gooood团队采访世界各地 35岁以下的年轻创意人，他们有的是创业者，有的是普通职员。我们探访众生百相，记录这个时代年轻人的面貌和真实状态，欢迎您的推荐和建议。
第8期为您奉上的是 蔡烈超 。更多关于他：Mario Tsai on gooood

gooood team interviews creative individuals under 35 years old from all over the world, some are pioneering founders, some are ordinary practitioners. gooood is trying to record the authentic living and working states of this era. Your recommendations and suggestions are appreciated!
gooood Under 35 NO.8 introduces Mario Tsai. More: Mario Tsai on gooood

▼ 视频 Video （全文深度采访见下方文字。视频为3分钟精华版，建议选择蓝光1080p观看。）

0

0

gooood x Mario Tsai 蔡烈超

___________
成长与寻找自我
Grow up and find myself

“我小时候动手做了很多东西…然后以前家里各种电器都被我拆过…北京林业大学专业调剂把我调剂到家具设计专业…”

“When I was young, I loved making a lot of handmade things…then I had took apart many different kinds of appliances…Beijing Forestry University transferred me to Major of Furniture Design…”

我老家在湖北农村。当地属于平原，水多且到处是稻田，在这样的环境下成长，使得我对自然及其相关的各方面都抱着平和的态度。我经常跑到邻居木匠家去拿一些小木头玩意儿。我爸爸喜欢画画，我偶尔也画一画。我小时候动手做了很多东西：比如那个时候喜欢足球，看别人玩桌上足球，就利用街上捡回来的材料做了一个桌上足球，这种行为算是对设计的启蒙。

My hometown is a countryside in Hubei province. It lies in a plain, rivers and paddy fields is everywhere. Growing up in such circumstances made me take a peaceful attitude towards natural and other related aspects. I always ran to the carpenter’s house and took some wooden crafts. My dad love drawing, and occasionally I do some drawings too. When I was young, I had made many handmade things, for example, I loved playing football. One day when I saw somebody playing table football, then I made one with some rejected material from street. This behavior is the initiation of design.

▼蔡烈超家乡风光，Mario Tsai’s home town

考大学的时候考过了一本线，因为没有美术学基础，那时候我专业选的工科方向的建筑还有工业设计。北京林业大学专业调剂把我调剂到家具设计专业，我学了一年之后觉得家具设计比工业设计更有趣。

我毕业后有一个想法就是做自己的工作室，但觉得时机不成熟很遥远，于是就先去了一个家具工厂。因为我性格比较强势，在家具工厂到后来有点做不下去了。离开工厂后的半年内我没有工作，跟我父亲商量想带我弟开一个店，做其它事情也需要有经济基础（加上前后才有因果关系），然后我就跟我弟弟全国各地找地方，去了苏州、杭州、福州、北京。经过杭州的大井巷，我们觉得很舒服，感觉来了就不想走，于是在大井巷开了这家店。

I passed the college entrance examination, and then I chose to study Architecture or Industrial Design because of the lack of art foundation. As a result, Beijing Forestry University transferred me to Major of Furniture Design. After a year of study, I thought Furniture Design is more interesting than Industrial Design.

After graduation, I wanted to found my own studio, but the time was not right yet, so I went to a furniture factory firstly. Because of my strong personality, I found it too hard for me to keep on working there. I was out of work for half a year after leaving the factory, then I talked to my father about opening a shop with my little brother, earning some money to do other things. I looked for the place with my brother all over the country. We had been to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou and Beijing. When we passing through the Dajing lane in Hangzhou, felt comfortable and didn’t want to leave anymore, so we opened a shop there.

▼蔡烈超的杭州店铺所有家具和装修由他和弟弟一起完成，Mario Tsai’s shop in Hangzhou: the interior and the furniture were all made and design by him and his brother

____________
回归后的首展告捷
The first victory after coming back

“我想我还是要做设计这一行…参加了第一年的DOD，当时反响还可以…”

“I thought that I still have to do the design…The first year to participate in DOD, the response was good…”

但我想我还是要做设计这一行，自己毕竟有这方面的专长。我看到上海国际家具展有一个给年轻设计师的区域DOD，就想参加试试。但那个时候我根本没有作品，于是就在三个星期之内像是闭关一样创作了四五件作品，包括最早的椅子，还有鸵鸟边桌。同时我自己还做了一个全英文的网页。接着我就给DOD负责人打电话，把网页推给他们，他们觉得我的作品挺好，同意让我去参加。

