Ray: Hi Scarlett, thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview.
Scarlett: Hi.
Ray: What company do you work for now? What are your main design responsibilities?
Scarlett: I'm working at Benoy, a multinational architecture firm, doing interior design work, and we have an architectural design department and an interior design department, and we do design for large urban commercial spaces. Compared with Western countries, large commercial spaces in Asia are more luxuriously decorated and investors are more willing to spend money, so it has set up a design company in Shanghai to handle some business here.
Ray: You just mentioned the difference in interior design requirements between Asia and the US and Europe. I did notice that a lot of the shopping centers in the U.S. only have very simple décor.
Scarlett: I think it's mainly the size of the market, Asia is more populated, more densely populated, more traffic is guaranteed, so there's a little bit more investment. But the interior design of these spaces is not entirely in the hands of us designers, and capital can bring all kinds of restrictions.
Ray: Are there no cultural differences that contribute to this phenomenon?
Scarlett: I think the impact is minimal. If you have enough budget, you'll definitely spend more money on design, so it's ultimately a matter of money, haha. I think there is also a certain relationship with urban planning, like the big cities in the U.S. usually have only one downtown, but cities like Shanghai and Beijing will have several, and almost every downtown needs several large commercial areas, and these commercial areas must meet a lot of demand, so in Asia, such large commercial areas are built in the city, so the design requirements will be higher.
Ray: Do the developers who commission your design have any restrictions on you? Or do they give you the design work and then pick and choose from among the projects?
Scarlett: This should be a long discussion haha. Simply put they will have some ideas and then we will design according to the budget. This is a long discussion, so if we have time we'll go into more detail.
Ray: Oh oh okay, so I wanted to ask how do you learn and practice effectively in your field of design?
Scarlett: There are a few things, I guess. First of all, it's important to see more design work that is relevant to your field. I also study with senior designers and mentors within the firm, and they have us go around the various commercial areas of the city on a regular basis. Just like, if you're studying film, you should watch more movies, and if you're studying jewelry, you should go to jewelry stores more often. Once you have drawn some inspiration, set up a simple framework for your design or project, and keep filling in content and details based on this framework. Eventually, with constant revisions and iterations, we'll be able to come up with a finished product.
Ray: So, even when you're in the company, you're still learning.
Scarlett: Yes, it's a different way of learning, so to speak. Not only do you have to worry about the income in the company, but you also have to worry about whether you will lose competitiveness because you are not improving. I have thought about trying different fields, but the cost of that is that I may not be able to keep up with others in the interior design field.
Ray: Many designers want to show their design ideas, but when working in a design firm they have to respect the constraints and opinions of the team and make compromises, how do you balance this mentality?
Scarlett: When I first joined the company, I wanted to show my design ideas, but as I got more experience, I gradually lost that idea. "Showing up" is the mindset of many new designers, but not after you've been in the company for a while. You will understand this change of mentality after you have been exposed to the work.
Ray: I don't know if you've been to Taikoo Li Mall in Chengdu, it's a large complex that combines an ancient historic district with a modern commercial district, it's an interesting design concept, do you think it's going to be a future trend?
Scarlett: Yes I have been there. Taikoo Li is a very typical Neo-Asian style building complex. I think it preserves the local ancient architecture and religious areas very well, and it is very well integrated with the commercial area. When it comes to chasing design trends, many people see a certain design on a large scale and think that the future must be in that direction, but I don't entirely agree with that. I think there is a balance between the design styles that ordinary people love and the novel ideas that designers pursue. It's possible that at some point designers will go after another model and what people like will change again.
Ray: So can you talk a little more about the Neo-Asian style of architecture?
Scarlett: It is a kind of architecture that integrates Asian elements into the modern architecture system, symmetrically using the traditional mood and modern style, using modern design as a metaphor for regional traditions, focusing on the comfort of modern life while allowing the traditional Asian culture to be inherited and carried forward. The essence of the new Asian style is "Eastern culture, Western techniques". If you are interested, you can see the Suzhou Museum designed by I.M. Pei, whose design combines the traditional Suzhou architectural style and places the museum between courtyards to harmonize the building with its surroundings. He also used a glass roof to bring nature into the building, and the modern style collided with the Chinese garden style, enabling the emergence of a new Asian architecture such as the new Suzhou Museum.