Who the hell is Sofia Wang?

We only work with cool people. And we thought it was time to share some of their thoughts with the world, so we’re chatting with members of the DixonBaxi studio about what makes them who they are. Introducing Sofia, a skateboarder with an innate understanding of synaesthetic design, and one of our interns.

Who are you and what do you do?

‍Hey, I’m Sofia and I’m interning as a motion designer at DB.

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What’s your story?

‍I was born in Portugal but raised in China, then during my teenage years I moved back to Portugal, stayed there until I had to move again for university in London. So whenever people ask me about where I’m from, it’s always difficult to give a simple answer. This multi-cultural experience naturally led to my pursuit of art and design, and it’s helped me to see things from different lenses. Recently I graduated from University of the Arts London, studying graphic and media design. I developed my interest in motion graphics during the final year of my study, which derived from my exploration in 3D works. I must admit that I’m still in the process of searching and finding what I like, and working at DB as a motion intern is a great starting point!

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What are you working on right now?

‍Currently I’m working on the development of motion behaviours for an entertainment brand logo. The project is still at the early stages, so it’s been fun to explore different ideas and exciting to see the icons become ‘alive’ through animation!

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“My experience being in different countries and cultures made me realise that there are so many different and diverse perspectives around the world. So I believe that design is an important medium to build connections between these people and perspectives, especially during difficult times like now.”

Describe your working style in 3 words.

‍Abstract, interpret, sensory.

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Tell us about some of your interests. What are you into?

‍In terms of design, I love all kinds of motion graphics (3D/2D), creative coding/computing, and generative design. I like to explore the topic of ‘design for synaesthesia’, in other words, designing for multi-sensory experiences, which can evoke many different emotions/feelings/thoughts.

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Speaking of other interests, I like to skateboard and play ukulele! I sometimes boulder as well, but not that advanced yet. I also cannot live without horror content, and video games. 🙂

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Do you think design can change the world? How?

‍I think design is powerful as a tool and of course it can help to change the world (e.g. building bridges between cultures/ways of thinking and living), but I also believe it takes a lot more than just design to truly make an impact on the societies we live in.

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If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

‍The ‘trend’ of overconsumption/production.

What’s the last song you listened to?

‍‘saudade, saudade’ by MARO.

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Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?

‍My experience being in different countries and cultures made me realise that there are so many different and diverse perspectives around the world. So I believe that design is an important medium to build connections between these people and perspectives, especially during difficult times like now. Another motivation for my practice is of course the need for self-expression. I’ve always had a strong desire to leave my imprints in the world through creative methods, whether it’s drawing, painting, singing.

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What’s your definition of good design?

‍I think good design should meet the needs of people, and be useful and practical.

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