Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ming-Li Chang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ming-Li, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
A narrative and philosophy that I have stuck with since introducing my design works to the world is about the phrase “made in China”. China has thousands of years of craftsmanship and artistry rooted in many different cultures and also vastly diverse, yet the rapidly growing industrial and manufacturing landscape has stamped a negative connotation behind the phrase “made in China”. As I continue to develop my own designs, it is a goal of mine to play a part, no matter how big or small, but a part of the puzzle that defines what modern Chinese design is. Perhaps, eventually to create a platform for other young Chinese designer like me to create objects that help contribute to the new wave of quality Chinese designs. Starting with myself. To embrace and to be inspired by the rich history of craftsmanship and arts, to move things forward, and not just to copy paste traditional elements and “echo” the past. To redefine what “made in China” means.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hi, my name is Ming Li Chang and you can call me Ming. Growing up in a culturally diverse community, I have always wondered what I could provide to the industry as a young Chinese designer. I have a deep respect for my culture’s rich heritage and craftsmanship and I see design as a way to change the narrative. As a furniture and spatial experience designer, I am a divergent thinker who approaches the decision making process through trial and error, finding value in every idea. Decisions are based on taking insights to ideate concepts that have a clean, approachable aesthetic without being overcomplicated. By illustrating convincing narratives, I want to bring ideas to life in a way that others might say “I could’ve done that”. I am Ming, whose purpose is to take diversity of thinking to craft designs that people love.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle, design is really just visual story telling. I think I feel the most satisfied when my story that I am telling with pieces I create resonate with someone. I’ve one had a media person look at a chair I designed and she told me that she really appreciated the way I reflected sustainability in my chair. As she elaborated her thought she went on to talk about how it resonated with a wooden box that she kept and cherished for years and years, which is why she could see herself keeping the chair for a life time with sentimental value. The fact that she wouldn’t throw it away, made it the reason why she thought it was sustainable. Her story about her little wooden box somehow was echoed in my chair, which made the story I was trying to tell with the chair even more meaningful.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
In school we learned to solve problems. As the classes stacked on each other, we thought we had to design products and spaces that solved all of the worlds problems. After a couple years out of school I realized that, back in undergrad school we designed “Swiss army knives”. It has a lot of what you want, but none of it really works. Over the years I have to keep reminding myself to not design “Swiss army knives”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.minglidesign.com/
- Instagram: @ming_li_chang
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ming-li-chang-07772b17b