Chia Kwa: senior designer and experiential knot detangler
/ Senior designer and experiential knot detangler
by Elizabeth Lavis | 22 Apr 2026
"Grab All the Opportunities."
Chia Kwa, senior designer and experiential knot detangler, advises aspiring designers to grab all the design opportunities that come their way. “I’ve read that it’s a particularly tough time for new designers as there aren’t as many junior roles to go around,” she says. “My advice is to not wait around. There may be a ‘stepping stone’ job making banners or a dentist cousin who needs a logo for their new practice. Any relevant experience will put you ahead of now, experience at all. Do the boring stuff, and do your best. You never know who you’ll meet on the job and what doors may open.”
Kwa grew up in Singapore and Vietnam but has called New York City home for the past fourteen years. “The city definitely shaped my perspective. Eight million hungry people going after their heart’s desire, and more often than not, what each person wants looks very different from what the person next to them does,” she says. “It’s a humbling reminder not to take myself too seriously and to stay open to new experiences and ideas.”
From childhood, it was clear to everyone around Kwa that she was destined for a career in the arts or a creative field. “I doodled all over my homework and textbooks,” Kwa says. “I dreamt up fantastical stories in class. Even now, graphic design is just one of the many creative pursuits that I enjoy.”
When embarking on a new project, Kwa asks a vital question: What are the project parameters and constraints? “As my design hero Frank Chimeo says in ‘The Shape of Design,’ ‘the constants of designs are determined by the unavoidable logistical issues that must be addressed to make the design useful,’” she says. “I don’t like to waste my time coming up with quixotic, blue-sky concepts that wow the client in the moment but are impossible to actually execute. In my experience, those moonshots always end up getting watered down over time anyway.”
Kwa also establishes trust and rapport with clients quickly by making it clear that they’re working in a collaborative relationship to achieve the project’s goals. “Both parties have vital insider information about their areas of expertise,” she says. “To me, a healthy client-designer relationship is one where we educate each other, me with my design experience and them with their industry knowledge.”
She finds that riffing with a creative partner keeps her sharp and staves off burnout. “We throw a bunch of dumb ideas at the wall and see where there are nuggets of greatness that can be expanded upon,” Kwa says. “If I’m working by myself, I do a lot of sketching and write down every passing thought stream-of-consciousness style.”
She also spends time in immersive theater, crediting a visit to Sleep No More with thoroughly changing her life. “I left confused and inspired,” Kwa says. “I’d never seen anything like it. Now, I help craft immersive experiences in addition to acting in them, photographing them, and, of course, graphic designing for them.”
"Wishful Thinking by Whisperlodge ASMR installation", Chia Kwa