为了顺利参展，我7月份就开始去准备家具打样，当时没有任何工厂愿意帮我做，我只能自己去解决问题。于是我租了一个车库，买了设备，然后去钢材市场买了钢材，回来自己切割和焊接。家具的实木木材部分在杭州西郊有一个小型工厂愿意帮助我做，那段时间我每天往返来回要四五个小时。工厂帮我做难度比较高的地方，我自己就做切、裁、刨的部分。第一批的样品顺利做好后，就参加了第一年的DOD。当时反响还可以，当时一个温州品牌商买了一把椅子的版权，那个时候大概赚了三万块钱，觉得还挺好的，就想更深入地去尝试家具设计。

I thought that I still had to do the design, because I have experience in this area. I found that there was an exhibition named DOD which only for the young designers in Shanghai International Furniture Expo, and I decided to attend this exhibition. I didn’t have any products that time, so I designed five works in three weeks, including the first chair and the Ostrich side-table. At the same time I built a website in English. After that I called the person who was in charge of DOD, and sent the website to them, they thought my works was good and agreed to let me attend DOD.

In order to attend the exhibition successfully, I started to prepare the furniture prototypes in July, but no factory was willing to help me, I could only solve the problem by myself. I rented a garage and bought some equipments, then I went to buy some steel in a steel market, after that I cut and welded these steel all by myself. Fortunately, there was a small factory, located in the western of Hangzhou, willing to help me make the wooden part of the furniture. I spent 4 to 5 hours on the road to the factory everyday. The factory helped me do the difficult parts, and I finished the parts of cutting, slicing and plane. After finishing the first patch of sample, I participated in my first exhibition. The response was good, there was a Wenzhou brand bought the copyright of one of my chair which paid me 30 thousand yuan, I felt so good and wanted to go deep into furniture design.

▼早期亲手制作家具，Mario Tsai was doing his design all by himself

▼几何椅：第一件销售出去的作品，Geometry Chair is the first chair he sold

___________
在国际崭露头角
Emerging in the international market

“2017年初参加斯德哥尔摩的展，拿到四个国际品牌的合作协议…品牌是我梦寐以求想合作的，他们突然来找到我，让我感觉好像在做梦。”

“In early 2017, I got the chance to cooperate with four brands from Stockholm Furniture Fair…which I’ve been dreaming of，they found me suddenly and made me feel like I was dreaming.”

但仅仅是在国内参展不够。如果要跟国际的品牌合作，还是要多出去参加国际展。于是我去尝试参加了一个年轻德国设计师的展览。在那里，我遇到了我的第一个国外客户，是一个意大利品牌，他们把我鸵鸟的边桌给收了。我们后来反复去国外去参展，虽然没有赚多少钱，但是蛮开心的。

But attending the exhibition in China is not enough. If we want to cooperate with international brands, we need to attend more international exhibitions. So I decided to attend a German exhibition which held for the young designers. And then I met my first foreign customer there. It was a Italian brand who bought the copyright to my Ostrich side-table. Afterwards I attended the exhibition aboard repeatedly, I felt so happy although hadn’t earn so much money.

▼被意大利品牌Valsecchi 1918收入的鸵鸟边桌在米兰家具展亮相，the Ostrich was firstly appeared in the Salone del Mobile Milano

▼鸵鸟边桌，Ostrich

2016年有大品牌找我合作，我觉得这一切来得挺突然的，然后开始慢慢合作。到了2016年底参加斯德哥尔摩的展，拿到四个品牌的合作协议，其中三个是丹麦品牌和还有一个是挪威品牌。今年业务面一下打开了，合作的品牌已经有十几个。这个过程走下来，我收获了很多突如其来的幸福感，同时有时候还蛮惊心。

印象最深就是去工厂打样没人帮。第一把椅子的样品不够好，然后到了第二年我接触到的设备就都很好，所以我把样品重新又自己做了一遍，最后出来的样品很好。在做样品的过程中，我在工厂反复调试的过程让我印象深刻。然后这些问题现在都被很好的解决了。另外一个让我觉得印象比较深刻的是会有一些品牌突如其来的找到我们：比如像丹麦的品牌。这个品牌是我以前梦寐以求想合作的，他们突然来找到我，让我感觉好像在做梦。我觉得未来可能会有越来越多的这样的合作，所以对未来有期待感。

