Yuewei Shi
1. Congratulations on winning the NY Product Design Awards! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?
I’m Yuewei Shi, a designer and illustrator based in New York, specializing in packaging and brand experience design.
My work focuses on creating memorable, emotionally resonant experiences through visual storytelling, structural and material exploration, and thoughtful design systems. I translate everyday observations into imaginative yet grounded brand narratives, designing cohesive systems of visual and physical touchpoints that define how a brand is experienced.
With experience in both in-house and agency environments across the beauty and manufacturing industries, I’ve developed branding, packaging, and product designs for beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands, as well as culture-shaping merchandise and branded experiences. I work across the entire design process, from concept development to prototyping and production, balancing creative expression with usability, scalability, and business goals.
My approach is intentional and unexpected, integrating strategic thinking, innovation, and sustainability to deliver designs that are playful, distinctive, and enduring. I believe great design goes beyond visual appeal; it solves problems, shapes experiences, and leaves a lasting impact.
2. What does being recognized in the NY Product Design Awards mean to you?
Being recognized by the NY Product Design Awards is a meaningful affirmation of my design philosophy. It reinforces my belief that experience-driven design, grounded in storytelling and experimentation, can create impact beyond aesthetics. It motivates me to continue pushing how design shapes the way people experience brands.
3. How has this achievement impacted your career, team, or agency, and what opportunities has it brought so far?
This recognition has strengthened my confidence in pursuing concept-led, experience-focused work. It has encouraged deeper conversations around narrative, prototyping, and experimentation, and has opened opportunities for projects that value both creative exploration and strategic thinking.
4. What role does experimentation play in your creative process? Can you share an example?
Experimentation is central to my creative process and is often where the most meaningful ideas emerge. I frequently explore packaging structures as a storytelling tool, using form and interaction to elevate the unboxing experience and make packaging an integral part of how a brand is felt and remembered.
5. What's the most unusual source of inspiration you've ever drawn from for a project?
I often draw inspiration from outside the design industry. Observing everyday behaviors, cultural rituals, or systems in unrelated fields helps me break familiar patterns and approach design challenges from unexpected perspectives.
6. What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the design process?
Design is not just about visual impact. Strong outcomes come from defining the right problem, understanding user experience, and iterating through research, prototyping, and testing. The visuals are the result of that process, not the starting point.
7. How do you navigate the balance between meeting client expectations and staying true to your ideas?
I approach this balance as collaborative problem-solving rather than compromise. Through research and open communication, I align creative ideas with client goals while addressing the motivations behind their decisions. This allows the work to stay both strategic and authentic.
8. What were the challenges you faced while working on your award-winning design, and how did you overcome them?
One of the challenges was prototyping the bottles independently. I used 3D printing to test scale, ergonomics, and details, allowing me to refine the concept through hands-on experimentation and ensure it translated into a convincing physical experience.
9. How do you recharge your creativity when you hit a creative block?
I step away from design and shift my mindset. Creating distance helps me return with a clearer perspective and often leads to unexpected ideas.
10. What personal values or experiences do you infuse into your designs?
I strive to create work that supports people both practically and emotionally. Empathy, responsibility, and care toward users and the environment are values I aim to infuse into every design decision.
11. What is an advice that you would you give to aspiring designers aiming for success?
Stay curious about life, not just design. Observation, openness, and persistence help shape a meaningful and sustainable design practice.
12. If you could collaborate with any designer, past or present, who would it be and why?
I’m most excited by collaborations with designers who bring perspectives very different from my own. Those contrasts often lead to more unexpected and rewarding creative outcomes.
13. What's one question you wish people would ask you about your work, and what's your answer?
I wish more people would ask what makes a design meaningful. For me, every project needs a clear intention, whether it’s supporting users, improving experiences, or considering sustainability. That purpose is what gives the work depth and longevity.
