Designers are Makers of Unifying Designs

What is your personal mantra?

“Finalise it. Whatever the idea is, however small it is, always try to make a presentable milestone.”

What inspires you?

Problem situations inspire me. Like many people, I encounter problems daily- big or small. Many of them may already have existing solutions. But sometimes, I get lucky and encounter a problem with very few existing solutions. Even when a problem has a decent solution for it, I enjoy the interesting process of trying to understand its background and ideate my own version of it. 

Why do you do what you do?

I think any job with ‘designer’ in it can be associated with the nature of being ‘makers’. The key characteristic I believe makers share is that the biggest joy of being a maker is to have a chance to materialise a concept. It could be visualised as a sketch or a presentation. If the idea is solid enough, it could have a chance to be given a physical form. If the idea gets big enough momentum, it will bring in more minds and evolve itself. The fulfilment I gain from making things happen is something I can’t find doing anything else. 

What is the most important lesson you learned?

Designs have no boundaries. Anybody can have any idea. But crafting a solution is no easy feat and an art that not anybody can do. For that reason, there are always points to learn if that idea is in the market. 

What’s your advice for those passionate about pursuing a career in design?

Browse the world around you ‘a lot’.

What changes would you like to see in the design ecosystem?

I’d like to see more projects embrace design thinking in the early stage. Realising problems and fine-tuning details in earlier stages can make a big impact on human society. With empathy at the heart of design thinking, the design ecosystem will grow in multitudes.  

What does design mean to you?

A collaboration between understanding and balancing. 

What made you join dbcs circle?

I was trying to reach out to design groups in Singapore as a Korean/American designer. 

What do you think design can do to change the world?

Design thinking can bridge minds from different backgrounds. Nowadays, a customer group is getting bigger and products are produced in masses now more than ever. Design has the potential to bring the world together. 

Yuree Hwang is a Korean and American product designer living in Singapore and is a strong believer of the power of the story behind every product and brand.