PeilinLi on Building Emotion-Driven Rebrands Through Visual Storytelling

I’ve known about the MUSE Creative Awards for a long time, and many past winners have been a big source of inspiration for me. Being able to receive a Gold Award is truly an honor. It feels like meaningful recognition of my work and gives me more confidence to express my ideas boldly.

Professionally, winning helps my work reach a wider audience within the industry and opens up more opportunities for people to see and appreciate what I create.

Both of my winning projects were rebrands, one for Amoeba Music and one inspired by the city of Hong Kong. Music and cities are two themes I’m personally very drawn to. I’ve always loved the nostalgia of vinyl records, and Hong Kong is the place that shaped my childhood, so both projects came from genuine affection rather than a purely academic brief.

That emotional connection guided many of my design decisions: I wanted to capture the spirit, energy, and stories behind each subject, not just redesign their visuals. In today’s industry, I feel this approach represents a shift toward more emotionally driven branding, where designers don’t just build identities, but create experiences rooted in culture, memory, and personal meaning.

I believe what set my project apart was the way I built the brand concept and made it resonate emotionally with the audience. Every design decision was anchored to that core concept, which helped create a strong and consistent connection with viewers.

At the same time, my background as an illustrator played an important role, I infused the branding system with illustrative visual language, giving it both the clarity and structure of graphic design and the storytelling and liveliness that illustration brings. This combination allowed the project to feel both strategic and expressive, helping it stand out in a competitive field.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was the early research phase. Rebranding requires a deep understanding of the brand itself and its audience, which meant I had to gather and analyze information from various sources, websites, articles, reports, and social media.

Synthesizing all of this into clear insights and then developing a concept that truly fit both the brand and its audience was a long and complex process. However, this research became the foundation for the entire project and ultimately made my design decisions stronger and more intentional.

I hope that winning this award will allow more people in the industry to discover my work and open the door to new collaborations. I’ve already noticed more interest in my projects, with more people reaching out, and I hope this momentum continues to bring new opportunities in the long run.

I often receive messages from people saying how much they love the posters I designed, and some even ask if there’s a way to purchase them. Those moments are always very meaningful to me. It’s an honor to see my work resonate with others, and knowing that some people want to collect my designs makes the recognition even more special.

I think mindset is incredibly important. Instead of chasing whatever design trends are popular at the moment, it’s far more valuable to focus on understanding the client and creating work that truly serves their needs and resonates with their audience.

When a project connects with people authentically, it naturally becomes stronger, and often, that emotional connection is what makes a piece award-worthy. In many cases, if your audience genuinely responds to and believes in your work, that recognition already puts you on the path to success.

I think constant change is a natural part of the creative industry. Creativity thrives on evolution, and that’s what allows new ideas, perspectives, and design approaches to emerge. In the future, I hope to continue advancing my practice across illustration, graphic design, and branding, strengthening my skills while staying aware of how the industry is shifting.

My goal is to stay adaptable, keep learning, and continue contributing meaningful work within this fast-moving creative landscape.

I think entering competitions is always worthwhile. If you win, it can boost your confidence and help your work reach a wider audience. If you don’t, you still gain something valuable, you get to compare your work with award-winning projects and understand where you can grow or improve. Either outcome helps you move forward as a designer.

That’s why I believe participating in awards is meaningful, especially for those who are just starting out.

I’d encourage everyone in the creative field to stay curious and keep experimenting. Our industry grows through shared ideas and support, so continue learning from each other, embracing new perspectives, and trusting your own voice. That’s how meaningful and impactful work is created.

Both of these projects were created entirely by myself, so this achievement is very personal to me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring my ideas to life and to see them recognized in this way.

A concept led rebrand that blends structured design with expressive illustration to create a clear, engaging, and emotionally resonant visual identity.

My plan moving forward is to take on more branding and graphic design projects where I can bring together my illustration skills and design practice, while also exploring more motion work. I’m excited to continue blending these disciplines and creating projects that feel even more dynamic and exciting.