Meet Huamin Wen | Motion Designer & Vis Dev Artist

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

Hi Huamin, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Hi everyone! My name is Huamin Wen, currently a motion designer and illustrator at American Honda Motor Company. I help define the opening animations and UI motion on HMI (Human Machine Interface) for the next-generation Acura and Honda vehicles. Thanks so much for the feature!

So when I first entered UCLA, I was actually a biology major. Growing up, I’ve often found chemistry and biology fascinating, and I was honestly pretty good at them. However, at the same time, I’ve always had this strong passion for art and design. Being curious and open-minded, I would lay my hands on almost every form of creative medium. Drawing and doodling, sculpting characters with air-dry clay, and building a hamster maze with cardboard boxes are my fondest childhood memories. Compared to a dry, test-oriented Chinese school routine, going to the art and crafts class was for sure the highlight of my life. To me, the process of creating is fun, relaxing, and fulfilling. Plus, being able to achieve something aesthetic and beautiful in the end gives me a strong sense of triumph. Besides an internal drive, pop culture and media, especially Japanese animations, have also been fueling me with inspiration. My current favorites are the animated works by Studio Ghibli and Science Saru. Overall, art and design have always provided special emotional value for me. Therefore, I’ve always aspired to work as an artist or designer in the creative industries.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe what sets me apart from others is my versatility and flexibility. There are very talented folks out there who specialize in motion design or can draft up one-of-a-kind concept designs, but I rarely see someone who has mastered more than one field or at least cares to explore another creative field professionally. As I experiment with every form of art and design I can access, I’ve tried stop-motion, fabrication, 2D hand-drawn animations, 3D modeling, motion design, and concept art. My studies and professional career have spanned entertainment, tech, and automotive industries. For now, I’ve narrowed down to just motion design and concept illustration, and my goal is to be a well-rounded individual who can empathize and work with a wide range of creative professionals.

While this might be a more roundabout and time-consuming approach, I was able to see my effort pay off at my current work at Honda, where I make use of my abilities in motion design, illustration, Japanese, and even explore new fields such as UI/UX. As a result, I’m very proud of my ongoing projects there, which include designing the GUI (General User Interface) motion for the first Acura EV, future versions of Acura’s flagship MDX, the 2nd-gen Honda Jet, Honda’s light-duty trucks series (Passport, Pilot, Ridgeline), and so much more. Specifically, I create cool opening logo animations, prototype UI interactions with motion, contribute to UI styling, and make realistic 3D vehicle renders for the meter and center screens. Being able to see my designs in the final mass-production vehicles would be the most rewarding and fulfilling part of this long endeavor with my teammates.

Besides my full-time work at Honda, I also create my own animated shorts, and my recent film “Homecoming” has been featured at film festivals such as Los Angeles Animation Festival, Dam Short Film Festival, and Feel the Reel International Film Festival. My short films involve more traditional animating techniques such as visual development, character animation, and background design/painting.

However, there have been many hurdles along the way to get to where I am today professionally. In the early days, it was a big decision to switch my major from STEM to arts since that meant forfeiting 2 years of employment authorization in the US. Then it was challenging to find internships and to gain project experience. For someone like me who loves to dabble in a wide range of things and doesn’t necessarily have a highly specialized portfolio, it was also difficult to market myself towards one specific job title. Now that I’ve found work, the next challenge of getting a work visa soon followed. It has never been easy, but the key is learning to enjoy the journey, let it be roses or thorns. Overly fixating on goals or end-results that might not be under our control would not last us long as creatives. It is more important to just do what we can to improve and stay consistent with the schedule. During challenging moments, we can encourage ourselves by asking why we chose to pursue this route in the first place, and reminding ourselves how fun and meaningful the creative process can be.

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 love hiking and birding, so I’ll take them where there’s good access to nature. Having spent almost 8 years in LA, I personally love Torrance and the Palos Verdes area. They have some of the nicest views of the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast from both eye-level beaches and high angles from the cliffs. We can also find the best quality and affordable Japanese cuisines there in the LA area because they have a robust modern Japanese community. I would also take them to see the Getty Museum, the Huntington Library, and explore the San Gabriel area where we can find a diverse variety of Chinese food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course, I would never have achieved the current state without the contributions of every entity in my life. I would like to give a shoutout to my parents, who were visionary and generous in sending me abroad to receive education in the United States. This enabled me to access the art and design communities in the West and helped me establish my creative career in the US. Then, I would like to credit my coworkers and supervisors at Honda, who patiently mentored me when I was still an intern and later offered me a full-time opportunity at such a highly reputable corporation. And ultimately, I want to thank my friends who have been supportive and encouraging, as well as my husband who has provided endless emotional support and strategic guidance during difficult times in life.

Website: Motion Design: https://cargocollective.com/wenhuamin 
Vis Dev: https://wenhuamin.myportfolio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mintamonn/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huamin-wen/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mintamonn

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Haiyu Huang