Meet Daun Choi

We were lucky to catch up with Daun Choi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Daun, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

There are several methods to overcome creativity blocks, and one of them is exposing myself to entirely different fields of design or other forms of art.
Previously, I used to feel overwhelmed by the size of The Met and didn’t visit often, selectively choosing exhibitions that interested me. Now, instead, I sometimes go there without a map, getting lost and wandering around spontaneously to find inspiration. Exploring Egyptian civilization or Arab art exhibitions, which I didn’t often visit before, also brings me new curiosity and inspiration.
Investing in different forms of art also helps. These activities can be seen as hobbies or part of daily routines, such as taking photographs, drawing, or writing. Photography gives me a new perspective on objects, and drawing awakens new ways to express them. Writing helps organize scattered thoughts, clear up stagnant ideas, and clarify things that were unclear, which has been very helpful.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a graphic designer based in NYC. I moved to New York 6 years ago from South Korea to pursue my master’s degree. Currently, I work at a kitchenware company, where I create various brand assets. I enjoy producing designs that integrate closely with users’ daily lives through different media, specializing in developing unique visual languages and guidelines for each brand. In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, writing, strolling around the city, and getting lost in museums.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I’m not entirely sure if I’m the right person to answer this question since I’m also on this journey myself. If I were to list three things that define my current self, they would be maintaining a curious and learning mindset, self-discipline, and empathy.
I try to make the most of the advantages of this city to keep my creativity alive. The two main reasons I like this city are its diversity and the easy accessibility to art. This culturally rich city expands my horizon, and it is crucial and precious time for me as a designer. Coming from a homogeneous culture, discovering different ways of life and cultures I hadn’t anticipated is very inspiring. It’s also comforting, as if affirming that I’m okay just as I am. Watching the diverse people on the subway and exploring the different atmospheres in each neighborhood and alley as I wander the city streets without a destination is enjoyable.
Additionally, I consciously make efforts to expose myself to new things and art. Browsing interesting stores, bookshops, and magazine shops adds to the fun. It’s also inspiring to visit various museums in this city, as there are many, and explore different ones every weekend.
I’ve realized over the past year that I’ve become too much of a consumer of art. This year, I’m striving to remain a creator by trying new illustration methods or learning new design tools.
Communicating with creative friends also greatly helps keep my creativity alive. We can empathize each other as designers, and because we work in different fields, we often learn new things from each other and find plenty of inspiration.
As a designer who needs to create new things every day, I feel having a consistent routine is helpful. The routine I follow includes running, reading books, and writing.
I started running from last year. At first, it was challenging, but I felt an inexplicable sense of achievement, which motivated me to continue. Running not only benefits my physical health but also greatly helps my mental health. Getting up early in the morning to sweat it out with a run helps loosen up my body and clears my headspace, making it a great way to start the day.
After running, I take a refreshing shower, read the Bible, meditate, and pray. I take time to reflect on the direction of my life, concerns, and things I’m thankful for, and I record these thoughts.
These routines constantly give me strength to live each day, prompt me to question if I’m heading in the right direction, whether on a large scale or a small scale, and help me reflect on the gratitude of everyday life.
I used to be someone who struggled with empathy and was simply a rational person.
In college, where pursuing a double major was mandatory, I developed an interest in design and chose it as one of my majors. Furthermore, I selected counseling psychology, believing that design is a discipline that requires understanding people. Psychology had been a subject of interest since childhood, but it was merely a fascination with understanding human behavior. While studying counseling psychology, I learned that while studying people theoretically is important, empathy is crucial to understanding people’s hearts through the process of reflecting on my childhood and practicing counseling.
Additionally, Stefan Sagmeister’s class in graduate school prompted me to think about empathy as a designer. His class, titled ‘Design Touch,’ was projects aimed at moving people’s hearts through design. For the first project, I targeted the RA in my dormitory, who always maintained a smile despite the exhaustion from studying and fulfilling RA duties. For her, I created a package featuring illustrations inspired by our dormitory building and gifted her various tea bags with different illustrations. In the second project, I drew portraits of dogs from the Dog Park in Madison Square Park and presented them to dog owners in frames themed around Madison Square Park.
Witnessing people enjoy and be moved by my designs brought me happiness. It was also a time for me to think about the hearts and needs of the people I targeted and contemplate how I could move their hearts as a designer.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Growing up, my parents never mentioned grades specifically, but they never tolerated tardiness or absences. Also, whenever I wanted to pursue something, they taught me to work hard at it, doing my best. Being present and diligent were significant parts of our parents’ educational philosophy, and thanks to that, I was able to cultivate a strong sense of self-discipline, work ethic, and endurance.
After moving away from my parents and going to college, I experienced periods of living irresponsibly, which I later realized didn’t benefit me in any meaningful way.
Now, living independently in a different country, I understand that maintaining my routines is crucial to preventing my life from falling apart. This realization is helping me develop self-discipline and adhere to my routines effectively.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://donnachoi.myportfolio.com/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/donnadaunchoi