Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
For the last four years I have been living and working in
Hong Kong as the Chief Design Officer of Intuitive Automata, a healthcare
robotics startup. We are developing robots that help people manage their health,
focusing our efforts on conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and elderly care.
Our first coach, Autom™, will be out later this year. I'm also a part-time
lecturer in the School of Design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and an
active Airbnb host.
Who (or what) inspires you to do what you love?
The possibility of finding the ideal balance of visual
language, technology, cost and impact in a design (be it a product, service,
environment, or process) keeps me curious and motivated. It is extremely
inspiring to see successful results of that pursuit.
Where do you get your inspiration from when you design?
First and foremost I gather inspiration from users. While
they might not be able to articulate what they need and want, they can give you
so many useful clues through interaction and observation.
Hello my name is Autom™
What are the five words that people who know you would use
to describe you?
When surveyed, creative, upbeat, optimistic, fun, and
caring were some of the words my friends used to describe me.
Tell us about your very first job and what path have you
taken since then?
My first industrial design job was in athletic and
technical shoes, which taught me the importance of understanding manufacturing
techniques and being precise. I gradually transitioned into the world of
fashion, where I learned why a design needs to jump off the shelf and connect
emotionally with a customer. Handling product development from concept to
production over the years gave me an appreciation for process and introduced me
to Asia. The opportunity to design Autom™ allowed me to apply these skills to a
completely different industry, gain an understanding of user research and help
build a company from scratch. As a part time lecturer, I now share what I've
learned about the value of design research and how it can impact all aspects of
a business.
Describe a typical day in at work?
There is really no such thing. In our company, like most
startups, we wear many hats and things are constantly changing. Today I am
charged with keeping our social media up to date. Last week I lead the creation
of a marketing video. Before that I visited an electronics manufacturer across
the border in Shenzhen. While most activities involve me glued to my laptop for
long hours, the work itself varies a great deal.
As a Designer, what is your biggest frustration?
As a creative problem solver, one of my biggest
frustrations is hearing the words can't, never, and won't. Those words don't
foster a sense of collaboration and can derail the product development process.
Tell us about how you prioritise your work.
At a startup, it's always hard to balance the
"important but not urgent" with the "urgent but not
important" to ensure that you allocate enough time for the former and
don't spend too much time on the latter. I find that being organized and clear
about goals helps to put these issues into perspective. We put together a list
of design priorities for projects both big and small and make sure everyone is
clear about which details are most important to the success of the design.
Can you please tell us about how do you connect with other
designers, and your customers (i.e. how do you network)?
For me, interacting with other designers is extremely
important to keep my design skills sharpened, share best practices and learn
about the latest trends. Luckily, Hong Kong is an extremely social city and it
is easy to connect with other creative professionals locally. I try to support
as many design conferences, workshops and events that are hosted here and stay
active within the university community. In order to stay connected with my
peers throughout the world, I use various forms of social media. It's hard to
imagine life without it!
What advice can you offer other creative people who are just
starting out and following their passions?
While I feel like I'm constantly learning and by no means
an expert, I would say that any creative professional needs to understand their
value and learn how to articulate their value to others effectively.
What is your proudest moment so far?
This is a tough one. One of my proudest moments recently
was when our company won Technopreneur of the Year at the Wall Street Journal
Asian Innovation Awards in October 2010. It was very gratifying to be
recognized for the hard work we had put in to build the company and Autom™.
Who do you most want to meet and why?
My father passed away when I was almost 7 years old and it
would be fascinating to have a conversation with him now as an adult.
What is the most important lesson in life that you have
learned?
It's important to trust your gut. Only you know what is
truly best for you.
What book are you reading right now, and do you have a book
you would like to recommend?
Right now I am reading "Exploring Happiness: From
Aristotle to Brain Science" but Sissela Bok. She does a fantastic job of
sharing a wide range of opinions and theories on the topic in a very
approachable way.
Where do we find you and your creative services?
You can find videos and additional information about
Autom™ and Intuitive Automata at:
myautom.com
You can find me at:
