Interview
Jing Wu
China
Jing Wu is a Creative Director and designer with experience in Shanghai, London, and Berlin. He fuses a worldwide perspective with local understanding to offer focused and solution-oriented creative resolutions.
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your creative background.
Jing Wu is a Creative Director and designer who has worked in Shanghai, London and Berlin, He combines both global outlook and local insight to provide single-minded and problem-solving creative solution. He has developed his career mostly in creative agencies such as DDB, Neo@Ogilvy, and TBWAMedia Arts Lab. Besides that Jing also creates self-initiated projects that involves art creation and illustration. Academically Jing studied MA Graphic Design at London College of Communication.
2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a creative?
I genuinely enjoy the process of creating stuffs - from doodling on a piece of paper to creating something tangible, surprising and something potentially makes a difference in life.
3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
For the day time job, I strive to create beautiful works for clients to communicate their products or service. After work, I try to create interesting projects to express myself as a creator.
4 What does “creativity” mean to you?
The ability to see the unusual out of the usuals and turn it from 0 to 10. Creativity requires more practice than talent.
5 To you, what makes a “creative” idea and/or design?
An idea is a simple and unexpected logic. It makes sense and works, but in an interesting or unexpected way.
6 Tell us about your creative and/or design process.
I spend 30% of the time to learn - know the limitation and boundary (something close to a brief), 30% of the time to find an idea that works. Then I spend the rest of the time to realize the idea and polish it to every possible detail.
7 What's your favorite part of the creative process and why?
My favorite part would be the moment when I see the first prototype or mockup, it is the verdict time that I know either this is a redo or something satisfying. It's full of surprises.
8 Describe your creative style and its main characteristics.
Always changing, Simple, Straight to the point, Playful
9 Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your creativity process?
I think so, I was born and raised in Shanghai which is a combination of fast developing metropolitan with traditional Chinese cultures. To me it is the cross point of China and overseas, the past and the present.
10 Congratulations! As the winner of the 2022 MUSE Creative Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
Winning a silver is a great beginning, hopefully I can go further in the future.
11 Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2022 MUSE Creative Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
Inspired by the 12 Zodiac Animals, this series reinterprets the animals as living creatures with free spirit and soul. The artworks discuss how the animals can break out of the conventional definition by human, and to adventure new paths in their own metaverse. This NFT collection has a unique style that combines free-hand sketch with algorithm-based digital graphics.
12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?
The biggest challenge would be how to re-imagine the animals with a modern and fresh twist, and to illustrate a universe that doesn't exist for the animals.
13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
I'm in the process of creating a book around the winning pieces, now I can credit the illustrations and the idea behind as award winning. It encourages me to go further.
14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?
Cool works, cool (also weird) people, and the purpose (that is to keep creating)
15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the creative industry?
China is a big and fast developing market which offers many opportunities for designers to practice and to progress.
16 Where do you see the evolution of creative industry going over the next 5-10 years?
Whenever media landscape changes, the creative industry changes too. We have experienced the journey from traditional media like print, outdoor and broadcasting to digital world to social media, now we are heading to Metaverse. We will see a big revolution on how creatives and designers learn and create. But there's something not changing - design will always serve around people's needs.
17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring MUSE Creative Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?
Keep open-minded and keep working.
18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the creative industry?
Use smart phone smartly, take photos of interesting stuffs or save from social media and websites. Take short online courses which are very convenient.
19 Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
I never wanted to work in creative/advertising agency
20 Who has inspired you in your life and why?
My dad, he's always working when I was a kid Elon Musk Jonathan Ive
21 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Keep open-minded and keep working.
22 Do you have anything else you would like to add to the interview?
Thanks for offering the Muse Silver Award to me.
