Xufeng Wang is a Chinese graphic designer and illustrator based in London and Guangzhou. He studied English literature at Xi 'an Jiaotong University, China. During his undergraduate, he studied at the University of California San Diego, United States as an exchange student. He is currently studying Visual Communication at the Royal College of Art, London.
He previously worked as a graphic designer in an advertising agency in Guangzhou.
Xufeng Wang focuses on exploring social issues and fragile humanity in the context of graphic design. He believes that design can solve problems, improve communication efficiency, create aesthetic and happiness and provide new perspectives to understand this world. He uses all materials suitable for his intentions, focusing on branding, publishing, installation and digital design.
Konbini of Monster (K of M) is an imaged convenience store that sells "monster-like ideas". On the company's official website, you can choose and buy all kinds of daily necessities produced by us. Each of our items carries a "monster idea", What you need to buy this product is not money, but a unique idea. Your ideas can be the same as or different from "Monster Ideas". In the end, through this project, people who have different ideas about a theme get the same beautiful goods.
Monster is a strange-looking creature with the ability to destroy the social stability and moral norms of human beings. When it comes to monsters, people avoid them for fear of being hurt. However, in this increasingly divided world, everyone chooses to stick to their own views and refute others' views, as if "right" and "wrong" are absolute. Therefore, when I look at society from the perspective of monsters and make monster-like remarks, people's stubborn self-awareness will be greatly impacted. I hope that after being shocked and angry, people can understand that there is no right or wrong in this world and that one thing can be interpreted differently, thus paying more attention to tolerance and accepting different ideas.
By means of online shopping websites, we can narrow the distance between research questions and audiences, and explore serious and grand questions in a life-like, fun and novel way.
This project is ten posters I made in order to respond to ten maxims I proposed in Deep Space Session, Royal College of Art.
Deep Space
Deep Space responds to the concerns of its participants in a very focused way. It takes the objectives you have set for your project and investigates their potential in detail, moving into the heart of those subjects and practices. This will inevitably involve deep research on both material and conceptual levels. It requires personal commitment, such that we can move from the general to the particular. Through this approach, your project will be investigated in detail, while responding to the shared concerns of the group.
Ten Maxims
Embrace failure
Repetition
Use the most suitable visual language to convey a clear message
‘What if…’
The design has never been completed
There is no absolute originality in creativity
The idea is a flowing process
Set up interdisciplinary teams
Taking chaos as the source of creativity
Recognize the power of blankness
Deep Space｜The Landing is a collaborative project specially designed for the Deep Space session of the Royal College of Art. In this session, each participant was asked to put forward their own ten creative methodologies, which were finally collected into a book. In addition, we held a meeting for the public to discuss the influence of creative principles in reality with creative practitioners, creative researchers and students from art colleges from all over the world.
The Landing is an electronic publication of Deep Space Sessions, Royal College of Art. It collects personal creative methodologies and corresponding visual works of each participant. As a member of the design team, We focus on designing a book that can reflect the characteristics of Deep Space.
Inspired by the universe and constellations, this book regards each participant as a shining star, exploring the unknown universe and establishing the connection between each other.
Design Team
Jin-Hoo Park
Jingxi Wang
Xufeng Wang
Editorial Team
Claudia Battisti
Jonny Drewek
Ken Hollings
Promotion Team
Claudia Battisti
Gun Lee
Kelly Macbeth Mackay
Special thanks to Adrian Shaughnessy, Ken Hollings, Sheena Calvert for Advisings and Encouragements!
In the Guardian's yearly summary of 2020, the data shows that the number of fathers caring for children has increased by 58% in Britain, which is great progress in gender equality. I think it is an interesting topic that fathers begin to undertake far more childcare than before.
When I did the brand research of IKEA, I found that IKEA is more willing to regard itself as a provider of a better life than just a provider of furniture. At this point, I realized that the topic of “fatherhood” and IKEA would make an interesting combination. Because most fathers and their children will spend most of the time together in their room, and the environment of the room will have a subtle influence on these intimate relationship.
Besides, I realized that the definition of fatherhood is constantly changing. In this age, it has become diversified and rich. Therefore, if the father and children can personalize the environment of their room with IKEA products, it will definitely be a more meaningful thing.
Through research, I found that IKEA holds an IKEA Art Event every year since 2015. I hope to take the art event as an opportunity to introduce an interior design competition for IKEA customers. Participants must be a father and son or a father and daughter, who will buy IKEA products to decorate their rooms under a certain budget. Then take part in this competition by submitting their room photos.
On the individual level, this kind of competition can promote the father and children to form a more meaningful intimate relationship, and on the social level, it also makes a positive response to the issues of gender equality and the elimination of father stereotypes.
I designed the visual system and application for this competition. The main body of the graphic is 10 spheres with different structures to symbolize the diversified father-son relationship. In the overall visual style, I also followed the feathers of IKEA design style, which are modern, concise and timeless.
In this unfinished project, I plan to publish a book and organize a reading conference with the theme of existentialism. The name of this book is the same as the project. The publication records articles talking about the pursuit of life meaning, and also collects photos of roads in many different places, expressing that everyone can pursue different life meanings. At the reading conference, participants can have an in-depth conversation on this topic.
In my understanding, on the road means to explore the meaning of life constantly. There is no absolute meaning in this world, but each of us can find our own unique meaning and realizing our own ideal of life, so as to achieve happiness and success.
From the sociological point of view, it reflects criticism of modernity. This project reflects on the negative influences of "concept", "reason" and "old metaphysics" on people's free life in modernism.
I use the Mobius band to express the process of pursuing the meaning of life. And by increasing the size and distance between words, those words show the hardships of this journey.
My original intention in doing this project was to inspire those young people who are as confused as me to find their own meaning and goals in life. Just don't be kidnapped by the mainstream thoughts and authorities of the outside world, keep independence and constantly explore your inner world. Because there is no standard answer and endpoint in a happy and successful life, we should compose our own music on our own.
