Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Zou.
Hi Claire, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been the kid who is always drawing. I once stayed up till 3 am painting a mural on my bedroom wall with acrylics, and my parents gasped at it when they saw. Despite my passion, I didn’t attend art school due to the stereotype surrounding it in China back then. Instead, I explored various outlets to express my creativity. Over the years, my passion for a creative career led me to advertising, where illustrations are a crucial part of both my professional work and side projects.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Working in advertising is thrilling yet challenging. One of the most exciting aspects is the variety of projects I get to work on. From designing characters to creating comedy shows and album covers, the diversity keeps me engaged. However, growing up in China has given me unique perspectives that sometimes present challenges. I strive to understand the culture here, and this experience has endowed me with a strong work ethic and a different lens through which to approach my work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an art director, illustrator, and designer who has over 7 years of experience in advertising and branding design. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with major global brands such as Google Pixel, Dell, Lego Land, UNICEF, Arcade Beauty, and Johnson & Johnson. My work is multidisciplinary, spanning from crafting brand identities, social media campaigns, and 360 campaigns to creating digital illustrations, package designs, and developing characters.
My expertise is in creative concept development, as well as crafting beautiful execution. I strive in finding out-of-box creative solutions in all kinds of marketing tasks, continuously learning and growing to meet coming up challenges and changes, as well as really using my storytelling skills from journalism background to resonate with the audience.
I firmly believe that creativity exists everywhere. To meet the creative challenge of storing our tennis rackets at home effectively and beautifully, we invented the tennis racket hanger brand called YY Project. Our hangers not only safely display the rackets but also turn them into decorative elements for the home!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My favorite childhood memory is spending summer or vacation in my grandparent’s house. They lived in rural area, so I got to hang out with cats, dogs, goats, cows, and all the animals that I don’t really see in the city. Besides, my grandfather would make me all kinds of toys, like rocking horse, swings that hang over the river right in front their house. All crafted with wood by hand! I think animals and craftsmanship my grandpa presented himself have deeply influenced me over the years.
Pricing:
- Designer Tennis Racquets Holder $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.clairezou.art/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yyprojectstudio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yijunzou/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/claireeeee726/
