Meet Veronica Tsai

Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Tsai.

Hi Veronica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a designer, artist and musician from Taipei, Taiwan. I’ve moved around quite a bit, having lived in Taipei, Shanghai, Newport RI, Baltimore MD, and now I’m a freelance graphic designer based in Los Angeles. I recently graduated from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena with a MFA in Graphic Design, and I have a BFA in Architectural Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

I grew up in a rather artistic household surrounded by all sorts of creative and beautiful things. My dad loves photography and gardening, and my mom loves interior and jewelry design. I remember watching my mom sketching beautiful jewelry illustrations when I was little. I used to admire their photography and interior design books. My parents encouraged my brother and I to be expressive, letting us doodle on a specific wall in our living room. I started taking art, piano, and English lessons at a very young age, and these classes ignited and fueled my journey until where I am today.

When I attended a British international school in Shanghai, I took my first graphic design class. I became interested in combining images, typography, patterns to create something unique. I also remember making a stop-motion animation to Daft Punk’s Technologic with my friends. Until this day, I still find that project super fun. At that point, I was already certain that I would pursue something creative in the future. After Shanghai, I moved to Rhode Island for high school. I took most of the AP art classes my school offered, and I designed posters for plays and musicals while also being an active member of the musical pit band, playing piano and guitar. Far away from home, at a very sports-oriented school, I felt comfortable spending lots of quiet time in the art building.

My four years at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore was eye-opening. I explored a wide range of classes. In my freshman/foundation year, I took all sorts of classes: drawing, painting, sculpture, art history, etc. I was particularly fond of my Elements of Visual Thinking class, as it encouraged me to explore performative and participatory art. When it came time to declare my major, I was at a loss because I was interested in too many things. At that point, I didn’t even think of studying graphic design. I decided to pursue architecture, something I had no experience in whatsoever, but I assumed it was the most “practical” option. The architecture program leaned towards fine arts (at least from my perspective). I loved making things by hand, from miniature models to full-scale installations. While I was in architecture, I also took classes under the Interactive Arts department, such as creative coding, sound art, and live electronic music. From all the classes I took, I realized that I was passionate about creating conceptual, comprehensive storytelling experiences.

After graduation, I interned at the exhibition design department of the Maryland Science Center assisted in the design and fabrication of interactive exhibits. I also worked with the marketing team to create event posters. After my internship, I moved back to Taiwan to take a much-needed break. I also felt the need to rethink my future plans. Did I want to go abroad again or stay in Taiwan for good? I missed how I thrived in an academic setting: I missed the making, the challenge, and the camaraderie. I thought the versatility of a graphic design program would be a valuable addition to my undergraduate studies. I was intrigued by ArtCenter’s Graphic Design program because I saw a lot of projects that involved physical space, projection mapping, and creative coding. It seemed like a great fit for my background. Also, after living on the East Coast for over seven years, I wanted to experience what it’s like to live on the West Coast.

At ArtCenter, I discovered and polished my interests and skills in typography, book design, and projection mapping. I love curating content and designing books, and I love making 3D forms and projecting interesting designs onto them. Sometimes, I felt a bit out of place at school because my work is not as heavily focused on branding. However, with the help of very supportive instructors and friends, I was able to carve out my own niche. I graduated from ArtCenter this April, and I am currently working as a freelance designer. I want to continue my learning by taking on different types of projects and collaborating with different professionals.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I suppose my greatest obstacle is to have the courage to trust my intuition and be more confident in what I do. The imposter syndrome within me is strong. It’s a daily challenge to not constantly overthink or doubt myself. Now that I’m a bit older, I’ve slowly accepted that my work is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, and that is totally fine. I still have to constantly remind myself that there is no need to try to conform or please anyone because that would only hurt my own well-being.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m currently working as a freelance graphic designer. In general, my work is very conceptual, research-driven, and detail-oriented. I believe thorough research and understanding of a subject lead to the most suitable design solutions. I’ve been working on book designs and environmental graphics, two things that I really enjoyed at school. As a musician myself, I’m particularly passionate about music-related projects: one of my favorite projects at ArtCenter is The Power of Our Songs, a hypothetical project that honors the legacy of Newport Folk Festival, a festival that has a special place in my heart because of its proximity to my high school.

