An Inspired Chat with Shengjie Wu of Los Angeles

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Shengjie Wu. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Shengjie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I feel really proud when people say they liked the poster I made for the Museum Cursie-In event. It makes me happy to see them smiling and to hear them tell my colleague how much they enjoyed both the poster and the event that my team and I worked hard on.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Shengjie, and I am a graphic designer at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

As a graphic designer, I am fascinated by using graphics and text to bridge the gap between individuals around the world, providing opportunities for everyone to explore various fields.

Besides being a graphic designer, I’m also a car enthusiast. The sound of the engine, the unique curves, and the design of each car have always fascinated me. Cars not only give me energy and excitement, but also inspire me creatively through their design.

Combining my design skills with my love for cars, I enjoy telling automotive history and stories to museum visitors through visual graphics. My favorite part of the job is seeing digital designs come to life in physical space—and watching people smile as they interact with the graphics and the environment.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad taught me the most about work, even though he doesn’t have any experience in design. What I appreciate most isn’t about design skills, but the values he passed on to me — to always push my limits and keep asking questions.

These two values helped me earn my first and also my dream job — a graphic designer at one of the best automotive museums in the world. While working at the museum, these lessons continue to inspire me to develop creative and solid visual concepts for each exhibition and event.

The “keep asking” mindset also drives me to stay closely involved in every stage of the production process, collaborating with different departments and team members to ensure every detail is right — and that we deliver the best experience to our audience.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would say, “Keep chasing your dream, and never give up.” My dream in high school was to become a graphic designer. However, since I lacked an art background and practical experience, I didn’t receive any offers from the art schools I applied to. Instead, I chose to major in Business for my bachelor’s degree.

After my first year in college, I still couldn’t let go of my passion for design, so I decided to minor in Art to start building my design skills. By my junior year, I made up my mind to fully pursue my dream and apply for a master’s degree at my dream school, ArtCenter College of Design. I prepared all the documents and my portfolio on my own, pushing myself to the limit, even though I still wasn’t confident after submitting my application.

After waiting three months with no news, I decided to send a follow-up email to the school. A week later, I received an offer from ArtCenter — and at that moment, the door to my dream of becoming a graphic designer finally opened.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends would probably say that creating meaningful experiences really matters to me. Whether it’s through my design work or sharing my passion for cars, I always want to make an impact and connect with others.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, I would stop letting anxiety control me. I tend to overthink — worrying if my design concepts perfectly fit the theme, whether I’m good enough to attend certain design events, or even hesitating to go to the car meet or track with my car. I’ve realized that life is more fulfilling when I focus less on doubts and more on experiencing things, taking action, and enjoying the moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shengjiewu.info/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shengjie_design
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-shengjie-wu/