Shu Yun, Hu
Illustrator, Founder of Mori Shu
"Nothing makes me happier than knowing my art has the power to make others smile."
I started Mori Shu as an experimental idea in a weekend market stand. "Mori" represents "forest" in Japanese. I created a joyful and lovely forest fantasy by illustrating little cute animals.
In my previous position, I never thought I would create my own products and sell them to customers face-to-face. I was timid at that time, but also very excited for my ideas to be seen. In addition, hearing both criticisms and complements from customers directly really helped me to refine and improve my designs. At that time, I felt extremely connected to the energetic atmosphere of working in the market, so I took full advantage of this opportunity to make my dreams come true.
After gaining experience in both web and product design, I started my own design company in Taipei. Not only did I have to design the illustrations and products, but also balanced the routine matters of running a company. All the successes and failures I faced in this endeavor taught me the passion and dedication needed in order to build a successful and sustainable business.
In late 2013, I re-positioned my company into a character design firm, specializing in character commercialization and licensing. Character design is a very prosperous industry in Asia, and at the same time extremely competitive. I broadened my perspective when I first participated in the Licensing Expo exhibition in Las Vegas. I realized that creating a successful character requires evoking positive human emotions. Now, I believe that a good character must have a meaningful story behind it, in order to trigger the pleasant memories needed to enrich the human product experience. I was continuously observing and using the relevant consumer insights to refine my characters.
Design requires complex knowledge and an iterative manufacturing process. I learned that excellent collaboration is essential in the entire process, from co-branding and co-creation to character licensing. I appreciated the various perspectives that each member brought to the team, leading to the ultimate outcome of a successful collaboration as the common goal. Currently, I am working with my Taiwanese illustrator agent, and we welcome any collaboration opportunities. Thank you for all your support. I am beyond excited to share more and more illustrations soon.