As a recent graduate, my most recent academic accomplishment is my MFA thesis, Phantom Limbs: Design Interventions and Site-specific Storytelling. It’s a hefty project that combines my undergraduate studies in architecture and graduate studies in graphic design. In a nutshell, Phantom Limbs explores how designers can help tell the stories of forgotten or obscured history through emerging technologies in environmental graphics.

My thesis focused on the history of Pasadena. It all started with the historical plaques in the alleyways of Old Pasadena. The writings in one of the plaques is intentionally vague, and it fails to tell a racially motivated incident. I wanted to challenge the depiction of public history through projection mapping, a skill and interest that I acquired during my time at ArtCenter. With the help of my friends and professors, we set up projectors in the alleyways of Pasadena and projected statements, facts, and questions onto the facades. It was the biggest design endeavor I’d ever done, both physically and mentally, but it was extremely rewarding to see my designs cover the entire wall of a building.

After graduating from ArtCenter, I’ve had more time to work on personal projects. Lately I’ve been embroidering a lot, experimenting with different techniques and mixed media. My passion for embroidery was rekindled when I decided to make a gift for my favorite musician Hozier. Inspired by the album art of his newest album, Unreal Unearth, I hand-embroidered a brooch and gifted it to him at a meet and greet at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. To my surprise, he’s been wearing the brooch during his current tour. It was kind of crazy to see him wearing it on stage at Glastonbury, one of the biggest music festivals on earth. I’m delighted by this experience. After an unexpected turn of events, the brooch design has become an official patch that fans can purchase. Merchandise, custom pieces, album packaging—I look forward to possible collaborations with musicians in the future!

Sometimes, I find it difficult to define exactly what I do. I’m a graphic designer by trade, but I’m actively pursuing so many creative endeavors. I’m interested in architecture, music, arts & crafts, etc. I play music and write songs. I embroider and knit. That’s not to say that I am not a focused designer; I just have a lot of creative energy, and I feel most fulfilled when I’m actively creating different things. I used to see this as a weakness, but I realized that my different skill sets and passions all inform one and another. I’m constantly on the lookout for collaborations and projects that allow me to flex different creative muscles!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m a massive fantasy fan, particularly interested in tales that are a bit dark, a bit melancholic, and a bit dreamy. I grew up watching a lot of Tim Burton films (Corpse Bride is my favorite), so that might be why.

My favorite novel is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I first read the Chinese translation but soon realized that I had to read it again in English to fully appreciate the writing. The plot is enchanting. The writing is vivid. I was so enthralled by Ms. Morgenstern’s world-building ability, so much so that many of my undergraduate and graduate projects were heavily influenced by it. Although world-building doesn’t always apply to design, I strive to find ways to bring storytelling and emotions to the forefront.

Recently, I’ve been very interested in a Podcast called Lore, produced by Aaron Mahnke. Mr. Mahnke explores a wide range of dark historical tales. These tales, accompanied by melancholic soundtracks, somehow calm me down and put me in the right mood to work. Similar to Ms. Morgenstern, Mr. Mahnke is also great at world-building in his own way. I’ve learned that different components—written words, visuals, sound, etc.—have to align seamlessly to tell a compelling story.

On a side note, The Highly Sensitive Person written by Elaine Aron was a helpful read for those, like me, who might find the world too loud at times. It’s taught me to not see my sensitivity as a weakness but to embrace it. Being sensitive allows me to experience different things in much greater depth, and it’s honestly a great thing to channel into my work.

Your Work

Contact Info:

• Website: https://veronica-tsai.design/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veronicatsai.design/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicatsai/

Image Credits
Charlie Sin, Cathryn Kuczynski