From Thought to Touch: Minxuan Zhao Shares How She Turn Ideas Real

BY Sylvester May 12, 2025

Minxuan Zhao | French Design Awards

Minxuan Zhao

Minxuan Zhao is a designer who sees creation as a personal dialogue and a way to express inner thoughts, as well as making imagination tangible. Through each project, they strive to share a piece of themselves, hoping to be understood, even if only a little.

Because I love design, I love to put my thoughts into real life, and to see my imagination become a real thing that I can touch.

Actually, I just want to try my best to do something that I can find at that time to show people what I just do.

Honestly, I'm not too sure yet! But I would usually just do my best, wrap things up, and move on to the next thing. I try not to overthink it and just keep things rolling!

I am a thinker, creator, and sometimes also a builder.

For me, everything is normal because they are part of regular life. But, I know a lot of people can not see the imagery from the subconscious, but I can!

I hope my work helps people understand me a little better, even if it’s just in small ways. For me, design is a quiet kind of conversation—a way to connect when words don’t quite work.

That balance really depends on the client, it's not always something I can control. I do my part by presenting my ideas as clearly and thoughtfully as possible, but in the end, it’s their call.

I don’t usually think of things as difficult. But I do often find it difficult. The hard part is that when I insist on being myself, I hear a lot of people saying that it’s unrealistic, or that they think my ideas are too simple, or that they think I’m playing a game.

Take a rest and empty my mind.

I think this question can be answered in another way. That is, my work is a concentrated presentation of my personal preferences and experiences.

Trust your intuition.

Elon Musk, his Starship is one of the most wonderful products I can think of in the world, and has a lot of area that I can paint on.

I hope people ask me why I do something that doesn't seem to be very common. The answer is because I just follow my heart and be myself.