Meet Yihao Wang | Graphic Designer

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

Hi Yihao, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
As a graphic designer, my journey began with a focus on new media art during my early university years. However, I eventually shifted gears and pursued graphic design as my major, drawing upon my background in art history studies. My passion lies in the realms of art, culture, and music, as they evoke profound emotions in life.

Music, in particular, serves as a wellspring of inspiration for me. I find myself drawn to various genres such as electronic, rock, and post-punk, pondering how the intricate logic behind each musical style could inform my typography design. Whether it’s the rhythm, spatial dynamics, tranquility, subtlety, grandeur, power, or even grotesqueness, I delve into the essence of these musical nuances to enrich my design concepts.

This interplay between the visual and the auditory is truly exhilarating. I strive to harmonize elements seamlessly, orchestrating a symphony of visuals that resonates with the viewer. It’s about deftly controlling the narrative, orchestrating elements in unison to convey the core ideas effectively. These are the aspects from which I derive my creative inspiration.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Yes I would love for people to know about my work and story, and I’m grateful to shoutout for the opportunity to show it.

Currently I’m focusing on exploring typography as a way of communicating visual richness and versatility, in the digital age I tend to move away from computers and design by hand, more clumsy and rustic but with a sense of power.

Of course, I have encountered a lot of difficulties in my career path, in terms of design, for example, I often fall into a single design style to form an inertia mindset, which is tedious and boring, so I will start to explore new design means, new materials, so that I can maintain a state of continuous updating. In addition to the design aspect, there will be many issues, management skills and customer communication and so on. As a professional designer just do a good job of design of course is not enough, management skills, communication, operation are particularly important, and for a young designer into the market is bound to be difficult, but my advice is, do not be anxious, calm down, choose the most suitable direction for their own step by step to do a good job of design, slowly accumulate experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would choose to go to bookstores and record stores, and a lot of thrift stores are the best, and when my friend Mei and I travel to a new city, we both immediately start looking for interesting little stores, tucked away in alleyways with a human touch. These inspire art and design, and yes inspiration comes from life. I also tend to travel with friends to natural landscapes, boating and hiking are my favorite sports, enjoying the natural scenery, sunrise and sunset, the breath of nature, these are great, in nature, I will leave all the social identity, I’m not a designer and not an artist, I’m just a part of nature, what a relaxing moment!

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?
Yes, I have a lot of people to thank, a lot of design heroes who have helped me in my journey in design and art, and I would especially like to mention a Japanese designer, Hideki Nakajima. During my college years, I stumbled upon his interviews and stories, which ignited my interest in the profession. Nakajima’s profound love for typography, his unwavering dedication, and his insightful thinking served as a guiding light for me to embark on my own explorations in design. Sadly he passed away in 2022, but I remain deeply thankful to him for the inspiration he imparted on my journey.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/w4y2hao/

Image Credits
Art director: Yihao Wang Designer: Yihao Wang