In 2016, a famous brand came to establish the business cooperation with us, it was a great surprise to me, and we started cooperating gradually. By the end of 2017, we got the chance to cooperate with four brands from the Stockholm Furniture Fair, three of them are Danish brands and the other one is Norwegian. So far this year, our business has developed widely, the brands we cooperate with are more than ten. Through it all, I harvested a lot of happiness which came to me suddenly, at the same time the process was breathtaking.

The deepest impression is nobody helped me to finish the furniture prototypes in the factory. The sample of the first chair was not good enough, the next year I found the better equipment, so I made the sample again, and the final sample is very good. In the process of proofing, I was impressed by the repeated debugging in the factory. These problems have been solved prefect now. Another thing that impressed me most is that some brands find us suddenly: just like the Danish brand which I dream to cooperate with. They found me suddenly and made me feel like I was dreaming. I think that there will be more and more cooperations likes this in the future, so I always have great expectations for the future.

▼2016年后越来越多的设计作品问世，many of his projects are coming out from the year 2016

____________________
做设计因为只是喜欢设计而已
Working in design just because I like it

“目前市面上很多人都在做基本款的桌子或者沙发。如果我要去做…这种行为有点像资源重复…所以我要去做相对来说更有价值的事情，对品牌提升更有意思的事情，把设计师的价值达到最大化。”

“At present, many brands make the basic table and sofa on the market. If I do the same thing…it’s just like a resource repetition…so I need to do something more valuable, more helpful for the brand promotion, so as to maximize the value of the designer.

国内的设计师相对来说普遍情况是做比较同质化的产品然后进行售卖；但设计服务是以设计输出为概念的，因此国外的设计师大多会跟品牌合作。如果一个设计师要做品牌，就需要管生产、销售，各方面等等，这会把很多精力分散出去。我一直都仅仅想做设计而已，我只是喜欢设计而已。

Compared to overseas, domestic designers would like to sell the products which are homogenous；But actually, design service is based on outputting design concepts, therefore most foreign designers would like to cooperate with brands. If a designer prepares to build a brand, he has to manage production, marketing, and all the other aspects, it will distract a lot of energy. The only thing I want to do is design, I just love it.

▼追求卓越，以小团队作战的蔡烈超工作室，Mario Tsai’s studio depends on a small group of work

▼认真工作的蔡烈超，Mario Tsai is devoted in his design works

我们现在的作品比较偏向有实验性但不缺少实用性的方向。目前市面上很多人都在做基本款的桌子或者沙发，如果我要去做，就要找好的设备和好的供应商，这种行为有点像资源重复。同时我跟这些品牌竞争还不一定有优势，所以我要去做相对来说更有价值的事情，对品牌提升更有意思的事情，把设计师的价值达到最大化。

The products we are designing now are not only experimental, but also useful. At present, many brands make the basic table and sofa on the market. If I do the same thing, I need to find a better equipment and supplier, but it’s just like a resource repetition. At the same time, I do not necessarily have the advantage of competing with these brands, so I need to do something more valuable, more helpful for the brand promotion, to maximize the value of the designer.

▼设计师价值最大化：实用性突出的绅士镜（点击这里查看更多），to make the most value of the designer: the practical Gentleman Mirror (click here to view more)

▼设计师价值最大化：实验性设计，可自由组装的Press tables，to make the most value of the designer: the design encourages the users to assemble the Press tables by themselves

____________
中国的危机与机遇
Crisis and opportunity in China

“国外品牌都觉得中国的消费市场真的很大。中国家具品牌在这几年时间如果还不好好把设计市场做好，还没有一些突破性的大改变，那等到国外品牌一旦适应中国市场，知道怎么样去做营销，怎么样去做推广的时候，那就真的就来不及了。”

“Many foreign brands feel that the Chinese market is really big. If Chinese furniture brands do not make progress in the design market and make some breakthrough in the next few years ,it will be too late when these foreign brands adapt to the Chinese market and understand how to do marketing and how to make promotion.

