Although the huaren (Chinese-speaking) market and huaren design is gaining prominence, there is no denying that global design is still led by the West. Under such circumstances, how can huaren design stand out? Martin Yang, Creative Director of HWAT’S Graphic Design Co. Ltd, believes that profound cultural traditions are the greatest treasures huaren possess. Designers, he suggests, should take inspiration from the wisdom of huaren culture and, with the aid of an internationalized vocabulary, create works that westerners can also understand. In so doing, huaren design can stand out and be seen by the world.
Yang believes that when designing for the huaren market, one should take the four aspects into consideration: cultural wisdom, ways of thinking, customs and sentiments, and political issues. When defining cultural wisdom, Yang states that huaren possess an invaluable asset in the profound cultural traditions that have been bequeathed to them by their ancestors. Such cultural assets grant huaren designers, as compared with western designers, a more abundant source from which to draw inspiration. A variety of aesthetic concepts might have influenced huaren designers throughout their lives, however imperceptibly. “We can transform our deep cultural traditions into cultural wisdom and apply that to our designs. This is a great advantage for huaren designers.”
When discussing ways of thinking specific to huaren design, Yang considers huaren to be relatively reserved and humble, which is a trait that is in contrast to the outward expressiveness of westerners. This results in the relatively subtle and mellow characteristics typical of huaren designs–creating a type of design that is more acceptable to the market. When designing for the huaren demographic, consideration of customs and sentiments are necessary and comprehension of habits and taboos are crucial.
For example, wrapping gifts in black or white paper is a Chinese taboo that is unknown in western countries. The subject of politics is another element that designers must consider when designing for the huaren market. Yang states that, especially in Taiwan, clients who are particularly invested in political affairs might take offense to certain colors used in designs, such as blue or green, even when the design has no relationship to politics. The four aspects listed above must be taken into consideration when designing for the huaren market.
Can politics affect design? Yang queries. Last year, he offers by way of example, his company, HWAT’S Graphic Design, designed the new logo for the Taichung Airport (in Central Taiwan). The client was highly cautious when it came to selecting the colors for the logo because of the risk of offending the region’s competing political alliances. The final logo design, which was chosen by the client, was colored purple, yellow, and orange–colors that cleverly avoided any sensitive political connotations. According to Yang, “Huaren seem particularly passionate about politics–Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong alike. That’s why politics must be taken into consideration when designing for this market.”
Yang has worked in the graphic design field for nearly twenty years and recently, he has noticed that corporations are changing their demands when it comes to creating new identity systems. As he points out, twenty years ago, clients would ask his company to design logos that looked like those of international brands. It was preferable that a company’s Taiwanese identity remained unknown, which is a requirement that reflected Taiwan’s role at that time as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Recently, however, corporations have transformed from being OEMs to becoming original design manufacturers (ODM) and original brand manufacturers (OBM).
Corporations have begun to establish their own brands, creating a need to ensure their unique qualities stand out. Citing an example of designing a corporate identity system for Chien Hsin University of Science and Technology, Yang says they chose a logo derived from the ancient form of the Chinese word hsin. “We provided the client with many designs, including designs derived from the school’s acronym, CHU. However, the client ultimately felt that the ancient word hsin would set them apart both nationally and internationally. Cases similar to this one are becoming more frequent, which means that clients are beginning to recognize the importance of huaren culture. They are no longer attempting to hide their huaren culture–they take pride in it.”
Yang summarizes that huaren designers are blessed with great design abilities that are just as good as that of international designers. Even more, we should cherish and apply our cultural advantages. If huaren designers can capture the key principles of the wisdom of huaren culture–cultural wisdom, ways of thinking, customs and sentiments, and political issues–and express them through an international vocabulary, they will be able to boost the visibility of huaren design and help it gain international recognition.
About Martin Yang
Martin Yang is currently the Creative Director and President of HWAT’S Graphic Design Co. Ltd, Board Director of the Taiwan Graphic Design Association, and an assistant professor at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. Yang has been active in the graphic design field for close to twenty years and specializes in corporate identity systems (CIS) and commercial space design, as well as brand integration and marketing design. In 2012, he was awarded a Korean Award of Excellence ‘Good Design Product Image Award’ and ‘Best Graphic Design Award’. Yang has collaborated with various renowned corporations including First International Telecom, Giant Bicycles, Chi Mei Electronics, and Mercuries Life Insurance. For many years, he has sat on the judging panel for the Taipei City Government’s ‘Branding Taipei Project’ and Germany’s iF Concept Design Award.
About Martin Yang
Martin Yang is currently the Creative Director and President of HWAT’S Graphic Design Co. Ltd, Board Director of the Taiwan Graphic Design Association, and an assistant professor at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. Yang has been active in the graphic design field for close to twenty years and specializes in corporate identity systems (CIS) and commercial space design, as well as brand integration and marketing design. In 2012, he was awarded a Korean Award of Excellence ‘Good Design Product Image Award’ and ‘Best Graphic Design Award’.
Yang has collaborated with various renowned corporations including First International Telecom, Giant Bicycles, Chi Mei Electronics, and Mercuries Life Insurance. For many years, he has sat on the judging panel for the Taipei City Government’s ‘Branding Taipei Project’ and Germany’s iF Concept Design Award.