Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Tsai, also formally known as Chen-Hsuan Tsai.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Taiwan, a beautiful country located on an island in West Pacific, known for its manufacturing industry. My family happens to work in the industry, so I was naturally surrounded by it when I was growing up. On the other hand, I could remember there was always more doodles than notes in my textbook and it was very enjoyable being the only artistic kid in classes. With those two combined, I quickly came to the realization that I wanted to study industrial design and I have set that as my career goal since middle school.
I decided to pursue my education in industrial design at Art Center College of Design, influenced by my cousin who has graduated from the same school. I learned various aspects and tools for design, such as concept development, design research, visual communication, model making, 2D and 3D CAD software, and storytelling. Most importantly, I have met some great peers that I have become close friends with, and this journey would not be the same without them.
Currently, I am working as an Industrial Designer with a focus in the consumer electronics industry. I focus on using design to bring impact to people’s everyday lives as well as embracing how everyday life affects design. In a world full of possibilities, I balance real-world constraints and my creativity to design objects that help people live better and work smarter.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As an industrial designer who worked for both consultancies and big corporates, I realized that sometimes designers have to step out of their design bubble. We all have the perfect image in our head of what the final product should be like but in the end, we are artistic, not artists. We are designed for users and not for ourselves. There are challenges and constraints that we will encounter, and we need to find the balance between our design bubble and real-world situation so we can make products with true benefits.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m currently working as an industrial designer in a major consumer electronics company. In the consumer product industry, I am responsible for creating beautiful yet functional products that people would be desired to purchase as well as benefit their everyday experience. I collaborated with engineering, product management, marketing, and many other disciplines to identify opportunities through user research, market insights, social trends, and technological advancement to define what the next generation product should be like.
I am known for having a holistic point of view when designing. Digital content is a huge part of our lives today. I pay attention to how hardware and software would work together to create a cohesive experience for consumers. I believe we must design to form an ecosystem and not just a single product anymore. My strength also lies in my knowledge of product manufacturing. This gives me a good sensibility to figure out how to make a product come to life. I am proud that I can turn an idea into a real physical object that people can hold in their hands. Seeing that is one of the most satisfying things as an industrial designer.
We now live in an experience-driven world. Our perception of what a good experience is is ever-changing at a rapid pace. With new devices launching on the shelf almost every day, being sensitive to how people interact with their devices such as smartphones and laptops is key to what I do. I am constantly reminding myself to be observant and try to distill information from what I see and hear. I keep an open heart and embrace what is happening around us. Doing so allows me to be at the frontline of design and bring meaningful and useful experiences to people’s everyday lives!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dennis-tsai.com
