Interview With Fangyi (Yiyi) Yang From United States

This might sound cliché but since childhood, I've always loved coming up with unconventional ideas to create new things and also express my thoughts and feelings through artistic expression. As I grew older, I started to care much about what others are thinking and feeling. As a designer, I hope to leverage my creativity to foster communication and encourage positive change.

I'm currently a visual designer at Code and Theory, a digital-first agency that lives at the intersection of creativity and technology. As a strategically-driven company, we solve consumer and business problems with end-to-end solutions that flex to meet the needs of today’s ever-changing digital landscape.

"Creativity", to me, means to always be curious and observant. I believe if we have a genuine interest in our surroundings, creativity comes naturally.

A "creative" idea is original and imaginative. It doesn't have to be huge or ground-breaking, but smart and flexible.

I usually start with a mind map that helps me branch out related keywords and unlearn a subject. Then I'd conduct research, where I start forming my initial ideas. After synthesizing the information from the research, I like to make minimum viable prototypes to invite people to participate in the design process.

This will help challenge my assumptions, and better understand people’s behavior and need. Because at the end of the day, I’m designing for the people, and they often are the greatest source of inspiration.

My favorite part of the creative process is interacting with people who try out the work in the making process. I see all creative work as an ongoing journey. As long as someone is still using or thinking of the thing, it is always a work-in-progress with endless potential. It's very fulfilling to be immersed in the iterative process where you can see the users' reactions.

Collaborative, participatory and intentional.

Absolutely. Cultural influence has always been not only a part of my work but the root of my inspiration. Growing up in both the East and the West helps me perceive information from multiple perspectives and encourage me to approach things from an alternative angle.

Thank you! It's an honor to receive the MUSE award for my thesis project, Ceremony Planning. The creative journey of this project has brought me so much joy and let me encounter so many amazing people. I'm forever grateful and hope to continue on this journey.

Nowadays, as we invent more human-centered products, I believe it's important to take a step back and enter a state of reconnection to our life and nature. I hope to invite a broader audience to take a moment to think about the land which enables us to live and to remind ourselves to give back.