The Black House Retail Store by Ying Lin

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

YL : Dark and light coexist side by side like two sides of the same coin. According to the dualism theory, one can only be created before being seen; darkness and light, black and white, rough and delicate etc.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

YL : Breaking out of the traditional frames, the roofing sheet waves extend all the way to the inside from out, attracting passers to come towards the space. Standing in the middle of the space, a spiritual symbolic pillar that represent the core value of the brand. The symbolic pillar features of the rough surface after being carved were left to show the pure white color wave of the marble and titanium gold, the difference bring visual impact and shows a unique taste of fashion.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

YL : Using it as a medium to reach out to people, to let more people know about us.

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

YL : It took us about seven months to complete design this particular concept.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

YL : It is a design representing both the brand value and the design value added to it. It was more like a mix of both. Since this is a retail store design, meaning it includes the ideas from the brand’s core value, and the design concepts we have to solving problems.

DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?

YL : This design is being produced.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

YL : To have the allowances to add on design idea to an already existed brand is a rear things.

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

YL : People from the age of 13 to 50

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

YL : The usages of materials, and the combinations of materials being used in the design its one of its kind.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

YL : It was from the core value of the brand, which is: Dark and light coexist side by side like two sides of the same coin. According to the dualism theory, one can only be created before being seen; darkness and light, black and white, rough and delicate etc.

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

YL : AutoCAD, 3D Sketchup, and other Adobe related design programs.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

YL : The usages of the materials.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

YL : We had the chance to outsource to work with professional lighting designers.

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

YL : We had a research on the brand in order for us to better understand the brand.

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

YL : How to adjust people’s stereotype thinking towards some of the materials, or texture of surfaces.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

YL : To let people know, using the same materials, but at different places with other materials can create a complete new solutions towards some problems.

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

YL : It helped us to have a better understanding towards the materials, and combinations of materials.