Studio Collaboration: An Interview with LIE Design / @wearenotlie

This Malaysia Day, we’re shining a spotlight on homegrown design studios to celebrate our very own Malaysian Creatives!

Since we loved the gift box they created for us in 2019 so much, we’ve decided to reunite with LIE Design for a second gift box — but filled with goods, this time around!

From the bright minds of the team at LIE, the Ray of Light bundle is thus created.

For the second time around, we’ve had a lovely chat with Driv, founder of LIE Design. Read on to learn the studio’s experience designing the bundle, their past and future projects, and more—

Hi, Driv! We’re thrilled to have you back for this interview. How have you been since our last chat?

We’ve been through quite a lot. Ever since MCO happened, we’ve been trying to survive, make adjustments and get used to working from home. Luckily, we still managed to keep things going.

In 2019, LIE Design Studio designed the Mossery Gift Box. This year, you’ve filled up the box and created an entire bundle — Ray of Light! Were there any significant challenges faced while designing each element of the bundle?

Yes, there is. In fact, we went through a few rounds of brainstorming and finally arrived at this direction. It’s not easy to create so many different visuals at one time. There were many experiments going on then.

The abstract patterns of Ray of Light, derived from various forms of light, deliver a great sense of hope and comfort. What were the sources of inspiration for this design concept?

This is the darkest moment for a lot of us. By using abstract shapes and colours, we want to bring out a message of hope, to remind people that there’s always light. Ray of Light conveys a sense of hope in a more subtle way.

As you were designing the Ray of Light bundle, what were the new creative discoveries you have made in the process?

Indeed. I tried to create the visuals with different techniques. I’ve been exploring a lot of different methods and browsing through YouTube tutorials (laughs) to achieve certain kinds of effects. Some of the visuals are done in 3D software which is pretty new to me.

What do you hope our customers will feel upon receiving this bundle?

I hope they enjoy using the notebook and that it evokes a soothing, comfortable feeling, like having a hot cuppa coffee in the rain.

Let’s talk about your studio. First, congratulations on hitting the 10-year anniversary mark back in April! How does the team feel about this achievement?

We were excited and had fun making a special edition zine to celebrate our 10-year anniversary. It was really fun. We printed, compiled the zine, and put everything together.

The team momentum was disrupted, though, after we had to start working from home again. It could be disheartening at times as it's tough to maintain the team dynamics while working remotely.

10 years and counting, can you share with us some of LIE Design’s future plans?

I don’t really have plans. But the pandemic is a wake-up call indeed, to always be prepared for something worse. It reminds me to always have a financial backup plan and diversify income sources.

We are aiming to develop different products and business models to be self-sustainable without relying too much on client-servicing only. In fact, we are going to hold the KL Art Book Fair at the end of this year.

In celebration of the studio’s feat, you’ve published the sold-out, special edition Lain-Lain Zine. Can you share the story behind the creation of this zine with us?

Lain-Lain Zine is an in-house project we tried to publish quarterly. Each issue has a special theme.

Everyone in the studio will contribute and naturally by this time, we made a special edition themed around LIEs. We gathered the most memorable LIEs submitted by our social media followers and translated them into visuals.

Back in 2019, the studio self-published SEARCH, a publication that features 40 different graphic design studios across South-East Asia. Can we anticipate Volume 2 of this project in the near future?

We actually already started working on another version of SEARCH. We’re passionate about publishing it and are supposed to publish it this year. But due to the pandemic and budget constraints, and the shipping/distribution issues, we had to postpone the project. Hopefully, it will see the light soon.

As a team of unconventional creatives with a knack for great designs, what’s the team’s secret behind introducing innovation into a world of fleeting trends?

Thanks! Although I think we are not really very innovative compared to the young/emerging designers nowadays. We have to observe and be sensitive about what is trending out there, and then consciously try not to go in the same direction.

As a graphic designer who creates in a robust digital world, what words of advice do you have for potential creatives out there?

I’ve been very focused on my specialty in visual identity and printed matters all these years. Only lately have I opened up and learned more about Figma (UI/UX) and 3D sculpting. And also started to look into Processing and P5JS.

I’m surprised by how powerful technology has become. And now we have NFT. It is obvious the industry is going to be very different in another 10 years. What we’re doing right now or what we’ve learned in school might become very insignificant in a few years’ time.

I would say not to stay too long in your comfort zone. Buckle up, keep learning and be prepared for an unknown and crazy ride.

Trivia question! If there were a studio out there named TRUTH Design Studio, how would you imagine their style to be, and what do you think the acronym stands for?

It is not to my liking that designers or studios call themselves creatives. You don’t have to keep claiming that you’re creative if you are one.

The same theory applied, if there is a studio calling themselves TRUTH, it would sound like it’s run by some scammers. I would rather try not to think about the meaning behind their acronym :D (just kidding)

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LIE Design is an independent design studio based in Kuala Lumpur. Always seeking fresh approaches, they believe there is always room to explore in design. You can find them on Instagram and on their website.

The Ray of Light bundle is available now! Pair a regular refill of your choice with a 2022 Desk Calendar and two exclusive covers, Borealis and Fluorescent Flare.

Ray of Light is a series of visual experimentations that revolve around patterns derived from abstract forms of light, reminding people to not give up on hope.

We hope that you can find light from this bundle to illuminate your path, as it did ours.

Remember to tag us with your unboxing clip @mosseryco on Instagram, we’d love to see them!