night bumping my head against the wall trying to come up with good ideas, that is truly fulfilling and motivating. That is also the moment when you clearly know that you have done something beyond just correct.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to make the world a better place to live. This might sound unrealistic, but I truly believe that if we all keep this goal in mind, we can make meaningful differences step by step. To achieve the goal, two aspects could be good starting points. Firstly, as interior designers, we have the opportunity to leverage universal design, sustainability, and energy efficiency, all of which are areas where I have seen amazing progress in related industries. Secondly, by creating spaces that are thoroughly orchestrated and thought-provoking, I envision a world where everyone can be inspired simply by experiencing their surroundings each day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/ivankuo.id
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivankuo.id
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ivankuo-id
• Other: My Portfolio: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Aedd1d48b-2c3f-3f81-a4d6-a5d612a00350

Image Credits

Headshot: Mei de Paula