Life & Work with Yibei Chen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yibei Chen.

Hi Yibei, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started learning painting when I was in middle school. At that time, I never thought art and design would become a major part of my life. I officially began learning graphic design in 2014 when I was an undergraduate student. I was so attracted by design’s visual effects and stories behind a brand. Then I realized that a great designer is not only about having these technical skills but also needs to be empathetic about this world. Therefore, I decided to continue pursuing an MFA degree in graphic design and started thinking about how I can utilize my design knowledge to contribute to the world and solve the problem.

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?
I would say it is not always a smooth road when you pursue something, especially getting deeper in your field. At the beginning, I thought design was simple as long as I had the knowledge of how to use this technical software, like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. Then I found my brain is actually blank when I face the digital screen, I have no idea about how to place these elements, texts, and organize the colors. I used to think graphic design was about creating beautiful and cool stuff, so I overlooked the most important thing about design: reason. It is so easy to create some beautiful and fancy pieces. We actually can see them everywhere, like in Instagram. But when I started to think about reasons, these made my deliverables more compelling and strong.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m passionate about branding identity design, social media coordinating, campaigns, and digital marketing. I have four years of work experience working as a brand designer, social media coordinator, and creative retail designer. And I also have two years of freelancing experience. I provide logo design, packaging design, brochure/book design, and campaign design for my clients. From there, I really found where my passion is and what I’m really good at.

I have been very proud to see my design solutions and deliverables actually used in the real market. For example, I had a client that came with packaging design requests for their new snacks. I created a series of packaging designs for beef jerky, lamp chop, and dried pork slices, etc. Finally, these products were launched with my designed packaging and I saw them on a snack shop, and at that moment I felt very proud.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
In my perspective, I think risk is a good thing as it pushes you to break your boundaries and promotes you to a better position. I’m not a big risk taker as sometimes I just want to be safe, but I clearly know that I cannot always stay in my comfort zone and be satisfied with what I have so far. The biggest risk that I’ve ever taken is making the decision to pursue a higher degree in the US. Most of my peers chose to work after we graduated from college, and I’m the only person who decided to come to the US for my MFA degree in graphic design. At that time, I did feel unsure, unsafe and afraid, as pursuing a higher degree in the US meant more time, more energy, and more money, and I wasn’t sure whether it was worth or not. But now, I am 100% percent sure that this is the most successful decision that I’ve ever made in my life.

I would say do not overthink the risks, do not be afraid of taking risks, go with the flow, push yourself a little bit, and you might find some surprises.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chenyibei480.wixsite.com/1996
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yc_designwork/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Image Credits
Yibei Chen work samples