Keeo's lens

I have two contrasting visions of a perfect holiday, each with its own appeal. One version is all about structure and self-improvement: early to bed, early to rise, healthy food, exercise, learning new things, and exploring exciting destinations. It’s about feeling productive and energized. The other version is the complete opposite: late night gaming, hanging out with friends, enjoying music gigs, and sometimes, simply doing absolutely nothing without any guilt. My past holidays have often been a mix of these two extremes and full of dissatisfaction. Perhaps my next holiday goal is to ‘find contentment in simply being’.

I have done some design work in China, so working at Monopo London already feels like a much better design world for me (I must ruthlessly critique the poor design environment in my home country in hopes of its improvement). I hope the atmosphere in the design world becomes more human-centered because that is what naturally fosters qualities like respect, freedom, diversity, and creativity. I hope the design world in the future will no longer force designers to waste time mimicking popular styles or trends but instead cherish and encourage every new possibility.

A friend once told me, "Keeo, I think your work has a very strong personal style." I was quite surprised when I heard that because I’ve always felt that I navigate through different styles. At that moment, I quickly questioned myself—should I be bolder in trying out more styles? The reason I decided to study and step into the creative field was precisely because I’ve always been fascinated by various captivating styles, or rather, creativity itself. Styles are constantly evolving and being replaced, so I especially don’t want to be known for a particular strong style, as that would mean it could soon be outdated or already is. Therefore, my ideal response to this question is that my design doesn’t have a specific style. (—From my old stubborn fashion design inner self.)