Author: Rae

In the third chapter of our Storefront Chats designer interview series, we spoke with the designer behind WEI!—a tableware series that transforms taste into tangible form. In this conversation, we explore the design behind the soup jar, where flavour notes like sweetness, saltiness, and spice take shape.

Rooted in thoughtful dialogue with chefs and TCM practitioners, WEI! offers a sensorial bridge between culinary heritage and contemporary design. Read on as we delve into the creative instincts, collaborations, and cultural reflections that bring WEI! to life.

1. Can you walk us through your typical design process, from initial concept to final product?

“The idea came to me through observing my environment or things that were interesting to me.”

In design there are different kinds of projects – ones that are more exploratory in nature and others which are problem-specific from the beginning. 

For WEI!, and many previous projects I’ve taken on in the past, it was more exploratory in nature. When I first started WEI!, it was for my thesis project. The idea came to me through observing my environment or things that were interesting to me. 

Then,  I was fascinated by how there are many traditions that hold deep meanings in Chinese culture, e.g. *“Jia Cai” that we still practice today. It was interesting to me to zoom in and look into these intricate gestures that are apart of this culture. 

At the very start, I looked into eating traditions before conducting deeper research into a specific aspect of Chinese food culture that I was interested in. Eventually, I decided to explore Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which talks about a balanced diet based on the 5 flavour profiles under TCM which encourages individuals to eat diverse flavours for good health. 

The entire design process was much longer than a typical design project because I had to scope this project down further. This involved doing user research and talking to experts in the field e.g. TCM practitioners to find out their perspectives on this tradition before locking down on my final direction which was how I could bring this tradition, that was somewhat intangible, to take on a more physical and embodied form. 

*Jia Cai – (加菜) literally means “add dishes” but culturally, it is often an expression of hospitality, abundance, and celebration. 

2. What were some insights you gained from the conversations with TCM practitioners?

“…I don’t take exactly what they tell me…It’s a balance between the technical side…and the user’s point of view…”

The biggest takeaway I got from talking to them was that if I were to go super deep into this tradition, it could get extremely complex because it could go into the area of medicine which was quite tricky to deal with especially since TCM could be seen as a form of pseudoscience. 

When I talk to them, I tend to get overloaded with information but I realised that I have to change my perspective a little. I don’t take exactly what they tell me and convey all this information at once in my design. It’s a balance between the technical side of information I hear from them and the user’s point of view to figure out what would be a more appropriate direction for this project.

3. You mentioned conducting user research, how was that experience for you? 

“ …sweet flavours are generally associated with rounder curves compared with salty or spicy taste which is linked to having more edges”

There were many different rounds of user research conducted. One of the rounds was finding out about how older generations view this tradition. Another was talking to the general public to understand their perspectives about this tradition. Eventually, when I scoped down a specific area of materializing flavours into a physical form to incorporate into the tableware design, there was yet another round of user research where I made little booklets for people to draw down their perception of each flavour. During that round, I identified a trend which was what guided the eventual form and generative design that we now see on the tableware. 

For example, sweet flavours are generally associated with rounder curves compared with salty or spicy taste which is linked to having more edges. Perhaps the difference between the salty or spicy taste is influenced by people’s contextual understanding of it e.g. the salty sharpness is smaller than the sharpness of the spicy flavour. 

4. How has your personal experience or background shaped the way you approach design? 

“There wasn’t a job role that fully encapsulated what I was interested in.”

When I was young, I liked watching reality  and variety shows. It was a recent self-discovery of mine that I liked watching those shows because, I enjoyed understanding human behaviour and figuring out what people act the way they do. 

Upon graduating from design school, like most graduates, I felt very lost. I only knew I was interested in design storytelling. I did not know what exactly I wanted to pursue  in design, whether it was to focus on fully physical or digital products. There wasn’t a job role that fully encapsulated what I was interested in. When I first started working, I worked on more physical products like WEI!. This was approximately a year after I graduated. After which, I joined a design studio consultancy which focused on product styling projects. However, through those explorations, I find myself being more  passionate about experiences or the psychological aspect of design which I felt I didn’t manage to pursue.

Eventually, I went into UI/UX , at the same time, I was actually also considering going into branding which met that emotive psychological aspect I was looking for. When I went into UI/UX, it really did meet what I was interested in. For e.g. in an ecommerce setting when trying to figure out why the “add to cart” button works better on this page vs on another page. Thinking about why certain things work better than others and the psychology behind it was really interesting for me. 

As for branding, I felt I could always pursue branding and storytelling as a side hustle rather than as a main job.

5. Have you ever had a difficult piece you struggled with significantly? And what were the main takeaways you had from overcoming it? 

“As with these kinds of sensitive and taboo topics … is where design storytelling and its poetics can really shine.”

