Jo ChunYan is a designer, coach, podcaster and founder of her own design studio. ChunYan’s practice is inspired by the world around her, bringing together colour, form, emotion and visual landscapes to create innovative brand and packaging designs that embody the mission-driven businesses she works with. Her intuitive concepts can be seen across wellness, lifestyle and food industry brands locally and globally.
ChunYan’s design journey started when pursing a double degree in engineering and pharmacology which eventually led to a graduate diploma in graphic design. With over a decade of experience in the brand design space, today her work extends to include co-hosting The Brand Journey podcast, teaching design and mentoring small business owners. In 2019, she authored The Intuition Journal, a guided workbook for creatives and intentional business owners.
In this Colour Box Studio interview, ChunYan reflects on how she discovered a passion for creating at an early age, setting up her dream design studio, and finding clarity through conscious creative practice.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
In my work and life, I have always explored the play between the heart and the mind or creativity and logic.
As a packaging and brand designer, this is truly expressed through the way I work with my clients in bringing to life a design that not only connects emotionally with their desired customers but also physically protects the integrity of the product inside.
How did you start your creative practice and why?
I started my design studio business when I was living in Japan. Originally, I just wanted to build something of my own so that I could serve others creatively. This was a dream come true for me since my uni days as a design student.
Where did you grow up and how has it influenced your practice?
I grew up in Melbourne in the 80s as an only child. As an only child, I occupied my time with drawing and inventing little things using paper and cardboard. I loved creating and being in my own little world – it felt like a beautiful meditation on life.
My parents were both teachers; my dad was a design and art teacher and my mother was a science and maths teacher. As a child, my dad introduced me to art, design and art history. He gently guided and encouraged me to improve my illustration skills and visual eye over time.
Tell us about your past creative projects. What has been your most treasured creation or a highlight so far?
I think my most treasured “creation” has been my design studio. I feel like it has evolved so much along the years and I have loved building all the pieces that has made it what it is today.
I have learned so much and have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many other business owners and help them make their impact in the world.
A few years ago, I wrote and published a journal on intuition. That was wonderfully challenging and fulfilling.
One of the best things that I did last year was start The Brand Journey Podcast (over on Apple podcasts and Spotify). I co-host this with my friend Donají Mejía.
We started the podcast originally because there was so much that we wanted share with our audience around the highs and lows of running a creative and conscious small business. We also had huge fears around public speaking and showing up so we took it upon ourselves to build this skill through our podcast too!
We wanted to have honest conversations about overwhelm, fear, creative burn out, the struggles of social media, visibility, working on projects that feel most aligned and staying true to our values in all we do in our businesses.
Tell us about your current project.
At the moment, I have been spending some time working on a packaging project for an Australian-based business in the natural cosmetics space. I have also been taking on a few more teaching / speaking jobs so preparing a few workshops on branding and the design process.
I have been working as a brand and business mentor for Melbourne Innovation Centre’s Digital Solutions Program for the last four years. I love connecting with other small business owners and helping them find clarity and build the strategic foundations for their brand and business.
As a brand mentor, I am able to see how all the different pieces of a business fits together (their offerings, who they serve, how their brand needs to show up in the world) and see what needs to be refined or changed in order to create further cohesion. Its incredibly rewarding to see other small business owners thrive and find joy in their own brand’s journey.
Who or what inspires your practice?
I recently went to Japan for my honeymoon and was so creatively inspired by the art, museums, spaces, products and packaging that they have there. I love Japanese design philosophy and it was such a joy to see how creativity thrived there.
When I’m back home in Melbourne, my inspiration comes from seeking stillness in order to tease out how I visually see different emotions and feelings in the world around me. I convert what I sense around me into a visual landscape of colour, imagery, lines and shapes. I also love cultivating my spiritual practice which often brings through a lot of clarity.
Where do you feel most creative and why?
At the moment – my office. For work projects, my creativity needs space and time to swirl around my head. It’s like I ask my deeper consciousness to work on something in the background while I go about my day. I then spend some time sitting quietly at my desk to channel it out.
What do you hope audiences take from your work? What’s the best/ worst compliment you’ve received?
For my clients, I want them to feel and see their essence reflected in my work. The best compliment is when people cry – because it connects with them on a deeply personal, emotional level. The worst feedback is when prospective clients say “you are too expensive”.
What gets you through creative challenges or tough industry times?
This year has been financially very tough for the studio. It’s been the year where “Jo tries not to freak out”. Even though this year has felt like a rollercoaster of emotions, I feel like I’m weirdly calm about everything at the moment.
The deep reaslisation I received is that nothing is ever permanent; that business and life will always be in evolution. Sometimes you just need to put one foot in front of the other, be humble and keep moving forwards.
What future projects are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to doing more packaging design projects. I would love to work with a matcha tea brand or a coffee brand (because I love both as part of my morning ritual). I would love to work with a small business with a strong mission for animal welfare and protecting the environment.
Whose work are you digging at the moment?
I love the work by Linda Pappa and David Mourato. They have such a raw, organic way of creating art and music inspired from nature. I love Gian Manik – Gigi has such a magnetic and energetic presence – he has a truly original perspective on the world around him!
Where can we find and follow you online?
Come say hello at @jochunyan.studio on Instagram. My website is at jochunyan.com
If you’re into art and creativity, check out these Colour Box Studio interviews with other creatives: click here.
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