Hi, I'm Zhen Chen

But you can call me David. This is my story.

I'm from Calgary, Canada. My design journey began in the summer of 2002 (or maybe 2003?) when I was in university. I was in Beijing during that summer and started playing around with Photoshop 5 on a second-hand computer in my dorm. I still remember drawing a swan using just a mouse and the smudge tool, stroke by stroke, completely captivated by the process.

Though my major was computer science, the two programs I was best at were Photoshop… and Counter-Strike.

Later, I fell in love with advertising and moved to Singapore. In 2007, I came to Shanghai and spent the next 17 years working as a creative in advertising. I met some amazing people, and some big names. They taught me a lot - and helped me get closer to understanding who I really am.

Design, to me, is a process of self-discovery. Every spark of inspiration that flashes through my mind reveals a little more of who I am.

I like free-spirited, unconstrained design. I love the old story of Jiang Taigong fishing - the one where he used a straight hook and still caught fish. That’s kind of how I see what I do: I just want to turn the ideas in my head into reality and see if anyone likes them. If someone does, I’m happy. If not, at least I like them - nothing to be wined about. So everything you see here is something I truly like. If I didn’t, it wouldn’t be here.

Just like me, this website is constantly evolving - in its style, in its voice. But it’s becoming more honest, and I hope, more fun.

Thank you for your time and patience. Wishing a great day!

Love from Calgary.

David