Meet Hyning Gan

We recently connected with Hyning Gan and have shared our conversation below.

Hyning, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

I keep my creativity alive by approaching it as a dialogue between different facets of my life rather than a finite resource to manage. As someone who works across commercial design, freelance projects, and personal initiatives, I’ve found that creativity flourishes when these areas inform each other rather than compete. My work at NBC Entertainment might inspire a personal project about making design more accessible, while my experiments with typography could influence how I approach a client brief. This cross-pollination of ideas keeps my creative practice dynamic and evolving.

The key is staying connected to what genuinely excites me beyond the boundaries of art and design. My interests in psychology, philosophy, and sociocultural criticism often provide fresh perspectives that help recontextualise my work outside the design bubble. This interdisciplinary approach, combined with my experience growing up between Hong Kong, Singapore, and now New York, infuses my practice with diverse cultural and intellectual influences. Sometimes creativity means working on multiple projects simultaneously, letting them influence each other organically; other times, it means stepping back to read, observe, and let ideas percolate. What matters most is maintaining curiosity and purpose in everything I create, always asking how each project can contribute to making design more intentional, accessible, and impactful.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My design practice is rooted in intentional, culturally informed storytelling that bridges people, ideas, and experiences. I thrive at the intersection of design, community, and human behaviour—whether I’m art directing a photoshoot, designing interactive experiences, or crafting brand identities, my work is always driven by a desire to make design more accessible and emotionally resonant. With a background in photography and an interest in perception psychology, I bring a multidisciplinary lens to every project, ensuring that design is not just visually compelling but deeply connected to its audience.

What excites me most is how design can create meaningful connections—across cultures, disciplines, and communities. This philosophy extends to my professional work at NBC Entertainment, where I create designs that engage diverse audiences, and in my independent projects that challenge traditional design education models. Through initiatives like Peace of Mind Hong Kong and Beauty Access I’ve worked to bring high-quality, intentional design to nonprofit organisations, working to show that design can be a tool for empowerment and real-world impact.

Currently, I’m exploring new ways to share design thinking through different mediums and platforms, aiming to make design more democratic while preserving its power to shape perspectives. My most recent project is an interactive exhibition—combining print and digital media—showing at Typeforce 13 in Chicago at the end of January 2025. Whether through designing activations or writing design critique for publications, my goal is to create work that resonates beyond aesthetics—work that sparks curiosity, fosters connection, and makes design a space for everyone.

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

Three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are unwavering self-belief, interdisciplinary thinking, and effective communication.

Creative careers are filled with uncertainty, and having conviction in my vision—especially when the path isn’t always clear—has allowed me to take risks, push boundaries, and create work that feels authentic. There are times I even surprise myself with my own “delusion”—but as they say, *fake it till you make it.* That belief has pushed me to keep experimenting, refining, and trusting in the process. Interdisciplinary thinking has been just as essential; blending photography, psychology, and design has given me a unique lens for storytelling, allowing my work to exist beyond the limits of a single medium and thrive at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Lastly, effective communication—both visually and verbally—has been key to making my ideas resonate. Whether through branding, editorial design, or digital experiences, the ability to distill complex ideas into clear, impactful narratives transforms design from something simply seen into something truly understood. More importantly, learning how to articulate a designer’s perspective to those outside the creative world is crucial—bridging that gap ensures that design isn’t just for designers but for the broader world it aims to influence. Ultimately, your work is only as powerful as how you communicate it.

Though I’m still early in my own journey, my advice is to trust your perspective, embrace the intersections of your interests, and refine how you express your ideas. The most compelling work often comes from those who fully own their creative voice, remain open to learning across disciplines, and focus not just on what they create, but on how it connects with others.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the biggest challenges I’m currently facing is balancing creative integrity with the realities of commercial viability. As a designer, I want my work to be intentional, thought-provoking, and impactful, but I’m also navigating the industry’s demands, where design often needs to fit within client expectations, trends, or financial constraints. Striking that balance—creating work that is both meaningful and sustainable—requires constant negotiation.

To overcome this, I’ve been intentional about curating the projects I take on, ensuring they align with my values while still allowing room for experimentation and growth. I’m also expanding my writing and design thinking practice, using it as a way to critically engage with the industry, challenge existing norms, and carve out a space where I can contribute meaningfully beyond just execution. I see this challenge as an opportunity to define my voice, build a creative career on my own terms, and reshape what it means to do impactful design work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hyninggan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hihyning/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hyninggan/

Image Credits

All images and designs are created by me