Who am I?
I'm a self-taught designer. My design journey started in 1996 for a school magazine. Not sure if it can be called design because all I did was to set a fundamental page layout in Microsoft Word by using gaudy colors, excessive columns, and childish WordArt for sure :) Once the layout was set, the next step was to print it out by inkjet printer and deliver it to classrooms. Then, a few years later, I found myself using QuarkXPress, working with a professional printing house, and reaching out to more readers through a small-scale subscription system. It was my responsibility to hand the external hard disk into the printing house and then receive newly printed, "piping hot" magazines. I'll never forget the smell of the ink and paper. When I buy a book or magazine, I still smell pages before starting to read. (Yeah, I'm sick !) Since then, technology, tools, methods, devices, and the world have changed so much, but I still have the same design passion as I had 20 years ago.
What do I love most about design?
Generally speaking, I love design. I love creating my small world. Small, but mine. I also love book layouts because I love books! It was not by chance that I began designing book interiors as I'm a hopeless bookworm. You know, a worm needs a place to live within. Likewise, I need books to breathe. Don't underrate what typesetters do. Authors write books, and we get them ready for the parade! Nobody wants to see a beautiful model in an ugly dress.
My dream client?
Four characteristics of my dream client:
1) Responsive
2) Responsive
3) Responsive
4) Single-minded
What's essential to get the creative juices flowing?
I think an essential tool for a designer is reclusion. I am staying away from everything for a while. At least one hour a day. That helps me much. I feel lucky from this aspect. I have room to work at home, so it's easy for me to cut off from the outside world. Secondly, having tea also helps me come through the painful creative process. My indispensables to work: tea and internet :)
Any client success stories?
My clients are primarily authors and publishers. You know what? I read each manuscript before setting the layout, and I can say that some deserve to become bestsellers while others already did. I had clients who started to write unassumingly but then published their second, third, and even fourth books and received tremendous feedback from readers.
My best piece of advice for a designer?
1) Love design: Give up now if you don't feel happy while designing.
2) Be patient: Earth was created in six days. You'll need much more :)
3) Invest in yourself: Take advantage of every opportunity that gets you one step further.
4) Have your way: Keep in mind that your design will be your biz card.
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