中国的家居市场跟国外的家居市场区别巨大。国内的家具市场主要集中在红星美凯龙这种主流卖场中，淘宝所占分量其实还是比较小的。另一方面欧洲的品牌划分出不同的方向：意大利经典家具在中国卖得很好，那是奢侈品级别的家具，也是彰显个人身份的象征；北欧品牌现在尝试进入中国，他们家具、灯具、饰品都是整套，其实卖的是北欧生活方式而并不是仅仅是卖产品。国内的家居市场还没有注重到生活方式和设计的阶段，还是在于消费材料。现在大家总是说我的家居是全实木，就是在消费实木这个阶段，因此对设计的关注会丢失。国人现在还没有进入消费设计的阶段，等到80后或者90后真正能有控制财富的阶段，我觉得中国真正的消费家具时代才会到来。

国外品牌都觉得中国的消费市场真的很大。中国家具品牌在这几年时间如果还不好好把设计市场做好，还没有一些突破性的大改变，那等到国外品牌一旦适应中国市场，知道怎么样去做营销，怎么样去做推广的时候，那就真的就来不及了。中国高端市场几年之后肯定会比较成熟。但中国高端品牌没有几个能跟意大利大品牌设计相比，比不了，然后就算能比得了，价格好像也不比意大利品牌便宜多少。所以几年之后如果中国品牌还没有进步就很危险。

The China’s furniture market is very different from the market abroad. Domestic furniture market mainly focus on the mainstream market such as MACALLINE. However, Taobao’s market share is still small. On the other hand, European brands are divided into different directions: the Italy classic furniture which is considered as extravagances sold well in China. It is also a symbol of personal identity; Many Nordic brands are trying to open the Chinese market, they always sell furniture, lights and home accessories by a set, because they hope to sell the lifestyle from northern Europe but not only the products. On the contrary, the domestic market have not reached the stage of emphasizing lifestyle and design, they still focus on the amount of material used . Now everyone always says that my furniture are all made of wood, which shows that most of the people are just focusing on the amount of material used but not the design of these furniture. The Chinese have not entered the stage of consumer design yet, wait until the time when 80’s and 90’s can actually control the wealth ,that would be the real era of consuming furniture in China.

Many foreign brands feel that the Chinese market is really big. If Chinese furniture brands do not make progress in the design market and make some breakthrough in the next few years ,it will be too late when these foreign brands adapt to the Chinese market and understand how to do marketing and how to make promotion. China’s high-end furniture market will be more mature in a few years. But few of China’s high-end brands are not comparable to Italy’s major brands ,even if there is any comparability, the price doesn’t seem to be lower than Italy’s brand. So it’s very dangerous if the Chinese brand doesn’t make any progress.

▼如今蔡烈超作品已成系列出现并传达出成套的生活理念， the design should sell the lifestyle but not only the products

___________
多给年轻人机会
Provide more opportunities for young people

“中国的年轻设计师更了解中国人做事的行事风格…以后的大牌设计师都是现在的年轻人。”

“Young Chinese designers know more about Chinese style… Top designers will come from them in the future.”

中国品牌现在需要一个整体的方案：包括产品的，品牌的设计；品牌的策略；品牌的营销。现在有蛮多品牌知道要向这个方向去做，但是中国目前在这方面的人才储备还是太少。现在中国企业想找国外设计师来帮忙品牌提高，但是国外设计师很难适应中国市场，因为思维方式差异太大，在这一点上中国的年轻设计师更有优势，因为我们更了解中国人做事的行事风格，所以中国年轻设计师目前来说很有机会。设计师借着品牌来提升自己的知名度，品牌也会依托设计师来推动品牌发展，这是一个相辅相成的过程。我觉得中国的品牌需要给年轻人施展空间，因为以后的大牌设计师都是现在的年轻人。需要多给年轻人机会。

Chinese brands need a whole set of project: including the design of products and branding, strategy and marketing. Many brands know they should take some initiatives in this direction, but China still lack of talents in this area currently. Now many Chinese enterprises want to ask foreign designers for help in order to improve the brand value, but it’s difficult for foreign designers to adapt to Chinese market because of the huge differences between the concepts. On this point, young Chinese designers have an advantage over them. Because they know more about Chinese style, so young Chinese designers have a lot of opportunities for the time being. Designers enhance the visibility by cooperating with the brand, and the brand improves corporation development with the help of designers. It’s a process of supplementing each other. I think Chinese brand should provide broader space for young people to display, because top designers will come from them in the future. Young people deserve more opportunities.

