Allan Wong
1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your design background.
Hi! My name is Allan Wong. I'm the creative director and founder of ABS Creative Studio.
2. What made you become/why did you choose to become a designer/artist?
Because of the pursuit of life and beauty, I hope to build a bridge with design to improve the little things in life!
3. Tell us more about your agency/company, job profile, and what you do.
ABS Creative Studio was founded in 2023, as a creative design company specializing in commercial space, residential design, installation design, visual design, and product design. It is a multi-field creative design company.
The sense of space, artistry, science, and technology are the design concepts we pursue. Our design is not confined to a corner, but through the combination of multiple fields, with the language of space, the art of installation, and the use of science and technology, to interpret the charm of space.
4. What does “design” mean to you?
Design for me is a way to build a dream, design comes from life!
5. What’s your favorite kind of design and why?
I like a design that is just right and doesn't require too much force. It's just appropriate to be able to solve some problems in a clever way in the right areas.
6. To you, what makes a “good” design?
As I said, the design of the space, the product, and the artwork is fine. It makes people think, raises awareness, and improves things. Those are all good designs to me!
7. How did you come up with the idea for your award-winning design?
I think that the designs do not have a fixed style, but according to different customers and different spaces, it would be a different perspective. It's only right to be able to find the right style. I am better at digging into the hearts of customers and exploring the development of commercial space to convey a story of my own.
8. What was your main source of inspiration for this design?
When we first started the design, the client had a clear need to create a commercial space that integrates a bar and a spa. In the commercial format, the bar is a restless place, while the spa is quiet. This just forms a contradiction between the "moving" of the bar and the "quiet" of the spa. So we came up with a theme called Haven in a Storm.
The storm is a bar, the harbor is a spa. It forms a combination of static in motion and static in motion in space. op.18 is like a song, with the relief of a spa prelude, the smoothness of a hallway, and the climax of a bar space.
9. Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?
Yes, a very profound impact. China is a country with a long history, and Chinese culture has constantly influenced my innovation process since ancient times.
10. Congratulations! As the winner of the London Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
It is a great honour to receive this award, which is also a great encouragement for me and the team. This is just a way to verify that our ideas and direction for the design are correct. This also means that we will continue to make better and better works.
11. Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the London Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
The name OP.18 comes from The Tempest, Symphonische Fanstasie op.18 of Tchaikovsky. Therefore, the design of the space takes inspiration from symphony and fantasy, exploring a space state that is filled with both contradictions and balance.
It allows for the possibility of different attributes intertwining and shaping each other, fostering a creative imagination to explore the brand's DNA. Because this project is a completely new endeavor for us.
12. What were the main challenges you faced during the design process, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge of this project is how to meet the premise of so many spatial functions. It brings together two completely different business entities.
13. How do you think winning this award will impact your future as a designer?
This is a recognition for us. It can also increase customers' trust in us for certain.
14. What are your top three (3) favorite things about the design industry?
Innovative exploration and practice.
15. What sets your design apart from others in the same category?
Chinese traditional culture has a profound influence on the design. First of all, traditional culture provides rich design elements and design inspiration.
16. Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
In my opinion, the development of the design industry will be more sustainable in 5 to 10 years. In the current era, people have experienced the three years of the epidemic and the Great economic depression. There is a tendency to downgrade consumption. In the commercial space, sustainable construction is even more important.
17. What advice do you have for aspiring designers who want to create award-winning designs?
Believe in yourself and don't stop exploring new things. Design comes from life.
18. What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the design industry?
Look at the works of design masters and think about their design inspiration and design methods. Tap into the nature of commercialization in this era. Improve your knowledge
19. Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
It cost a lot of money to study design
20. Who has inspired you in your life and why?
Jump Lee,Design Director and founder One fine day & partners. He taught me how to discover the essence and beauty of things
21. What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Don't stop exploring new things, keep thinking, accumulate experience, and believe in yourself.
