Meet Christie Wu | Visual + Interactive Designer

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

Hi Christie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I aspire to live intentionally and passionately. Nevertheless, life can be full of suffering, and the world is harsh, unjust, and cruel as it is. I hope my work can bring joy and fun to people and remind us that we do not always have to take things so seriously. I find the creatives have the superpower to shine the light on the ideas, stories, facts, and issues that are unseen, mundane, ignored, forgotten, and dismissed. Regardless of the mediums, human creations constantly change our experiences through our mind, body, and spirituality. I want to help people perceive the world just a little differently through my design.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am obsessed with hype culture, emerging technology, and DESIGN! I love those controversial and laughable cultural events at the moment. I am interested in understanding the appeals of things we find cringy, despicable, and ridiculous. Because of confirmation bias and social media algorithms, we rarely see the “other sides” of things. However, I think it is worth investigating how we arrive here and what drives the fads.

I did my thesis on NFT because I was confused by the hype and skeptical about overpromises from the Web3 and crypto fanatics. Most importantly, the conversations about NFT are highly polarized just like other social issues we have been struggling with. Many are busy arguing over the environmental issues and sneering at those who trade jpegs of apes to get rich quickly. Yet, some find collecting NFTs exciting. And some people see the potential of Crypto and how NFTs have helped many artists capitalize on their creative labor. Any new tech can be both problematic and exciting, and it is critical to find a middle ground and have productive discussions with each other. I want to use playful design and my weird sense of humor to help people see the multifaceted and complex nature of the social, cultural, and technological hypes.

When I was still a young brat (still a young brat!) studying art and design in college, I felt the immense pressure to be original and deeply insecure about my craftsmanship in front of those who make extraordinary art/design work with ease. Nevertheless, the most beautiful thing in human civilization is that we are constantly building on top of the success of our predecessors to innovate and advance. I do not think anyone’s ideas or work are 100% original because we are all influenced and inspired by our network. The good news is every individual has unique senses of perception and understanding of the world, so no one can see what another person sees, feels, and experiences. If I follow my curiosity and have a point of view, I can create unique work that surprises, intrigues, and challenges people.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite thing about Los Angeles is the wildly diverse food culture. People are incredibly creative with fusion cuisine here, which has inspired me to design an AR parade that celebrates the tedious traffic and fusion cuisines in LA. In addition, everyone has different interests, hobbies, and lifestyles, but most people have a certain degree of appreciation for good food. For fusion cuisine, I will take them to Chifa at Eagle Rock for Taiwanese flavor Peruvian food or Little sister at DTLA for their euro-accented Asian dishes.

For my art lover friends, I will take them to Palm Springs Art Museum. The last time I visited, I was impressed by how thoughtfully curated the exhibitions were. The curator not only considered the spatial arrangement but how the artworks were on display in conversation with each other. If we go to Malibu for sunshine and the ocean, I will also show them the Getty Villa for its beautiful architecture and the eclectic selection of absurd artifacts. If my friend does not mind walking, it is worthwhile to do some gallery hopping in the art district and get Gorilla Tacos or Avenue 26 Tacostand for dinner.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I like to shout out to my graduate program Media Design Practices in ArtCenter. It is a very experimental design program and not everyone’s cup of tea. However, the education I received from the program has fundamentally changed my life. We learn to dissect artifacts through critical theories, art and design history, and Humanities, and establish our worldviews through design. It is a space that encourages you to be different and not make work that feels familiar or has already existed. You don’t need to follow design conventions. Instead, you create your design methodologies and pave your path to success. Most importantly, I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by exceptionally creative, talented, and intelligent colleagues. They inspire me every day with their work and observations of the world.

Website: https://christiewu.design/

Instagram: akababyspinach.ig

Image Credits
Kuan-Ya Wu