My name is Joe Tsao. I am an American designer currently working in Europe. With experiences ranging from Consumer Electronics at Google to Furniture & Housewares at Office for Design, I've found my biggest influences in design are the conversations I have with the people and objects around me.
Here you will find an archive of a few of my favorite dialogues.
Approach
I seek to create thoughtful products whose design begins from quiet observation of how to feel. From here, a lot of dialogue takes place between the human and the product to help shape that idea.
Conversations are my biggest influences – to me, the creative path is an archive of conversation, a perpetual dialogue. Mine is not a shouting match, but strives rather to be a still, small, whisper amidst the noise of consumerism. It is here, in the space between the notes, that I find the dialogue of design most compelling: tiny moments of beauty that I seek to bring to light in my work.
There is no need to shout, no need for fanfare – these are insecurities born from fear of creating something ordinary. Because if design is for the ordinary, which it is, then anything more is superfluous. I choose to weave my thread with tiny, thoughtful conversation.
Manifesto
If it isn’t beautiful, don’t do it.
Comfort is not good grounds for growth.
Take chances. If it hurts, you’re covering new ground.
Think twice before thinking fast. Don’t regret your actions because you put your ego above others.
Design is not a profession of mediocrity. Spineless cowards say: “normal people won’t understand that.” This only shows how small a view you have towards people.
Don’t build for the screen, build for people. One condones dependency, the other inspires autonomy.
Technology is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. Use it as an extension, not a surrogate, of yourself.
Learn the power of saying ‘no.’ Your ‘yes’ will increase with value and your time will grow with intention.
Good taste is not a style – it is execution with a rigor of intellect.
Obsession is not an attitude, it is action measured against time.