During my student days, I was actually working on a project about death. The project brief was on shadows which are often overlooked. The project involved incorporating shadows into design and how death might look like. For me, I was playing around with the shadows produced by a candle because I was looking at the ritual of lighting a candle in memory of the deceased, which was where the topic of death came in. 

As with these kinds of sensitive and taboo topics, the way you approach it requires a lot more care. I personally think that in this kind of context is where design storytelling and its poetics can really shine. 

How do you see your work evolving? 

“…Just by looking at a product’s material or even its form, you can kind of tell what era it came from…”

Previously, I was mentioning about design storytelling and how as a designer, I was really interested in that. Just by looking at a product’s material or even its form, you can kind of tell what era it came from and that is something interesting to me because we can always use them as cues when designing to weave a story into a product. 

Particularly for UI/UX, the digital space is relatively new. 10 years ago, the digital space looked very different from what it looks like now e.g. Previously, sites incorporated a lot more drop shadows into drop downs or checkboxes whereas many current site designs go for clean and minimal UI. 

We don’t have that much history or context that we can use to tell that story. It would be interesting to explore how design storytelling can be used in the digital space but it might also require some time to develop the richness of that history. 

6. What is one advice you would like to give to aspiring designers?

“I felt that there were other key design books that I could have better spent my time reading….”

I would say to be shameless and bold. When I was young, my passion for design was very self-directed. I would go to the library and just randomly pick design books to read. Looking back now, I wouldn’t say those books were very useful. I felt that there were other key design books that I could have better spent my time reading which would have actually impacted my designs today. 

Furthermore, back then, I didn’t proactively seek for mentors or mentorship which many platforms now provide e.g. ADPList in Singapore. There are many resources out there and it’s to be unafraid even though you are a student. Maybe you have not made a name for yourself yet but to just be shameless and bold in seeking out mentorship and opportunities to get to where you want to be. 

Sheryl is currently working as a UI/UX Designer working within a government agency. WEI is available for purchase through Greydient Store.

In the second installment of Storefront Chats designer interview series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Zi Ning, the creative mind behind the book – SHINE. This conversation offers a glimpse into her artistic journey, exploring the inspirations, challenges, and the vision that shape her designs. Read on to uncover the creative process and stories behind her work, bringing you closer to her artistry.

1. What first sparked your interest in having books as your medium of focus for Shine?

“[It] was something that I never expected because I didn’t really like to read books when I was young.”

It’s the first time that my end-product was a book, which was something that I never expected because I didn’t really like to read books when I was young. However, as the nature of the project went along, I felt that a book was the best medium to represent the idea.

The brief was to think about a product starting from a shadow. Shadows are like *Wayang Kulit in which you can tell a story even though there are no colours and I thought that was pretty interesting

*Wanyang Kulit – a traditional form of puppetry performance in Southeast Asia

2. What kind of products do you find yourself creating? Is there a specific theme around the things you design? 

“…there should be very clear intentions behind why the product is the way it is”

Usually I have no idea where I’m going, as with every other design project. Sometimes the final outcome can be very clear e.g. if it’s a screen or a poster. However, there should be very clear intentions behind why the product is the way it is, be it through user interviews or explorations before settling on the most suitable medium for it. 

3. What does creativity mean to you? How do you maintain your creative energy?

“I think creativity to me is being able to make people feel surprised or curious.” 

I think creativity to me is being able to make people feel surprised or curious. A good mix of being by myself and with others. One where I can have some space and silence but also to talk to people like my colleagues or my family. Everyone is from different backgrounds and that in itself is very interesting to me. 

4. Can you walk us through your typical design process, from initial concept to final product for Shine? 

“How do you make something so abstract become tangible?” 

Shine started from a semester-long Y3 studio project. The brief was to think about a product shadow and work backwards – How do you make something so abstract tangible? 

I first went through massive amounts of research and learning from my peers research on what shadows are and the opposite of shadows, light. 

The next part was to do analysis of finding the right medium and intention to make these shadows come alive. When I eventually decided that the best way to represent the idea was through a book, there were several parallels that I had to run on. 

The first was to figure out what the story should be about. If we google children’s books, there are many different ways of telling the story. It could be by using analogies or from a first person point of view and thinking through was the most applicable way to tell the story. 

The next was to think about the content of the story – the messages and lessons that would be great to share with the young ones who are afraid of the dark. 

The third would be what kind of shadow effect would be the best – playing with transparency, indents on paper. There are so many permutations and combinations and thinking about the pairings which would serve the story the best. 

5. Was there an area you found yourself gaining a lot of inspiration from Shine?

“…speak[ing] to parents and children to find out what they thought of the book.”

