Interviews with Ginger Kong

With formal training in architecture, I dabble in all forms of art and design. I don't think there's a barrier in design. Design comes in many forms: 3D models, architecture, graphic design, product design, or a combination.

I love to create and coming up with new design solutions. Through the design process, I learn more about myself, my likes/dislikes, and what inspires me.

Becoming a designer was organic for me. I grew up in a creative setting and was always encouraged to think outside the box. My inquisitive mind led to a passion in design.

My focus is design solutions to everyday social problems. That can be a redesigned toothbrush to make brushing easier for disabled person or an inflatable shelter for a transient.

Design with empathy and passion. Understand who you're designing for and the process will take you to your design.

It's how far you've researched a solution to the design problem. A great designer may mean she delved more into the design process a little bit more and had a better understanding of the issue.

Feedback from the user will determine whether your intended design works. Seeing how your user interacts with the design speaks volume. When we're designing, we're not designing for ourselves. We're designing for a client or someone else.

I say it's always the next project. That's what keeps me sketching and designing.

You have to be passionate in what you do whether that's design or anything else. You have to enjoy the journey and trust your instincts.

Design provokes emotions and awakens inquisitive minds.

I have to thank my first clients... my family. They trusted the design expertise of an 6-year old to build a house made of sofa pillows.

I hope to continue my work addressing social design issues.

Design with empathy. That's also my advice to any up-and-coming designers.

Technology goes hand-in-hand with design. Take my recently awarded design, Angry Mailer flyer, as an example. I took an ordinary piece of paper and designed it into an interactive virtual reality viewer that requires the use of a phone. With this simple transformation as a vr viewer, the user can learn more about the flyer ad by watching a 360 video or explore the world from their couch. With technology, we're able to take design to heightened experience.

Depending on the design problem, I may express my thought process with 3D models, physical models, and sketches.

I think it's going to be like The Jetsons; flying cars, robots, instagrammable food in secs, and vacations on Mars. A girl can dream.

I grew up in a creative setting. At a very young age, I was inspired to build things in unconventional ways. I remember taking sofa pillows to make a playhouse and folding cardboard boxes into furniture pieces. With this thinking, I begin to look at the world differently and question the impossibilities.

My company, Miemode, LLC, is design studio specialized in app design and product development.

Design is taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. It also solves a problem.

I am interested in designing solution to everyday problems; social inventions. I think the best design are the minimalist solutions that makes life easier. That can be redesigned toothbrush for a disabled person or an inflatable home for a transient.

Whenever I'm in my design mode, I am excited and focused at the same time. I'm fascinated with the design process; researching and coming up with a practical product. I don't know where that process takes me or what product I'll come up with.

Seeing how the end users react to the design is important. Their feedback tells whether the design is successful.

I don't think there's such thing as good or bad design. Any design could be improved. It's a process of how far the designer delved into resolving the issue.

Design with empathy. When you understand your user, you'll be able to see your design come to life.

Good designer can orchestrate through organized chaos.

Depending on the project, I may express the design through 3D models, physical models, and sketches.

Feel free to contact us at www.miemode.com.