Jang Won Lee: Love What You and Create Wonderful Design
Graphic Designer
by Elizabeth Lavis
|29 Apr 2024
Whimsical Studio’s Solopreneur and Graphic Designer Jang Won Lee, injects fun and creativity into each of his designs, creating masterful and memorable brands. His top advice for aspiring designers is to love what you do, and the rest will follow. “You will become a wonderful designer if you love designing something for yourself and others,” Lee says.
Lee is South Korean but got his graphic design degree at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The city’s diversity inspired him to expand his horizons and think outside the paint box. “I always try to find a style that perfectly fits my client rather than pursue something specific,” Lee says. “I can keep extending my boundaries and style by doing so.”
Lee’s design process is heavily transparent and conversational and starts with a deep dive into the client’s objectives. “I communicate with my clients and think deeply about what they want,” he says. “Doing this is at the very beginning of my design process. Once I have some solutions that might make my client happy, I create visualized concepts to share with the client. Based on this communication and collaboration, I keep developing the design.”
This back-and-forth early in the process does more than just help Lee hone in on precisely what the client ones; it’s instrumental in establishing rapport. “Communication is the best way to make sure that clients and I stay on the same page and help us both feel comfortable.”
"Jisoo Ban : Personal Brand Identity Design", Jang Won Lee
He also believes that strategy and creativity should always work in tandem. “They should never fight against each other,” Lee says.’ Whenever I design something, I always find the best strategy to fit my creativity perfectly.” Ultimately, there is one thing that dictates whether or not a design is effective. “Functionality is the most important part of a design,” Lee says.
While Lee places a lot of emphasis on establishing rapport and clear communication with clients, occasional harsh criticism and dissatisfaction are simply part of the job. Fortunately, the process of presenting visualized concepts allows Lee to address criticism early. “I always show my client each visualized concept,” Lee says. “I do this so my clients can explain what they want more clearly. I believe visualizing my clients’ requests can make them more satisfied.”
Lee keeps his creative juices flowing by streaming a playlist of his favorite tunes. “The music helps me focus entirely on design projects,” he says. He also keeps his personal philosophy and design objective in mind. “I want to create a design that makes both my client and I flutter,” he says.
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