▼以中国传统元素为创新设计理念的“灯笼”系列作品（点击这里查看更多），Lantern lighting series: inspired by ancient Chinese portable lanterns (click here to view more)

____________
与品牌合作的流程
Cooperation procedure with brands

“切入点通常是可见的作品或理念…市场上的品牌非常实际，考量设计师就看设计师给哪些品牌做过，有什么样的案例等等这些可以看得到的东西…另一方面，我们借助与各种客户的合作，拓宽了对各种材料与工艺的使用…为了市场去妥协是没有必要的…设计点丢掉的时候，市场也丢掉了。”

“The pointcut is usually a visible object or concept… Brand in the market is very practical, therefore, they consider a designer according to his experience cases for other brands, which is very realistic… On the other hand, we widen the scope of using various materials and technologies… It’s unnecessary to make a compromise of marketing… When we lose design, our marketing will be lost too.”

品牌通过展会看到满意的设计师作品就会收录在他们下一季产品的目录中，然后品牌会和设计师沟通清楚下一季希望推出的作品，邀请设计师设计。切入点通常是可见的作品或理念。我的风格挺明显的，所以不少品牌觉得我作品的调性挺适合他们。通常情况下品牌不会只让设计师做他们品牌风格的产品。品牌也会需要设计师保留自己独有的点而实现产品差异化。在差异化产品的过程中，品牌总体策划可以控制这种差异。毕竟品牌的个性不是说所有的商品都是一种调调，总归要有丰富的感觉。

Brands usually acquire designers’ works and collect it in their new catalogue when take a fancy to a designer in a exhibition, and then they will have a communication about the new products in the following season, inviting designers to collaborate. The pointcut is usually a visible object or concept. My design language is quite obvious, so there are many brands think that my style is suitable. Normally brands won’t let designers merely design products in their own style. They also need to let designers keep their specialty so that the product could differentiate itself. In the process of differentiating products, brand planning can make this difference under control. After all，the characteristic of a brand is not just saying that all the products come from the same style, moreover, it should be vivid.

▼悬臂边桌（点击这里查看更多），Cantilever Sidetable (click here to view more)

通过跟国外品牌的合作实现价值认可，这有助于我打开国内市场。逆流而上很难，但顺流而下比较容易。去谈客户的时候这让我有很重要的砝码，通常奖项的含金量不是那么的高。市场上的品牌非常实际，考量设计师就看设计师给哪些品牌做过，有什么样的案例等等这些可以看得到的东西。国内我们合作品牌类型丰富：包括上下，木智工坊，造作等等。我们没有把自己的受众群体定位在哪个点，而是现在客户给我们多大的市场空间我们就去做这个市场空间。有时合作的品牌会要求我们用特定的材料，所以另外一方面，我们借助与各种客户的合作，拓宽了对各种材料与工艺的使用。前期从概念到图纸到整个效果图的呈现以及样品的调整和确认都需要我们去做。样品确认之后的其他事情便都交给品牌去做了：包括销售、营销，推广策划，拍摄等整个后期。

By cooperating with foreign brands, we realized the value of goodwill, it would contribute to opening international marketing. Though swimming against the current is difficult, sailing downward with the current is quite easy. Brand in the market is very practical, therefore, they consider a designer according to his experience cases for other brands, which is very realistic. We’ve cooperated with various kinds of domestic brands: including SHANG XIA, MZGF, ZAO ZUO and so on. Instead of positioning the consumer at a confirmed point, we manage marketing in the space witch is as huge as the brand offer to. Sometimes，the brand we are cooperating with requires to use a specific material, on the other hand, we widen the scope of using various materials and technologies by the aid of the businesses relationship with various customers. In the early phase, we should accomplish from the prime concept, the design drawing and the whole rendering to adjustment and confirmation of the sample. After confirming the sample, the rest can be handed to the brand: consists of sales, marketing, promotion planning, photography, and the whole work of later period.

