Christie Wu is a concept-driven digital designer based in New York City whose work operates at the intersection of culture, design, and technology. Wu has worked with brands including eBay, Twitch, Nordstrom and Ariana Grande Fragrances, and brings a unique perspective to each project shaped by her multicultural background, combining playful interactions with thought-provoking concepts.
Culturalee spoke to Christie Wu about breaking traditional design conventions and inventing her own unique design language inspired by her Taiwanese heritage. Wu discusses recent projects including Wandering Wombs, which uses concept-driven design to encourage women to question the status quo and reclaim their own bodies.
You are a digital designer working at the intersection of culture, design and tech. Can you explain a bit about your training as a designer, and how you merge these disciplines in your work?
I studied design in a conceptual art school where we didn’t have traditional majors, allowing my design education to be deeply intertwined with conceptual art practices. One of the key principles of conceptual art is the act of questioning—challenging existing structures, culture, reality, politics, and media. This approach taught me to meditate on why people perceive things in certain ways, and how media and technology shape our worldview. In contemporary society, culture is inseparable from media and tech. As Marshall McLuhan said, “The medium is the message,” meaning the way information is delivered shapes our understanding as much as the content itself. So, it feels natural for me to blend culture, design, and technology to tell compelling, thought-provoking stories.
You’re based in New York, grew up in Taiwan and spent time in Los Angeles. Does your approach to your design practice combine influences of American and Asian cultures?
Growing up in Taiwan has made me bold and unbashful to break design conventions. I draw much of my inspiration from the graphics I was surrounded by as a child—often considered “ugly” by today’s standards, with jam-packed information, overly-saturated colors, and dramatic imagery. Yet, alongside the visual chaos, Taiwan also has a rich reading culture, where you can find beautiful bookstores on almost every corner of Taipei. Taiwanese book cover designs, though underrated, showcase some of the most avant-garde typography, blending traditional Chinese and Western graphic design principles. Inheriting this maximalist, playful, and rule-breaking spirit, my work is deeply rooted in my cultural background.
Can you talk a bit about your recent projects Wandering Wombs and the Mumbai Gallery Association website, and how they exemplify your dedication to socially conscious design?
While much of my work exists in environments where aesthetics, design craftsmanship, and concepts are highly commercialized, I have a deep, intrinsic drive to create projects rooted in altruism. Wandering Wombs is particularly close to my heart because my collaborator and I care deeply about the well-being of menstruating individuals. We were both frustrated by the lack of accessible resources and education for an experience that affects so many of us daily. Instead, tech companies often dictate how we should feel and how our bodies should function, while collecting our valuable data. With Wandering Wombs, I hope to inspire people to question the status quo and realize that “things don’t always have to be this way.” We each have the power to reclaim our understanding of our own bodies and embrace their complexities.
You have a background of maths and physics and now work in the field of art and design. Do your mathematical and scientific roots have any influence on your design practice now? I have always loved mathematics and consider many of my design methodologies and practices quite “mathematical.” However, despite my interests in mathematics and physics, I am not inspired by the career options following those paths. With no regrets, the STEM education I received still inspired me to dive into creative technology and make science-oriented projects.
The wide range of design projects you have worked on covers many areas, from creating the digital out of home placements for Ariana Grande Fragrances to speculative design project Microbe Psychic, where you envisioned yourself as a Microbe Psychic analysing gut microbiomes. How do you apply your skills and mindset to such varied topics?
This is a question I reflect on daily, and I believe it comes down to compartmentalization. In commercial work, like the digital out-of-home placements for Ariana Grande Fragrances, I focus on visualizing a message or concept with a specific goal in mind. It involves collaborating across disciplines and considering a wide range of stakeholders. On the other hand, projects like Microbe Psychic are more self-indulgent, where I have full creative autonomy to let my imagination run wild and draw inspiration from the art styles I love. While the execution methods may be similar, the processes differ greatly—commercial projects require a more structured, goal-driven approach, while speculative projects allow for open exploration and artistic freedom.
How do you see technologies like NFTs and AI influencing the design landscape?
We often hear people lament that creativity is dead due to Artificial Intelligence, NFTs, generative art, and similar technologies. However, anyone familiar with the art or design process knows that it involves research, reflection, identifying the project’s niche, and weaving together various elements to create a coherent narrative. It’s a labor-intensive process that deeply considers human experience. As our world becomes flooded with AI-generated imagery and generative art, I believe people will develop greater literacy around art, enabling them to discern the types of design and art they truly appreciate. A fitting metaphor is meal replacement beverages like Soylent. While they can sustain us for a few days, they can’t replace our craving for real food or the experience of eating it. Similarly, art nourishes the soul. Technology can speed up the process or serve as an effective tool, but in my opinion, it will ultimately inspire us to create with our own hands and foster a deeper appreciation for creativity born from human effort.
As a designer working on personal projects as well as more commercial projects with brands such as eBay, Twitch and Nordstrom, how do you create a balance between personal and commercial?
I am terrible at balancing personal life with agency work since agency life can sometimes be consuming and overwhelming. However, I try to treat my personal projects as hobbies and making amazing work with friends has been tremendously fun, exciting and meaningful to me.
What role does cultural commentary play in your design process?
Cultural commentary and a sense of humor have often played a very important role in my work. Art is often seen as the personal expression of the author and design is often regarded as commercial, functional and neutral. However, no human artifacts are completely neutral as they are embedded with the ideology, discernment and personal experiences of the creator/creators. Design is cultural artifacts, and my responsibility as a designer is to remind the users/audience that design is political and it is created by a human being with personality and certain perspectives. But most importantly, I deal with the sense of humor.
Do you have any advice for aspiring designers entering the field?
Be curious. Obsession is your superpower, and if your work intends to have the audience ask yourselves why should people care and how do you get them to care?
How do you envision the future of interactive design evolving?
In the near future, I believe web apps will continue to gain popularity due to their cross-platform capabilities and adaptability across various devices, from mobile to desktop. At the same time, interactive design is likely to become more invisible. I envision a future where interactive design moves beyond the screen, shifting towards wearables, smart glasses, implants, and a digital ecosystem embedded in our surroundings. Rather than relying solely on traditional interfaces, the experience will be more seamless and integrated into our daily environments.
