Today we’d like to introduce you to Bao Hu
Hi Bao, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been drawn to art. As a kid, my favorite hobbies were drawing and painting. I remember when I was about seven, my mom bought an IKEA easel, chalks, and markers for me and my sister. I would spend hours every day drawing, completely immersed in my creativity.
Growing up in Beijing, I faced a heavy workload from school due to intense competition. The constant pressure from tests and evaluations made art my refuge, where I could take a break and just create. I enjoyed drawing on my iPad and doing felt crafts, using wool to sculpt and create. At the same time, I received formal artistic training in an academic style for art tests to enter college. This training in sketching, painting, and design helped me advance my skills and opened up the possibility of a career in art.
All my hard work paid off when I was accepted into the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), one of the best art schools in China. There, I was exposed to great creative minds and explored multidisciplinary designs, including graphic design, animation, interactive design, fashion, jewelry, and photography. I also spent a semester at London Kingston University as an exchange student studying graphic design. These experiences helped me form a comprehensive understanding of the design world and develop a unique interdisciplinary approach to design.
After earning my BFA in Visual Communication from CAFA, I embraced new opportunities and moved to Baltimore for the Graphic Design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). There, I met inspiring professors and creatives who nourished my practices further. I developed my interests in visual, motion, and interactive designs and embraced my cultural identity. After graduation, I moved to New York and have since worked at various design agencies, collaborating with clients across diverse industries.
One of the highlights of my career has been leading a project for Fontainebleau Las Vegas’s grand opening, where my 3D motion work was showcased in Times Square during the 2024 New Year’s Eve celebration, reaching over 1 billion viewers. Additionally, my personal project ‘Placefulness’ was exhibited at Young Blood, a group show at Maryland Art Place (MAP) in Baltimore, MD, and won a Gold Award at the Indigo Design Award 2024. My project ‘Outpost Rebrand’ was featured on World Brand Design Society and received significant recognition, including being a winner of the Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) Digital Design Awards and a Gold Award at the Indigo Design Award 2024. My publication work for the “Next Wave Festival” also received an Honorable Mention from the DNA Paris Design Awards 2024.
Throughout my journey, I’ve also found joy in mentoring young designers. As a teaching assistant at MICA, I’ve supported students in their creative growth, providing feedback and guidance that have helped them flourish as designers. Watching them evolve and succeed has been incredibly rewarding, adding another layer of fulfillment to my career.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey has definitely had its challenges. For the Fontainebleau Las Vegas’s grand opening, I worked on several projects, including multiple 3D animations. The tight timeline and the complexity of 3D animation pushed me to dive in headfirst and embrace the challenge. I faced numerous technical hurdles, especially with intricate designs involving many clones, where each revision demanded extensive research and problem-solving. Although the process was intense and far from easy, it allowed me to gain a deep understanding of the software and significantly enhance my skills.
When working on the installation for my project Placefulness, an immersive experience, I encountered a different set of technical challenges. I needed to figure out how to create projections across three walls and develop immersive soundscapes for the audience. I realized that collaboration was not just a solution but a win-win. I collaborated with a composer on the sound design and consulted with the exhibition department while researching projection mapping. Eventually, I was able to bring my vision for the project to life.
Throughout these challenges, I was fortunate to have supportive people by my side, whose positivity and influence were invaluable.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a multidisciplinary designer specializing in graphic design, motion, and interactive design. I’m passionate about visual storytelling and solving creative challenges, bringing beauty and meaning to our culture. My expertise spans typography, visual identity, motion graphics, user experience design, 3D design, and illustration.
I have extensive experience in designing brand systems and digital user experiences across various platforms and creating immersive multi-sensory experiences. My work has been recognized for design excellence by GDUSA American Graphic Design Awards, The Society of Typographic Arts (STA), Communication Arts (CA), AIGA Blue Ridge, the Indigo Design Award, and DNA Paris Design Awards.
I’ve worked at design agencies such as Team Design and Butter Studio, and I’m currently a motion designer at A+ Photography & Film Production, a production company owned by the legendary American designer Peter Arnell. Over the years, I’ve successfully contributed to a wide range of projects, including visual identities, web designs, digital campaigns, animations, and videos. My clients include Pfizer, Thom Browne, Reynolds, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Lumanity, and Empower. For each project, I seek innovative approaches to solve design problems, achieving the highest level of execution.
With an interdisciplinary background, I view design challenges from multiple angles, leading to more innovative solutions. Additionally, my emphasis on visual, motion, and interactive design is particularly powerful as industry boundaries increasingly blur.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
The biggest surprise for others is that I have an identical twin who is also in art. People are usually shocked when they see us together in person. Growing up, we did almost everything together and have always been best friends. Our creativity inspired each other. When we were kids, we entertained ourselves by creating imaginary brands with paper and markers, drawing logos and graphic assets for our products, and then selling our brands to each other.
Last year, we collaborated on a two-person show, “The Art of Bonding,” at FSU’s MoFA gallery. The exhibition showcased our multidisciplinary art, delving into the complexity of human connection and inviting visitors to reflect on the varied bonds of humanity. This exhibition also celebrated the special bond between me and my twin, highlighting the importance and duality of individuality and connection. Through our work, we uncovered the unique perspective of twin sisters while simultaneously speaking to the broader theme of human interconnectedness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hubaodesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubao_design/
