We had the good fortune of connecting with Junyi Zhang and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Junyi, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Instead of looking for a stable job like my classmates, I became a freelance designer after graduating from college. To me, risk means taking on a lot of uncertainty, and this career is certainly high-risk. In my career of more than two years, I have experienced client questioning, unstable income, and self-time management challenges. But there is not a single day that I am not happy, because every day is my own choice. I have also gained a lot of experience and lessons that I could not have gained in one company or one particular position.
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.
In my junior year of college, I focused on brand design and redesigned the brand image for a cake store near my school. This project, from sketch design to finished product production, was completed and perfected independently after constant communication and discussion with the store owner, which was considered my first attempt as a freelance designer. After that, I went door-to-door handing business cards to merchants, selling and introducing my portfolio and seeking cooperation. The beginning of my career was undoubtedly difficult; no one wanted to trust a stranger easily, and there was no demand for design in my network. But I didn’t let the temporary stalling of my program deter me. Every time I was rejected, I saw it as a learning opportunity to discover my shortcomings in pitching and communication. Slowly, I learned how to better connect with merchants, understand their needs, and fulfill those needs with my designs. At the same time, I built my own personal website and social media presence so that my design influence was not only offline. 2020 saw a small turnaround in my career when my cat gave birth to a litter of kittens. I didn’t realize that the videos I shot and edited of my cat’s daily life would be the key to going viral. More and more people came to my social media accounts to see my cats and my work. The first person to reach out to me was a small pet brand owner who wanted me to redesign their brand image and invite my cats as pet models. This unexpected opportunity gave me a sense of the unpredictability of my career and proved that a love of life can be the driving force behind a career.
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.
If my friends wanted, I would take them to a local nature preserve for a deep immersion experience. I would choose to go in the fall, when the woods and fallen leaves are at their most beautiful. Then pick a camping site near a river, set up the tent and prepare the camping equipment. Over a few days, we would explore the natural surroundings near the campground, enjoy sunsets, fish or bird watching, have dinner together, and gather around the campfire to share our stories and adventures of the day. I love being close to nature and cherish the time I spend with my friends, and this is the best plan in my opinion.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The person who has influenced my work the most and whom I would like to thank the most is my college friend hongli, who is now an excellent interior designer, and whom I have known for 8 years. We met through an interdisciplinary project at the university, where hongli would give me his professional perspective on my work, and we would often discuss issues together, and he made me realize that a simple package can be a multi-dimensional presentation area. From the moment a customer sees a package, to how to open it, to seeing the product, it’s an experience, and Hongli helped me understand the importance of each part of the process to the user experience. He emphasized the connection between the package and the product, and the interaction between the look of the package and the user, which I needed to describe in the form of a story. We are still great partners, and we often share ideas on how design affects user emotions and interactions in our projects. Hongli’s expertise has inspired me to develop a unique understanding of how design works. His advice goes beyond the aesthetic level and allows me to explore more possibilities in visual design.
Website: www.junyidesign.com
Instagram: rankojy
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junyi-zhang-957879233/