Interview
Wayne Zhao
1 Congratulations on winning the MUSE Design Awards! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?
I’m Wayne Zhao from Shiseido China’s creative team. Our team supports Shiseido China with 2D and 3D creative work for the Chinese market. I find great joy in design—it never feels boring, no matter how many times I start again. That’s why I decided to pursue a career as a designer.
2 What does being recognized in the MUSE Design Awards mean to you?
Before I don’t pay attention too much to join design awards, I just enjoy my projects. This is my first time to try, and I feel that really be inspired that in somewhere some people like our design, and recognized our project, that really could bring us more energy to our future creative.
3 How has this achievement impacted your career, team, or agency, and what opportunities has it brought so far?
This time, we were lucky enough to win three awards. We shared the good news with our partners and agencies—it reminded everyone of the wonderful moments we’ve created, fought for, and celebrated together. It also strengthened the trust and friendship within our team and with our partners.
4 What's the most unusual source of inspiration you've ever drawn from for a project?
For this project, when we began studying Serge Lutens’ life, career, and design in depth, it truly inspired us to explore themes of light and dark, life and death. We wanted to bring that perspective into our design—it was an exciting experience to introduce such profound ideas into a commercial project, even though it wasn’t easy.
5 What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the design process?
Design is not just about creating drawings. A good designer should have the passion and determination to turn ideas into reality. Throughout the process, a designer’s mindset and communication continue to bring energy into the project, helping it overcome every challenge and ultimately come to life.
6 How do you navigate the balance between meeting client expectations and staying true to your ideas?
Client expectations are the starting point of every project. We respect them and strive to understand the deeper reasons behind them. We always aim to build clear and complete communication between expectations and design—because that’s what leads to great results.
7 What were the challenges you faced while working on your award-winning design, and how did you overcome them?
The most challenging part was building communication across four cities—Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Paris. We created a strong initial creative deck and film to build trust and demonstrate our capabilities, which helped guide the following steps in the right direction.
8 How do you recharge your creativity when you hit a creative block?
Keep passion in life, stay curious, and enjoy every moment—that’s what keeps me feeling fresh and full of new ideas.
9 What personal values or experiences do you infuse into your designs?
Stay real, stay respectful. I always remind myself to respect everything and everyone, as each brings new experiences and knowledge. It’s about telling true stories that customers can genuinely feel.
10 What is an advice that you would you give to aspiring designers aiming for success?
Keeping passion is the most important message I always share with my team and friends. Bringing a great design to life is never easy—and without passion, many people would give up along the way.
11 If you could collaborate with any designer, past or present, who would it be and why?
I hope to work with Surge Lutens, he has such unique life and mind, he is a real master , he bring perfect design to this world and to Shiseido.
12 What's one question you wish people would ask you about your work, and what's your answer?
I hope someone asks me, “What does good design look like?”—to me, it’s something that happens naturally, where everything feels comfortable and makes perfect sense; the shape, color, material, and angle all come together so seamlessly that it feels as if it’s always meant to be there, quietly touching people.
