Meet our Creative-in-Residence: Jonathan Lo!
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in your field?
I studied economics in college. I wanted to understand how the economy shaped our lives and our decisions. After working in finance and consulting for a few years, I decided to pursue a creative career that was more hands-on to manifest my creative entrepreneurial ideas.
I remember seeing an article about graphic designer Mike Mills, who had designed album covers and directed music videos for the Beastie Boys and Air. As a fan of their music, I loved how visual design shaped my perception of the music and my identity in it. So, I decided to study design to learn how to do that, too.
What inspires your work and where do you draw your creative ideas from?
A lot of my creative inspiration comes from personal experiences, including culture, traveling, and conversations. I’m always looking to understand the essence of different perspectives – why something is designed a certain way, or why someone has a specific perspective. Where does it come from? What informs it?
Through my creative practice, I am inspired to uncover these truths – whether of a person, a situation, a product, or an idea – and help express it creatively so it connects with our emotions.
Can you describe a project or piece you’re particularly proud of and why it stands out to you?
Some of the pieces I’m most proud of revolve around community storytelling. These projects include:
![j lo](https://epcb8c.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/j-lo-scaled.jpg)
![Image (27)](https://epcb8c.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Image-27.jpg)
What do you hope to achieve or explore during your residency with us?
I hope to participate in various urban design projects from a visual storytelling perspective. In particular, I want to use the power of art and design to increase meaningful civic engagement, in partnership with local and marginalized communities.
This can be manifested in two formats:
How do you see your work impacting or contributing to our office culture and community?
I hope to be able to elevate the work that is already being done through my participation in various urban design projects. I hope to help facilitate more critical insight around storytelling and visual design.
By collaborating with talented designers and thinkers at the studio, I hope to be able to make projects that are greater than what I can accomplish alone!
What do you think is the role of art and creativity in the workplace?
If art mimics life – helping us see and engage more deeply with ourselves and each other, then by participating in the act of creative expression, we can more fully comprehend various perspectives – both in challenging our own, or finding our place in it.
In turn, if what we are designing is ultimately for people, then we need to design solutions that consider art, to give our creations meaning and relevance.Our latest Rumble was engaging with Jonathan Lo, branding expert and art director, who captivated us with his presentation on the power of storytelling in design. Jonathan has a broad background as the creative director at Aurora Solar and formerly with Virgin Orbit and Virgin Galactic.
Keep up to date with Jonathan’s work at Jonathan Lo (myportfolio.com). Contact Jonathan at jonathan@publicassembly.org