Huang Dian: Transforming Design into Emotional Experience at Ant Group

I think this may be related to my father, who loves Chinese calligraphy and poetry. His works have been included in the Chinese Calligraphy Yearbook multiple times. His passion for writing fueled my interest in typography and graphics.

This greatly influenced my decision to pursue a career in design. Design is another form of emotional expression for me, allowing me to translate the creativity in my mind into reality. This creative process brings me immense satisfaction.

I am currently employed at Ant Group, a company focused on technological innovation. My work mainly involves handling the visual presentation of the company's core sub-brands in the market, including project conceptualisation, design execution, and post-production optimisation.

The projects involve various forms of creative expression, including but not limited to brand design, graphic poster design, packaging design, 3D video design, and offline exhibition design.

For me, "design" is a way to express oneself, solve problems, and create value. It is not just about aesthetic appearances but also about deeply understanding user needs. Through innovative thinking and exquisite craftsmanship, design should create works that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

To be honest, I don't have a specific favorite style. I lean towards creating designs that strike the viewer at first glance or evoke thought-provoking concepts.

For me, a "good" design must first meet user needs, and possess good functionality, and usability. Secondly, it should have unique creativity and aesthetic value that can resonate emotionally with people. Lastly, it should consider sustainability and a sense of social responsibility.

The inspiration for this project comes from the spirit of e-sports. There are no games that can be won easily, only hard practice day after day. We have redesigned the characters of the five team members, namely giraffe, rabbit, guinea pig, snake, and fox.

While the cabin appearance is from headsets, which is the key product. The dark training room and corridor symbolise the tedious training while rushing through the tunnel towards the notion of accumulating strength through hard work and eventually achieving the dream.

Definitely. This design was initiated based on the background that China is in the midst of an e-sports boom. I believe that especially in communication design, it is even more necessary to adapt to the backgrounds of different countries and times in order to truly achieve communicability.

Winning the London Design Award is a tremendous recognition and encouragement for me, my company, and my team. It not only validates our professional capabilities and creative level but also provides a broader platform and more opportunities for our future development.

During the design process, the main challenges included balancing creativity with meeting diverse client needs and coping with tight time pressures. I overcame these challenges through continuous communication and collaboration, in-depth market research, and efficient time management.

Winning this award will drive me to strive for excellence and innovation in my future designs, continuously challenging myself to enhance the quality and impact of my designs.

My top three favorite things about the design industry are the constantly emerging innovative thinking, the ability to positively impact people's lives, and collaborating and exchanging ideas with professionals from different fields.

I believe that in the next 5-10 years, the development of the design industry will focus more on intelligence, personalisation, and sustainability. Design will deeply integrate with technology to meet the increasingly diverse and personalised needs of people, while also paying more attention to environmental protection and the rational use of resources.

My advice is to continuously learn and accumulate, improve your professional skills and knowledge base, maintain keen observation and innovative thinking, draw inspiration from life, be willing to experiment and breakthrough, and not fear failure.

Professional design books and magazines, design forums, as well as attending industry exhibitions and seminars. Additionally, stay curious, explore, and learn about the latest technologies and software to keep your design aesthetics and capabilities at the forefront.

In my life, my former boss, Haoxi, has been an inspiration to me. He not only guided me professionally but also taught me how to maintain passion and dedication towards design.

Design is an art without boundaries, and I will continue to explore and move forward in this field.