Ronald Tan

Ronald Tan，来自新加坡的工业设计师。他常通过敏锐的观察和分析，在常态中寻找潜在的点子和解决方案。同样，作为跨领域的设计师，Ronald强调了适应能力的重要性。听听看他怎么讲。

Narkii：

您现在在做什么工作呢？最近在忙什么？

What is your current job? What are you busy doing recently?

Ronald：

我不久前刚从拉萨尔艺术学院毕业，现在一边找工作，一边也做自由设计师。最近刚从国外旅游回来，正在更新自己的设计作品集。

I graduated from Lasalle College of the Arts not too long ago and is currently working as a freelance designer while searching for a job. I’ve recently returned from an overseas trip and have been updating my design portfolio.

Narkii：

您提到，通过敏锐的观察和分析，在常态中寻找潜在的点子和解决方案，能举个具体的例子吗？

As you mention that within normalcy is where you seek potential ideas and solutions through keen observation and analysis, can you give us a specific example?

Ronald：

当一些事频繁发生时，很容易就被人忽视。在做一个有关食物浪费的项目时，我观察了厨房里的一些过程和元素，想到电饭煲里总是有剩饭。当剩饭和电饭煲存在着一种明确的关系时，为什么没有一个解决方案呢？剩饭能够被再次利用吗？一个简单的问题引出了另一个问题。这些问题带来了一个更深入的分析主题，确认并且列出正确的问题很重要。正是这个看似普通的场景让我想出了Mirai电饭煲这个设计概念。

When something happens so often, one can easily overlook it. In a project about food wastage, I observed the processes and elements within the context of my kitchen and remembered all the times when there were always leftover rice in the rice cooker. Why isn’t there a solution for rice wastage for rice cookers when there is a clear relation to it? Could the leftover rice be used again? It was simple question leading to another. These questions opens up a deeper subject for analysis and it is important to identify and piece together the right questions. What seems to be a common scenario lead to my design concept for Mirai rice cooker.

Mirai电饭锅

Narkii：

您具有跨领域设计项目经验，这里的“跨领域”具体指的是什么呢？跨领域相较于专业性，优势是什么呢？

You have experience in multi-disciplinary design projects. What does "multi-disciplinary" refer to? Compared to “professional”, what is its advantage?  

Ronald：

从我的经验来看，最初我是一名工业设计师，在学习和职业生涯中，做的不只是产品，还有平面，包装，UI/UX，室内，甚至还有动画。接触了设计的不同分支后，我意识到无论设计成果的样子有多不同，思考方式和流程其实非常相似。

我觉得作为跨领域设计师，最重要的优势就是适应能力。通过不同的经验，我们积累了新的技术和知识，可以应用以及适应将来的作品。而且，接触不同的领域也给我们提供了宝贵的洞察力，去洞察不同领域的趋势。

In my experience, I started out as an industrial designer and worked on not only products but graphics, packaging, UI/UX, interior and even automation as I progressed in my studies and career. Being exposed to the different disciplines of design made me realized that despite the difference in the design outcome, the method of thinking and process is very similar.

I believe that the most important advantage of being multi-disciplined is the ability to adapt. Through the different experiences, we accumulate new skills and knowledge that can be applicable and adaptable to our future works. Furthermore, exposure to different fields gives us valuable insights into the ongoing trends of the different disciplines.

LOGO设计

Narkii：

您将自己定位为新兴设计师，您觉得新兴设计师与前辈设计师们有什么不同呢？

You position yourself as an emerging designer. In your opinion what is the difference between emerging designer and predecessor?

Ronald：

我觉得在区别新兴设计师与前辈们上，技术占着重要角色。过去，设计师使用AutoCAD或手绘来画设计手稿，用马克笔进行渲染。而现在，有了计算机的帮助，3D和渲染软件让我们可以创造出更加复杂的形状以及逼真的图像。利用3D打印技术也能更快做出原型，在过去需要手工制作。这些也反映在了设计师们如何接受教育上，他们变得更加依赖技术。但我相信这种区别很容易就会被抹掉，因为设计师总是在适应新的变化。

I think that technology plays a big part in differentiating emerging designers and our predecessor. In the past, designers used AutoCAD or hand drawings to draft designs and use markers to render their designs. Now, with the aid of computers, 3D and rendering software allow us to create more sophisticated shapes and produce photorealistic images. We can easily rapid prototype designs with 3D print as compared to the past where designs have to be hand crafted. I think this is reflected in how designers are being educated now where they become more reliant on technology. I believe that this difference can be overcome easily due to the fact that designers are always adapting to new changes.

Hoko 凳子

Narkii：

大部分设计师认为“设计来源于生活”，您通常是如何从生活中提取素材并将它们转化为设计的？

Most designers agree that “design comes from life”. How do you usually do to extract elements from life and transform them into design?

Ronald：

“灵感来自经验的积累”，这是我在Karim Rashid 的讲座上听到的一句话，我完全赞成这句话。个人来讲，我喜欢去观察我身边事物的细节，对自己提问，试着去搞清楚为什么这些东西是这样的。这样让我有一种设计的意识，这对于设计师要粗类拔萃非常重要。这种好奇心也训练着我从不同的角度去思考，我相信大脑会将它转化成一种经验，适应我的设计。

Inspiration comes from an accumulation of experiences; a phrase I heard during a Karim Rashid lecture which I totally agreed on. Personally, I tend to observe things around me in detail, asking myself questions and trying to make sense of why certain things are done certain way. This creates a sense of design awareness which I think is very important for a designer in order to excel. This curiosity trains me to think from different perspectives and I believe that the mind retains this as a sort of experience that is adaptable to my design.

Narkii：

您认为什么样的设计才是好设计？

How do you define a good design?

Ronald：

好的设计就是当我看着它时，觉得没有任何地方需要改动的。

A good design is when I look at it and there is absolutely nothing I will change about it.

Swash微型洗衣机

Narkii：

新加坡是个融合了许多种族和不同文化的国家，这种环境对您的设计有什么影响吗？

Singapore is a country where many races and cultures merge together. Does this environment influence your design?

Ronald：

我的设计其实更多的受到了社会和环境问题的影响。但它也取决于我是为谁做设计。面对目标市场，对于不同种族和宗教的文化容忍的认知非常重要。

I would say that my design is more likely to be influenced by social and environmental issues. But then again, it would depend on who I am designing for. Knowledge in regards to the cultural tolerances of different races and religion is essential if they are the target market.

Narkii：

您期待接受什么样的设计挑战呢？

What kind of design challenge are you expecting to meet?

Ronald：

新的硬件和软件技术正在不断涌现，如何去快速适应是一个挑战。

New hardware and software technologies are constantly emerging and it would be a challenge to adapt quickly.

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