Jen Lai's impressive career has been punctuated by several significant milestones. One of her career highlights included collaborating with BruceGlen, a renowned fashion design duo from NYC, to create innovative 3D fashion designs and NFTs for the first-ever "First Metaverse Fashion Show" in 2021. This groundbreaking project garnered significant attention with features in prestigious fashion publications like Vogue. Another career highlight was designing the packaging for Schuman Cheese's (Eat Delve) mascarpone chocolates, which was prominently displayed in nationwide retailers such as Costco, Instacart, and Walmart in 2021

Driven by an unwavering passion for creative challenges and innovative projects, Jen constantly seeks out new endeavors to fuel her boundless enthusiasm. If you share her zest for innovation and excellence in craftsmanship, she invites you to reach out at byjenlo@gmail.com. 

In her own words "Let's join forces and bring audacious visions to life, leaving a lasting impact on the design world."

Read her insightful interview below:

Hi there! My name is Jen Lai, and I'm the founder and creative director of Ecoe, a modern minimalist virtual furniture brand. I am also a graphic designer, packaging, and branding designer. You can see my work: www.jennlai.com

The concept of ecological sustainability and harmony with nature inspires the name Ecoe. 

Ecoe aims to evoke a sense of responsibility towards the environment while symbolizing modernity and progress in sustainable practices. Also, I wanted to create a name that can have some sort of slogan to it, which is “Ecoe-friendly”.

I’ve been a 3D designer for the past 5 years; everything has been self-taught. At a young age, I enjoyed arts & crafts; I took art classes, and my creativity keeps me up at night. This journey has nurtured my passion for furniture design, inspiring me to create pieces that harmonize aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability.

For my designs, I draw inspiration from a variety of sources, often blending personal experiences with broader cultural and artistic influences. In my latest collections, I've been inspired by nature's organic forms and textures, which I interpret into sleek and minimal furniture pieces. 

Simplicity, Efficient Use of Space, Timeless Style, and Comfort.

My interior style is Ecoe. Everything that I design in the metaverse, I would love an exact piece for myself in real life. Modern minimal aesthetics.

Being able to be creative and put pieces together to make one great piece.

Certainly! Each piece holds a special place in my heart for different reasons. Whether it's the intricate details of craftsmanship in one or the innovative use of materials in another, each piece resonates with me uniquely. Each design represents a culmination of creative inspiration and technical skill, making it difficult to choose just one favorite.

Seeing social media posts of how others incorporate my pieces within their photos.  I love seeing creativity.

I do a lot of research, and I follow a lot of odd and end pages that just spark my creativity. I also have a creative mind that I just need to unleash it somewhere. If it’s not in the metaverse, I am unleashing it on other platforms.

I have a research phase, concept idea, and development, and refinement phase where I consider how the pieces will be used in different spaces and then evaluate the pieces before I launch it.

I try to keep weight count as low as possible but sometimes I do run into obstacles where I have to go back to blender and then test it a few times before the final upload.

I was going for a sleek groovy yet modern aesthetic when creating this set. Things that I design, I can see myself owning it in real-life.

Looking ahead, I envision my future in design evolving towards pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers in both aesthetics and functionality. I aspire to continue integrating sustainable practices into my work, ensuring that each design not only enhances spaces but also contributes positively to the environment.

As for my brand, I see it growing into a symbol of innovation and quality craftsmanship, recognized for creating timeless pieces that blend seamlessly into modern lifestyles. I aim to expand globally, reaching a diverse audience who values both the beauty and practicality of well-designed furniture. Ultimately, I strive for my brand to be synonymous with excellence in design, setting trends and inspiring others in the industry to embrace creativity and sustainability. Whether it’s in the metaverse or for real life projects.

If  we are speaking about AI, I don’t feel like it influences my design at all.  Most “AI” made videos or photos are frowned upon in the social media community because it leads to false advertisement. 

My advice is to design with purpose, something you would enjoy designing otherwise as time goes on it feels like a chore rather than the initial intent of excitement. Celebrate failures because not every design will work out as planned but failures lead to improvement the next time around.

I would hope that my brand gets visually seen by a larger audience moving forward.

Having accessibility, I strive to make sustainable design available at reasonable price points for more consumers. 

Clean, Modern, Minimalism.

Ecoe embraces simplicity and functionality in its aesthetic. The designs utilize clean lines, smooth surfaces, and an absence of embellishment to achieve a refined modern minimalism. There is clarity in the efficient forms that elevate the natural beauty of sustainable materials. As Ecoe's founder and creative director, I share the brand's affinity for sophisticated minimalism and natural materials. I value simple, intentional living and human-centered design. My personal look embodies laidback luxury - an effortless blending of casual silhouettes with exceptional craftsmanship and quality. Comfort is paramount whether it is for virtual life or not.

 My hope is that people will form meaningful connections to these designs over timeless daily use. Good design should not just look beautiful, but enrich how you inhabit and share a space.

Maintaining creativity, curiosity and passion for design. Loving the journey as much as the destination.

Designs with interchangeable parts interest me for their flexibility and adaptability.  As a lifelong learner, I'm constantly observing, reading, and experimenting with new concepts that resonate with my design philosophy.

Stay true to your vision - Don't compromise on your values or design principles just to chase trends or demand. 

If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your career what would it be? 

I would say, “Don't worry about how your work fits into the existing landscape. Forge your own path. Design what you believe in, not what you think will sell. The right audience will find you”

At this time, no but stay tuned because I am always working on something bespoke.

Thank you for sharing my story. I also want to appreciate everyone making the time to read my interview and learn more about the brand.

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