Meet XINYU ZHANG | Interior designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with XINYU ZHANG and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi XINYU, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My background has influenced my worldview, the way I interact with people and even my design philosophy. I grew up in Southern China in a family that emphasizes traditional Chinese culture. My parents always taught me to do my best and respect the outcome. So when I came to the U.S. on my own to start building a new life, I tried to understand different cultures and challenged myself with unknown difficulties. At the same time, my cultural background allowed me to understand different cultures and people from a more objective point of view. My background has made me more courageous to accept all challenges and has helped me to build my own creative philosophy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My name is Xinyu Zhang, I am an interior designer. I am now mainly doing multi-family design. Regarding my work, I think one of the parts I am most proud of is the exploration of the unique regional culture of the project site. This ability is related to my cultural background. Whenever I start a new project, I focus on the history and culture of the area. These things are the cornerstones that built the city and why people live there. When I tap into these unique cultural identities, I think the interiors I create based on this can make people feel more strongly connected to the space. Each new project is a challenge for me. The reason I am able to capture the cultural identity of each region is because I do enough research. Sufficient research and critical thinking are the main factors to overcome these challenges.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I first came to Atlanta I purchased a CityPass that featured many of Atlanta’s attractions. I followed this CityPass to get to know Atlanta for the first time. I have great memories of Coca-Cola World. The Coca-Cola Company is famous for its products all over the world. I was there to see the drinks that Coca-Cola produces in different parts of the world for people with different cultural backgrounds. I was able to share my own local drinks with visitors from other countries, and I learned how different cultures have different food preferences. It was the first time I had ever visualized intercultural communication.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Throughout my years of study and work experience, I have realized that every piece of advice I have received has been invaluable. I am grateful to all my seniors who gave me advice and professors who encouraged me. They helped me to understand myself and develop my own design philosophy.

Website: https://zhangxinyu9510.wixsite.com/website

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinyu-zhang-id/

Image Credits
Credit: Xinyu Zhang