Today we’d like to introduce you to Tong Li.
Tong, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in a small city located in SouthWest China. Growing up in a family with two photographers and one interior designer, I was taught to pay attention to those beautiful moments in life. I love documenting those moments either by painting or photographing. This also led me to choose my undergraduate study of Journalism. I was lucky to be enrolled in a 2+2 program at South China University of Technology, in which I can spend my First and second year in China and finish my junior and senior years at University of Missouri. Thanks to my experience of driving around a small college town and talking to strangers on the streets to learn their stories, I decided my passion is to be a visual storyteller who speaks without the limit of language.
After graduated from University of Missouri, I worked in the magazine industry for a year and fell in love with print completely. I enjoyed laying good stories on a blank page and seeing in on the newsstand every week. The excitement of touching a print you designed never go away. At the same time, I was eager to learn more about what communication design can bring to the world. Which brings me to ArtCenter College of Design, where I got exposed to all the different aspects of graphic design. I felt extremely grateful for all of my instructors’ encouragement to experiment on media types and topics in my design. I’ve dedicated to try various approaches in each of my designs and see how communication design solves problems in a unique way. Throughout my education of MFA thus far, I’ve been given the privilege of interning at Manual Creative in San Francisco this summer. I felt so lucky everyday waking up and knowing that what I love can also support myself.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are a lot of ups and downs along the road. I’ve lived in four different cities since I left home and only went back three times in the past five years. The constant changes of culture and environment around me make the journey inspiring and full of uncertainty at the same time. Looking back, I know there are times I cried myself out in late nites, wondering if all of this worth it. I know the answer is certainly yes when I see how much I’ve grown. It’s inevitable to feel alone and lost in direction when chasing your dreams, but I always remind myself of my favorite poem when that happens.
“As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a multidisciplinary designer and creative thinker specializing in brand identity, editorial design and Transmedia. My work has been recognized by Type Directors’ Club, Core 77, Art Directors’ Club and Society of Publication Design. With my former journalism background, I aim to incorporate the empathy of a storyteller into my design process. I’m always inspired by the possibilities of growth and aspire to grow more than the day before. I believe design is as much about solving problems as it is about addressing real-world issues through an inspiring and humanistic approach.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I always believe that you will never know what your potential is if you stay in your comfort zone. So I would say yes, I’m definitely a risk-taker. Switching from Journalism to graphic design is the biggest risk I’ve taken so far. It’s challenging to spend a year teaching yourself everything and building on a portfolio from scratch when all your peers have started established their careers. However, I really wanna thank the brave me years ago to take the risk and get me into my dream school.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://tongli.work/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tong.liii/
Image Credits:
Tong Li
