Meet Xinyi Shao

I was born in a small city in south-central China. I am the only child in my family, and both of my parents and aunts are accountants. Growing up, like many kids in my generation, I watched a lot of Japanese anime. I was also really obsessed with mystery tales and loved drawing, so I have always had a passion for being an artist or designer. However, at that time, I was convinced that pursuing art was not a realistic option. After high school, I went to Shenzhen, China for my undergraduate studies and majored in finance. During my third year of college, I participated in a summer program at King’s College London. This experience exposed me to a very different lifestyle and learning environment. I began to realize that finance may not be the right direction for me, and that pursuing design and art may not be too far off.

After much research, I decided to learn graphic design because it is a broad subject with many possibilities in different fields. Then I came to the US to pursue my master’s degree in graphic design and start my career here. I have completed a lot of freelance work, primarily focusing on branding projects and web design for startup companies. I take pride in helping these companies establish their brand voices and creating things from scratch. It is very satisfying to witness the flourishing of the brand and the impact that my work has made. I recently moved to New York and started working at Gretel, a prestigious branding studio located in Brooklyn. I feel very blessed for everything and am excited about what’s to come!

When I first came to the US, it was not easy for me. I had a hard time with the language, and being an introvert made it even more difficult for me to talk to people and make friends. Furthermore, I struggled with presenting my work, and it was frustrating to translate my design ideas into words. However, thanks to my hard work and the help of the people around me, I learned to navigate both languages and express my thoughts in both English and the language of design.

During every project, there are always various challenges along the way, such as technical issues, budget constraints, and timeline constraints. I encounter these challenges every day in my work. Although I used to try to solve everything on my own, I have come to realize that it is very helpful to share them with the team and rely on their support. Sometimes, random conversations during lunch can spark ideas that I would never come up with on my own. It’s the power and privilege of being on a team. I believe that life is always full of obstacles. The feeling of discomfort is what makes us grow and be able to navigate more complex situations.

I’m a communication and visual designer who specializes in brand identity, editorial design, generative design, and research. My work has been recognized and awarded by Core77 Design Awards, Graphis, Communication Arts, Creative Communication Awards, and IDA Design Awards.

My previous background in finance made me emphasize a lot on reasoning and precision in my work. I value a lot in research and think it’s crucial to have reasons for every design decision. I believe that deep understanding and thoughts always bring unique angles in solving the problem and making the design. It makes the work original and lasting. Due to the multicultural experience and multidisciplinary background, I’m also open-minded in my work. I embrace all the possibilities and love exploring new ways of making according to our ever-changing world to push the discipline forward.

As my parents were busy working, I spent most of my time at my grandparents’ house, often doing things alone. I enjoyed lying on the floor reading comics, drawing random things, and listening to the sound of my grandma cooking or doing laundry. I also enjoyed going to the garden, picking wildflowers, smelling the grass, and observing ants carrying things when it was about to rain. It was a carefree and pure time that I miss a lot.