We heard that you studied architecture. In terms of designing, what aspects do you find interesting or attracting in product design that you wouldn’t find in architecture?

Well, product design is certainly a much smaller-scale project compared to architecture. What we like about it is that this is design that is very intimate to the end-user, it is something small, personal object that the user interacts with on a daily basis.

Silhouette Vase

ChilliChilly’s design is not just decorative design, but there is a little twist to it, which is very distinctive. You state that “design is recognising the art of living”, what aspects or when in daily life do you find these inspirations?

For example, the Silhouette Vase, I always thought the study of the optical illusion of the Rubin’s vase to be very interesting; and I thought that it’d be quite romantic if the two figures looking at each other had a dreamy night scene in the background rather than staring plainly at one another. So, this is something that I probably picked up from my interest of art and living… and applied it to my design. So what people are buying from ChilliChilly is really an accumulative of things I saw and experienced before.

ChilliChilly has released collaborative projects/products with various artists from all over the world. How do you select these artists, do you have a set of standards for the selection?

Yes, there were several projects that were done in collaboration with other artists. And I think what initiated these projects were my admiration of their respective works. And this is a good way to work together with others. So, there weren’t really a set of standards for the selection, rather the selection was stem from my respect for their works.

About the Matching Project initiated by SCV (Shizuoka Contents Valley Consortium) that you are currently participating with its theme of “Kids Corner”, could you explain about the details of your project?

Kids’ furniture is certainly a field that I never explored myself. The process of designing a series that is agreed by all is actually quite difficult, because the project requires that both the kid and the adult parent have to like it. But in the end, I tried to recall what I liked as a kid, and finally found inspiration from my favorite children literature, Where The Wild Things Are (by Maurice Sendak), as basis of my design.

Your activities are not limited to product design, but also include graphic design, interior design, and interactive design. What’s your next plan and do you have anything that you would like to challenge in the future?

Personally, I am focusing more effort on my own design studio, BE COCO, in graphic design and advertising; as well some more product and spatial design for other companies (more to reveal after it’s in the market).

While Clement has moved on to work for his mom in the trading business. And Ben is doing some exhibition design.

ChilliChilly
Address: Unit 39, Wah Lok Industrial Center, 31-41 Shan Mei Street, Fotan, New Territories, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2543 6034
https://www.chillichilly.net