The inspiration came from conversing with people. Back when I was still in Y3, I didn’t manage to get a lot of feedback from parents or children. It was only after graduation where there were more opportunities to speak to parents and children to find out what they thought of the book. Learning from the actual users and continuing to look up existing stories and words that resonate with people. Then, I managed to make the necessary edits before the mass production. 

I would sometimes go down to the library to read children books and see how other people do it. The books that tend to catch my attention are often not the most colourful or detailed in graphics but are ones which are simple to understand. If we provide a lot of details, parents will be able to understand and read into the graphics. However, when we use simple details, it is also up to the parents’ imagination to convey what they are reading to their children.

6. What was the biggest lesson you learnt in your journey as a designer? 

“…there are a lot in between and it is how we make use of the experience.”

Wah, a lot of lessons. The biggest lesson is in life, a lot of things are not in black and white. I tend to see things as either good or bad but there are a lot in between and it is how we make use of the experience. When I think about situations where I didn’t manage to get a project or as a visual communications designer, when the print didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to. It is not necessarily a bad or good thing but to treat it as a learning experience because things will not always turn out the way we want them to.

7. How do you see your work evolving in the future? Is there anything you see yourself exploring? 

“Perhaps it could be a collaboration with a chef…”

I’m looking forward to seeing how ideas can be represented in different ways. I usually work with softwares such as Figma, Adobe or on paper. I’m thinking what are the other exciting ways to present ideas to others, to the team, to the clients, to the world. 

Perhaps it could be a collaboration with a chef instead of just showing merely graphics, we could cook something together. I’m throwing out some random ideas. 

8. What is one advice you would like to give to aspiring designers?

My advice is to create your own advice. What might guide me now might not do so in the future. I hope for myself and others to be able to hold on to pieces of advice tightly at that moment but to be prepared to let them go as you progress.  

Zi Ning is currently a Visual Communications Designer at Studio Dojo – a creative design firm where she works on translating ideas onto the screen or onto paper.  The SHINE book is available for purchase through Greydient Store.

In this edition of Storefront Chats, Greydient Store shifts its focus to the next generation of designers shaping the industry’s future. We spoke with local art and design undergraduates to gain insight into their views on the local design landscape – the changes underway, the challenges they encounter, and their aspirations for the industry.

Disclaimer : Student interviews were conducted in December 2024, prior to the announcement of Singapore’s Budget 2025 Culture Pass. Any views or opinions expressed have no affiliation with the recent Budget 2025 announcement. 

1. Are you hopeful for the local art and design industry?

“Yes, it’s a growing industry and people are starting to recognise the need for good design.”

There was a sense of optimistic hope amongst the students about our local arts and design scene. Their reasons often detail the increasing spotlight given to the design scene as government and institutional efforts are pushing art to the forefront of our current landscape. Exhibitions like Singapore Art Week (SAW) and other design events are playing key roles in providing emerging artists with platforms to not only showcase their works but educate the public and aspiring artists on the importance of design in our everyday lives.

2. How do you feel about Arts and Design as a Career Path?

“It’s quite fascinating and exciting.”

“It’s definitely a bit scary because there’s not really a set pathway …this journey is very personal…” 

Choosing a career in arts and design can be an exciting yet uncertain journey for many. While some are fully committed to pursuing their passion in an artistic career, others acknowledge the inherent unpredictability of creative careers in aspects such as career progression compared to other industries.

3. Based on your understanding of the global arts and design scene, which country do you think has a more creative scene than Singapore?

“ They have less restrictions and…pressure … I really do think they have the space to grow, develop and explore more as an artist.”

When comparing Singapore to other global design hubs, Thailand was mentioned multiple times with reasons being that there are less restrictions for people to express themselves through their art and less emphasis on academia as a means to success. Other countries include Korea, Japan, China and the Scandinavian countries. 

4. What do you think is needed for Singapore creatives to thrive? 

“Spaces dedicated to art … [there is]a need for physical spaces where we can interact with the work.”

The lack of dedicated art spaces was an evident barrier to creativity, emphasizing the importance of physical environments where artists can interact with their work and the community. Beyond infrastructure, there is a call for a shift in societal attitudes toward arts and design.

“Maybe a change in society’s mindset. We all know during COVID, they regarded artists and designers as non-essentials, if they could reframe their mindset, that could be a good step.“

A long-standing stigma surrounding creative careers continues to limit artistic exploration, compounded by the structured and results-driven nature of Singapore’s education system. Reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic reveal lingering perceptions of art and design as “non-essential,” underscoring the need for a broader cultural reframe—one that values creativity not just as an aesthetic pursuit, but as an integral part of society’s progress.

Despite the challenges, these young artists are excited for the future, but they also know the road ahead is uncertain. Instead of seeing challenges as setbacks, they see them as opportunities to grow. Their drive to push boundaries and belief that Singapore has room to evolve is what inspires us to keep moving forward too.