Mr Yen, are you very romantic? How do you show the people you love how you care for them?
I wouldn’t say I’m a romantic person really. To show people I care for them I like to do things for them. I think putting effort into something for someone you love shows a great deal of respect and admiration for them and I always think adding that little extra something to a gift or really considering the tiny details in a relationship is what matters and shows you care.
Is it true that life is death by a thousand papercuts?
It is indeed, especially in my profession : P
What’s your one true desire?
This is the most difficult question I’ve ever had to answer and my answer would probably change on a regular basis! To give a simple answer I would say to be happy.
What keeps you awake at night?
Lists & ideas! I make so many lists of things that I need to do, ideas that just suddenly crop up or things I just need to remember. I have quite a bad memory and writing things down helps me remember it all. I always remember things that I need to do just before I fall asleep and that is also the time I get my most interesting ideas.
Tell us something random about yourself.
For my 21st Birthday I was bought an all expenses paid, trip to visit Japan for three weeks by my partner – for us both. It was the best birthday present I have ever received and it made such an impact on me, the way I live and the way I think about design, as you can tell by the name mrYen!
If we wanted to get our hands on your cards and notebooks how we would do so?
I sell my hand cut stationery, art and greeting cards at www.shop.mr-yen.com. At the moment I have my Valentines cards, gift tags and papercuts all ready to go, with a small range of artwork and stationery available too. I am also in the process of having some designs printed onto notebooks, notepads and decorative tape. I have had a strong interest in print and pattern for a while now which I would really like to explore more and to do this I thought I would bring out a range of printed stationery products which will be available very soon! I also recently worked with Lynx (the men’s fragrance company) to produce a limited edition Valentines paper cut, which you could have a chance at winning if you head over to the Lynx blog for details on how to do so.
Random Questions:
Who would win in a fight? Superman or the sun?
The sun – no question.
How many beans make five?
It depends what kind of beans we’re talking about really.
Does mrYen love or hate marmite?
I love it on toast, but only in small amounts. I can’t eat it any other way though!
What are the three most important mistakes to avoid when designing a banner?
I don’t really know, as the way that I created the banner was to create an illustration, which I would then hand cut out of paper. I scanned my illustration into the computer to create a more refined template to cut – making sure to stick to the same size ratio to fit the banner and then cut my design out. This was then photographed, edited, cropped and ready to use!
