New York, March 29th, 2023

Based in New York, View Source is a transdisciplinary studio focused on ideas, aesthetics, and code. Their team has worked with a wide range of clients from around the world, from Pantone to Vogue Italia to Memento, offering services that include brand strategy, visual identity, digital design and web development.

Jen Yuan is a Partner and Digital Director at View Source. In an interview with TIA, he described his path so far in the industry and highlighted the things that make his agency stand out. He also explained how the pandemic has affected his work and listed the actions that View Source takes to boost innovation.

To kick things off, which “not so touristy” places would you recommend going to when visiting Brooklyn?

Greenpoint! Which happens to be where our office is located. There are plenty of places to eat and drink, such as Little Neck Outpost for quick bites; Le Gamin and Chez Ma Tante for French cuisine; Acre for Japanese food; and Paulie Gee’s for enjoying a slice of pizza while watching the sunset over the Manhattan skyline at Transmitter Park.

There are also many places to shop, such as Bandit Running (which used to be our old office location); Norman Ave, which is full of vintage shops; and Manhattan Ave, host to a few furniture shops and bars. The list goes on, and there are always new places popping up, waiting to be discovered.

For those who aren’t familiar with your career, can you provide an overview?

I have always been interested in design, which led me to spend countless hours on Tumblr as a teenager. By customizing my Tumblr blog, I taught myself how to code and started making Tumblr themes for the community. My creations gained considerable traction, with some of the biggest companies in the world – BeatsByDre, Denny’s, Pokemon, and UNICEF, to name a few – using them.

Equipped with technical skills, a keen eye for aesthetics, and a lot of ambition, I packed my bags and headed to New York. The abundance of opportunities led me down many paths at the same time: designing for startups, building websites for other agencies, and a couple of consulting gigs. However, it was ultimately at Compass where I met my current studio partners.

Frustrated with the all-too-common mistranslations between business operators, designers, and developers, we decided to launch our own creative studio with a focus on branding and digital work. The rest is history!

How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected the way you work?

We launched our studio right at the start of COVID. It was stressful during the initial few weeks, but as online shopping grew exponentially, it led to huge demand for our services and expertise in the e-commerce sector.

As we grew, we expanded our team to over a dozen people through remote work. Communicating effectively online was crucial, so we established an asynchronous infrastructure given that many clients are in different time zones. Although we are setting up a new office and increasing in-person time with the team, those initial years created an efficient foundation for our studio.

What are your main focuses at the moment?

We are currently focused on several exciting branding and website projects, including a few with big names. We’re also in the midst of constructing our new office with a 24’ tall cyclorama wall which will allow us to produce content in the same space where we brainstorm, design, and code. Being able to instantaneously test content in our design process will truly be a game changer, and bring us closer to a full-service offering.

Can you tell us more about how View Source combines ideas, aesthetics, and code to create successful projects?

Our studio removes the gap between idea and implementation. This means that we place equal importance on both strategic thinking and and tactical execution. We do this by building a team of hybrid designer-developers, led by a multitalented senior staff. With interdisciplinary mindsets, we seamlessly translate brand to design to web and innovate in ways which others cannot.

A fundamental aspect of business is encouraging innovation. What steps have you put in place to guarantee this happens in your studio?

It all starts with hiring. We spend a lot of time evaluating a prospect’s cultural fit, as our best ideas come from organic conversations between team members. Additionally, we invest a lot of effort in creating a relaxed and beautiful environment in our space that everyone can enjoy.

When it comes to creating digital ecosystems that connect with audiences, what elements do you believe are the most important for brands to prioritize?

Similar to designing public spaces in real life, digital experiences must be designed with the understanding that visitors come from all walks of life. As a baseline, digital experiences should be intuitive and easy to use. Only after mastering these fundamentals – and gaining a deep understanding of your audience – does the time come to break the rules with novel interfaces and interactions.

Are there any exciting projects that View Source is working on that you can tell us about?

We’re making soap!

They all have incredible scents that are sourced with the best materials, including minimalist to nonexistent packaging.

We released the first batch of branded soap cubes during our holiday party last year, and they were very well received. The 3.5″ square cubes are being placed in people’s homes as objects to display, or intimately lathered over their bodies as they perform their cleansing rituals.

This year, we’re creating a second batch with a local artist Phil Panza, with many more collaborative iterations in the works. We’re keeping the ideas top secret, so keep your eyes peeled on our studio’s Instagram for updates.

What do you think will be the key trends for staying relevant in 2023 and beyond?

Become your own teacher.

What are your thoughts on A.I?

This interview may have been written by A.I.

How would you describe the interactive industry in New York?

Blood. Sweat. Tears.

Just kidding. Being the commercial capital and also the most creatively diverse city of the world, we have a great community of talented designers and clients who are willing to invest in their brand.

As a studio that started out of in the brand-heavy e-commerce space, we’re especially appreciative of this fact, and glad to have a home in NYC.

For those who aren’t familiar with NAMESAKE, can you provide an overview?

NAMESAKE is an emerging fashion label based in Taiwan. Since its debut collection in 2020, the brand has been featured in major press outlets, worn by A-list celebrities, and carried by many respected retail stores. Recently, the brand has been nominated for the LVMH prize, and we’re crossing our fingers for the championship!

The founders gave us complete creative control over the design and development of the website. With such high stakes, we knew that we had to deliver something truly special. The website showcases the brand’s unique style through a menu that mirrors a basketball stadium, hover effects that allude to the brand’s unique weaving technique, an endlessly scrolling community page that shows the brand’s wide reach, and many more features. Moreover, it is built with the purpose of being an e-commerce store, so we had to ensure that none of the creative interactions came at the expense of usability.

For the launch of the project, we’ve put together a launch reel to showcase these unique elements. The site has gone on to win an Awwwards “site of the day” and several other accolades!

Which unusual skill do you pride yourself in having?

Detail-oriented and always curious.

How do you explain what you do for a living to a child?

I read countless online articles, create boxes on a tool called Figma, imagine how they move in my head, and write thousands of lines of code that eventually compile into a webpage. You experience this webpage on your phone, hopefully feeling some kind of way. It’s fun, and you should try it sometime.

Thanks Jen!

• Learn more about View Source at https://view-source.com/
• Follow Jen on social media:

LinkedIn

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• Follow View Source on social media:

Instagram

LinkedIn

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