Interview with Hu Li from China

A?SCHER
ÄSCHER by Eric von Schulthess
October 8, 2024
My Genie
My Genie by Dreamaker Wedding Planning Co., Ltd
October 8, 2024

Hu Li

Hu Li, the founder of Jiangsu Balance Art Design Company, emphasizes the integration of design with floor-to-ceiling effects. She is dedicated to understanding clients' needs and continuously strives to create distinctive and functional spaces in her interior design work.

1Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your design background.

Hello, I am Hu Li, the founder of Jiangsu Balance Art Design Company. Emphasizing the combination of design and floor-to-ceiling effect, listening to clients' needs and creating unique and practical spaces are the goals I am constantly pursuing in the field of interior design.

I believe that only by truly standing in the customer's point of view and listening to their voices with all my heart can I create a design that meets functional needs and is full of emotional resonance.

2What made you become/why did you choose to become a designer/artist?
Becoming a designer is a calling and a pursuit deep within me. It allows me to unleash creativity, pursue beauty, solve problems, convey emotions and stories, achieve personal growth and contribute to society. Together, these factors form the motivation and conviction that led me to choose this path.
3Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.

Jiangsu Balance Art Design Company, an interior design brand with balance as its driving force, constantly seeks the integration and dialogue between “people” and “space”, and carries out tailor-made customization and planning, so as to achieve rational arrangement and utilization.

Focusing on hotels, restaurants, sales offices, showrooms, offices, education, high-end villas and other spaces, we provide professional design and customization services. We pursue the perfect combination of design and landing.

4What does “design” mean to you?
Design means solving problems and expressing emotions. Through elements such as color, shape, line, and material, we create aesthetically pleasing and functional pieces.
5What’s your favorite kind of design and why?
My favorite designs are those that balance functionality, aesthetics and innovation. They bring new experiences and value to users through their unique design language and creative inspiration, while also pushing the design field to continue to evolve and progress.
6To you, what makes a “good” design?
Good design has a unique power to skillfully balance complex relationships while evoking emotional resonance, inspiring creativity, and increasing interaction and depth of perception.
7Describe your design style and its main characteristics.
Emphasizing the local design style, on the basis of in-depth understanding and respect for local culture, we are brave to innovate and dare to break through the traditional constraints, and create design works with regional characteristics that are also in line with modern aesthetics and functional needs.
8Tell us about your design process.
The design process is a carefully planned, highly collaborative and results-oriented process that ensures a high degree of consistency between design and delivery, while listening closely to the client's needs and pursuing innovation.
9Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?

My country and its cultural heritage have had a profound impact on my design process. They have not only provided me with design inspiration and heritage, but also cultivated my cultural sensitivity and international vision.

On the road of design in the future, I will continue to excavate and pass on these valuable cultural heritages, and work hard to design works with more cultural connotations and national characteristics.

10Congratulations! As the winner of the 2024 MUSE Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?

Thank you very much! Being the winner of the 2024 MUSE Design Awards is of great significance to us as individuals, as a company and as a team.

We will take this opportunity to continue to uphold the values of “Innovation, Excellence and Responsibility”, to pursue excellence in design quality and service quality, to create more design works with cultural connotations and national characteristics for our clients, and to contribute to the development of the design industry.

11Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2024 MUSE Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?

Feast at the Fisherman's House, located in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, China, was designed with “water” as the main theme, skillfully blending Yulin's history and culture, natural landscape and modern design elements to create a comfortable, artistic and spiritual dining space. In the planning of the space, the streamline design outlines the dynamics of water, perfectly combining the dining area with water elements.

The design of the private rooms draws inspiration from the rich history, culture and natural landscape of Yulin, Shaanxi, China. By extracting the elements of traditional art and culture and using the modern design techniques of deconstruction and reorganization and creative evolution, the restaurant interprets tradition from a novel perspective, creating a unique and comfortable dining environment.

At Feast at the Fisherman's House, you can savor Yulin's cuisine, feel the beauty of the water, explore the secret world of colors, appreciate the historical and cultural heritage, and experience a journey of discovery for both the taste buds and the soul.

12What was the biggest challenge with this project?
The Feast at the Fisherman's House project faced challenges in terms of off-site construction and management, and many difficulties were tackled at the construction site in order to achieve a perfect project.
13How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
Winning the MUSE Design Awards is an important milestone in my career and an important opportunity for personal and team growth and development. It not only brings honor and recognition, but also injects strong motivation and confidence in the company's future development. We look forward to continuing to shine and create more impressive achievements in the future!
14What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?
Craftsmanship, challenging and creativity.
15What makes your country specifically, unique in the design industry?

The reasons for my country China's uniqueness in the design industry are manifold including deep cultural heritage and inheritance, strong innovation and technological strength, diversified design styles and fields, the impetus of market demand and consumption upgrading, as well as policy support and a favorable environment for the development of the industry.

These factors work together to make China's design industry show its unique charm and strength on the international stage.

16Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years, the development direction of the design industry will show trends of diversification, intelligence, greening, internationalization and personalization. These trends will profoundly affect all aspects of the design industry, from design concepts, technical means to market applications.
17If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring MUSE Design Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?
The path to entering the design industry or pursuing a MUSE Design Awards is full of challenges and opportunities. The only way to succeed is to keep learning, practicing, innovating and working hard. I hope the above advice will help and inspire you.
18What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the design industry?
Improving skills in the design industry requires continuous learning, practicing and communication. You can constantly broaden your horizons and knowledge and improve your design level and professionalism.
19Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
Strong faith is the key to discovering the beauty of design. Only with the love and persistence of design, the courage to innovate and practice, and the attitude of keeping an open mind and continuous learning, can we go farther and farther and more wonderful on the road of design.
20Who has inspired you in your life and why?
Good discovery and the cultivation of art is an important source of inspiration and innovation for designers in the creative process.
21What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?

The key to success lies in continuous learning, expanding one's horizons, clarifying one's goals, and innovating constantly.

Words of advice: Curiosity is the driving force of innovation, and an open mind is the ladder of growth.

Winning Entry

Feast at the Fisherman's House | 2024

MDA-hu-li-feast-at-the-fisherman’s-house

Hu Li

Hu Li, the founder of Jiangsu Balance Art Design Company, emphasizes the integration of design with floor-to-ceiling effects. She is dedicated to understanding clients' needs and continuously strives to create distinctive and functional spaces in her interior design work.


Read more about this interview with Yue Liang, Anqi Wang, Ruijing Sun and Hao Zhou from the United States, the Silver Winners of the 2024 MUSE Design Awards.

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