Meet Ellis Zhixuan Yu | Multidisciplinary Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ellis Zhixuan Yu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ellis Zhixuan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As a designer, risk-taking is part of our daily job as we keep pushing the limit of the visual language we use and the creative process we undertake. We are exposed to different media, tools, and trends every day, and within those, there are unlimited potentials for us to find our new voice.

I believe that not being afraid of getting outside my comfort zone is an essential part of growth, not just in school but also in my career path. I allow myself to take on new challenges, whether it is with a technology that I’m not familiar with or a project I have never researched deeply into.

It is not just about having the courage to take risks, but also creating the mindset of how we respond with detailed plans and strategic solutions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am Ellis Zhixuan Yu, a multidisciplinary graphic designer with an emphasis on brand identity development. My work is rooted in in-depth research and combines dynamic visual language with transmedia storytelling. I love exploring the vast systems of design, ranging from typography and brand development to intricate visual system mapping.

I was trained in classical painting before finding my passion in graphic design. As a designer, I strive to curate designs that are intentional and effective, with flexible design systems and art directions. At the same time, the habit of constantly observing as I paint is still proudly implemented in my creative process. I develop my work by reading, researching, and exploring new ideas, from finding snippets of information to a new visual system.

Driven by a deep curiosity for cross-cultural interconnections, I am deeply engaged in finding a new way to create meaningful conversations between Eastern and Western cultures. My MFA thesis at ArtCenter College of Design focuses on the ongoing stereotypes in Chinese-Latin typography. While ethnic typeface has a deep influence on our minds, I aim to provide new ways for designers to rethink the process when it comes to typography design that carries cultural connotations.

As someone that was raised in the Eastern mindset but set up her career path in the Western world, I found myself constantly challenging my own presumption of the world. This has also creates new opportunities for me to grow, not just in the design work that I create, but also in the mindset of never stopping learning.

With the aim of making design meaningful at every cultural level, I am intrigued by creating work that provokes and challenges viewers in profound ways.

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.
LA is the city of entertainment, but there are some amazing spots that designers and art lovers wouldn’t want to miss. LACMA (Los Angeles Country Museum of Art) and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures are both great places to gain more insight into art and movie. If you are in Pasadena, Huntington Library and the Norton Simon Museum carry some of the most amazing artworks in the world and definitely deserve a visit.

As a bookstore lover, I would also recommend checking out Arcana in Culver City. In Art District, there are also these two resourceful bookstores, one being Artbook @ Hauser & Wirth, and the other one being Hennessey + Ingalls. All of these bookstores carry newly-published and long-cherished art books that even a tourist would be wowed.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Throughout my school years, I have gained so much from my professors and peers at ArtCenter, who give me unlimited support and appreciation. Getting through art school is hard, and learning at ArtCenter is harder. But it was only because of ArtCenter that I got to explore Pasadena and LA for the amazing scenery and rich culture.

Website: Ellisyu.com

Instagram: @yuuuuuzx

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellis-zhixuan-yu/