▼Hive Light：与木智工坊的合作，Hive Light: cooperation with MZGF

▼Take it Light

▼Foxtrot Light：与造作的合作，Foxtrot Light: cooperation with ZAOZUO

材料最早期多用金属和木材。因为金属的精度很高，表现线条方面很好，同时金属的张力比木头更强。木材则是一种很经济的选择。到了现在，各种各样的客户他们所需要的材料也不一样：包括软包的，碳纤维的，大理石、砚石，然后塑料的各方面都尝试。有时候我们提给客户一个方案，用到一些没用过的材料，客户也愿意去尝试。

At the very start, we mostly use metal and wood. Because metal has the features of high precision and a strong performance feeling of lines, in addition, it is more tensile than wood. However, wood is a thrifty choose. Till now, different customers require different materials: containing cushion, carbon fiber, marble and ink stone, and we also try some plastic. Sometimes we provide a project with a material have not been used before though, they’re still willing to have a try.

▼力量之椅：金属和木材的混合尝试（点击这里查看更多），Power Chair: combination of wood and metal (click here to view more)

▼Clash tables：大理石和金属的混合尝试，Clash tables: the combination of marble and metal

▼几何花瓶与烛台，Geometry Vase & Candle-holder

部分商品进入到市场之后就算反馈不好，但有些品牌并不是说仅仅是卖东西，这些品牌看中的是设计师的张力和影响力能给自己品牌的营销带来帮助，从而带动其他产品销量。

我们努力保持实用性和实验性的平衡，在保证产品基本功能下实现设计艺术感。因为未来的设计方向，不仅仅是满足基本功能。未来人的素质会提高也会有精神追求，所以家具产品如果更有艺术性和设计点在里面，会让整个家的氛围有所不同。

Even if some goods bring bad feedback, their purpose is not merely the sales. These brands see benefits from the tension and influence what designer brings to so that it can offer help to marketing, thus generating other products sales.

I make efforts to keep balance between practicability and experiment, under the condition of basic function, to realize artistic sense of design. Because the direction of design in the future is not just satisfying basic function. The quality of future people must be enhanced, therefore, the higher spiritual pursuit would be asked for. That ’s the reason why furniture can make home atmosphere different when it becomes more artistic and has a sense of design.

▼提篮桌：用看似简单的家具打造不一样的生活方式，Basket Sidetables: using the same furniture to make life differently

____________
做设计要抓住青春
Do design, grabbing at youth.

“一旦到了40多岁，人的思维就没有那么灵活了…设计师真正巅峰的时间是比较短的…做设计师，还是要抓住青春的时期多做一些比较好的作品”

“After 40, people turned to be not so flexible as ever… The peak period of design is very short… Being a designer needs to do more good works by grabbing at youth.”

客户给一个概念后我们会去查资料，开始每天脑子里在不停地想这个概念。通过信息的堆积，慢慢地思考发酵，灵感就出来了。想法出来之后我要赶紧用笔记下来，不断去调整比例，然后材料选择，最终作品就慢慢出来了。其实一个很简单的过程，但是这个过程跟年龄有关系的。一旦到了40多岁，人的思维就没有那么灵活了，靠这种模式去设计其实有点难，所以设计师真正巅峰的时间是比较短的。欧洲设计师40多岁50岁时候的作品往往没有他年轻时候的作品精彩。所以我觉得做设计师，还是要抓住青春的时期多做一些比较好的作品。

After accept the concept from customers, we will do some research and think it over. By accumulating information and dissipating of thinking, there comes the inspiration. I write it down immediately when ideas float, and then adjust the proportion, select the material, finally, the end product will show up. In fact, it’s a simple process, which has some connection with age though. When one gets to 40, his thoughts might not be as flexible as ever. It’s a little difficult to do design in this pattern, thus the peak period of design is very short. After the age of 40 to 50, European designers often do not have as many outstanding works as they did when they were young. As a designer, I think I should do more good works with grabbing at youth.

