Anar Baasanbat is a creative partner and unofficial visual identity navigator at Desember Design Studio, and her personal philosophy is that great design is a form of happiness that everyone deserves. “Through my work, I often meet clients who see design mainly as decoration or formality, and changing that perspective has become an important part of my philosophy,” Baasanbat says. “When design is done thoughtfully, it not only supports a business but also enriches people’s experiences and contributes to a more mindful and positive society.”

Baasanbat encourages up-and-coming designers to be patient with themselves and the journey, as the design world can be uncertain and not every project moves ahead smoothly. “Some clients will challenge you, some will doubt your ideas, and some will test your patience,” she says. “Each of those moments helps you grow and sharpen your perspective. Stay curious and keep learning. You get to do what you love, with creative freedom and open-mindedness that lets you explore new ideas and turn them into something tangible and beautiful. It’s a path that constantly teaches you to balance emotion, logic, and empathy, which makes it so rewarding.”

Bassanbat is from Mongolia but draws her core design inspiration from Melbourne, Australia, a city that she refers to as a living gallery. “It was in Melbourne that I learned the difference between something that’s simply beautiful and something that’s functional yet emotionally aesthetic,” Bassanbat says. “My experience shaped how I see design today, not just as decoration, but as an emotional and purposeful form of communication.”

For Bassanbat, the most important aspect of a design is the designer's compassion and drive to create from the heart. “I see design as similar to fine art because it carries emotion and feeling,” she says. “It’s not something that can be created purely from knowledge or logic. You need the willingness to explore different ideas, improve them, and refine them until they feel right.”