A big congrats to Leanne Gu, one of our 30 TDK Awards’ winners for 2018. A Monash University graduate from Melbourne, her work was chosen by Matt & Tim from Sons and Co: “Leanne, Leanne, Leanne. This is good stuff. It's fun and intellectual - qualities rarely found in the same room together - and the kind of work which suggests a preternatural gift”. We asked Leanne to answer a few questions for next years TDK Awards’ hopefuls.
What was your plan for graduating and what actually happened?
After a pretty fun but very tiring final semester at Uni, I felt a bit burnt out and honestly was just ready to take a break for a few months. I had plans to delve into some personal creative projects that I didn’t have time to pursue during uni, but actually had no intentions of going straight into design work and hadn’t applied for any studio jobs but (gratefully) found myself working with the dudes at U-P, which has been really great.
Any passion projects/collabs you would like to share?
I’m currently in the process of collecting and curating a couple of different visual archive projects which I will be sharing later this year. I’ve also got plans for a few fun projects with my friend (and now housemate) and fellow TDK winner, Gemma Mahoney. Stay tuned.
Where do you think design is heading in the next five years and how will you adapt?
Who knows. We’ll all be figuring it out together in 2023. But if anyone has had any visions, please let me know.
What advice would you give students starting out?
- Don’t put people on pedestals
- Put things in perspective
- Look after your mental health
- Don’t work for free
- Balance work and play
- Get enough sleep (and afternoon naps)
- Surf the weird corner of the inter-webs
- Pursue self-intiated projects
- Don’t hide your work, share it
Where to find Leanne Gu online.
Website: leannegu.xyz
Instagram: @leanne.xyz