▼最近作品飞盘几，the latest work flying tables

___________________
没有业余生活的高产“逗比”
A productive dobe with no personal life

“了解我的人都会觉得我是个逗比…我这个人很真，做设计不隐藏，也不妥协，所以我该做成什么样就是什么样…我没有什么业余生活，所有的事情都在工作上…欧洲设计师问我一年为什么会有这么多产品…我说我一天比你们工作多八个小时…效率又比你们高…”

“People who know me always say I’m a dobe… I’m a sincere person, which can’t keep under cover even when doing design, can’t compromise either, therefore, I always accomplish things the way it is… I don’t have any spare time, which seems that I spend all my time at work… European designers want to know why we can update so many products in a year… I said, compared with you, I spent more 8 hours at work in one day… and much more efficiently…”

了解我的人都会觉得我是个逗比。外人看我会觉得比较严肃比较冷，特别在展会的时候，很多人说不敢接近我。但是真正接触后会觉得其实觉得还好。我这个人很真，做设计不隐藏，也不妥协，所以我该做成什么样就是什么样。有时候遇到的客户，为了市场想让我去做一点妥协，我是一点都不让的，所以有时候客户拿我也没办法，因为他们基本上都是很尊重想法的。

People who know me always say I’m a dobe. Strangers might think I’m a little serious and cold. Especially in the exhibition, there are many people dare not to approach me, But they always change their mind after we contact.

I’m a sincere person, and I can’t keep under cover or compromise when doing design, therefore, I always accomplish things the way it is. Sometime customers let me make some compromise of the market, however, I would not allow it. Out of respect, they can have nothing to do with me.

▼进行中的作品方案，the projects on progress

我没有什么业余生活，所有的事情都在工作上。早上八点多钟起来，一直工作到晚上八九点钟，把设计生活当成业余爱好来做蛮有意思的。欧洲的设计师一天工作8个小时，我有时候一天工作15个或者到16个小时，然后欧洲设计师问我一年为什么会有这么多产品，还可以出得这么快。我说我一天比你们工作多八个小时，你们八个小时里面还有两个小时在喝咖啡，然后吃饭又花很多时间，另一方面我每天工作这么长时间，效率又比你们高，我又不喝咖啡的，我喝喝茶就好了，所以这样的过程每年出的产品还挺多的。每年都是几十件几十件产品在出，后面的项目越来越多，所以我们团队可能会开始加班了。

I don’t have any spare time, which seems that I spend all my time at work. I work from 8am to 8pm, so I think it meaningful to regard design as an interest. European designers work 8 hours a day, moreover, I work 15 hours a day, even 16. They want to know why we can update so many products in a year, besides, accomplish so fast. I said, compared with you, I spent more 8 hours at work in one day. It cost them 2 hours to have coffee, and many time to have meals during this 8 hours; on the contrary, I work a long time everyday, and much more efficiently. I don’t drink coffee at all, a little tea is enough for me. Based on these facts，it’s easy to output many products in a year. Particularly in this year, we’ve been making dozens of projects, in the next period, there will be more and more projects to do, so maybe we have to work overtime again.

▼蔡烈超的设计手稿，drawings of Mario Tsai

_________
小团队大能量
Small studio has large energy

“工作室算我一共4个人…我想每年拿出一部分时间去探索未来的设计方向…明年的活动会更多一点,今年好像是一个准备期，明年才是一个爆发期。”

“There are 4 persons in my studio besides me… Now we’d like to design some new products，exploring the development direction for future design… There will be more activities in the next year. This year is just like a preparation period for us, next year, outbreak period will come. ”

未来没有特别大的计划，现在我们会更倾向于去做未来设计方向的作品，做项目只是计划的一部分。我还想每年拿出一部分时间去做一些其他开阔思路的事，去探索未来的设计方向。因为设计师不仅仅是赚钱，一定要去做一些有用的，好玩的，有意思的事情。

工作室算我一共4个人。工作室名片就只有我一个人的名字，也没有什么设计总监之类的头衔，他们都没有名片。我们就是一个很小的团队，大家是比较平等的状态。明年的活动会更多一点。今年好像是一个准备期，明年才是一个爆发期。

We don’t have any big plan, and we’d like to design some products which tend to be more futuristic now. Doing these projects is just part of the plan. Actually, we would like to spend some time on other things and open our mind every year. Designers do not work only for money, and it’s more important to do something useful, interesting and meaningful.

There are 4 persons in my studio including me. Our business card has only my name on it, as well as, we don’t have any other titles like design director, and they don’t even have a card. We are a small group. Everyone is equal. There will be more activities in the next year. This year is just like a preparation period for us, next year, outbreak period will come.

▼团队讨论（右一：蔡烈超），group work (right: Mario Tsai)

More: Mario Tsai，更多关于他们：Mario Tsai on gooood