We had the good fortune of connecting with Haoda Ma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Haoda, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I had a big reason and a small reason. The big reason was that I’ve always wanted to create more fun in the world. And the path to create more fun in the world for me was to design and create objects that bring people together. The small reason was that I wanted to design furniture and objects for my cats, and I stumbled across furniture design. The rest is history.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I got into this industry because I wanted to do something I thought was fun. And that’s what I am still trying to achieve: to create more FUN in the world.

FUN can take many forms:

it could be bringing people closer together to have more interactions;

it could be having a toddler climb onto a big soft chair;

it could be having people see a sky full of stars through a light fixture…

I am most proud of my creations when I see people gather, laugh, talk, and have fun by using my designs as the medium.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m still new to the city of LA, but if I had to choose a place to take my friend to, it would the grand central market and then the angels flight. That’s the place where I got to take a glance at what LA is and feel the culture around me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many people that I want to give shourouts to. This time I will give shoutout to my girlfriend Min. Through the ups and downs, she has always kept me grounded. It is easy to get a little tense in life, her light hearted spirit is exactly what I need to level out the stress.

Website: https://www.haodadesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haodama_design/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.