ward-winning graphic designer and creative director Qichao An brings over fifteen years of international experience in branding, visual identity and packaging. He has earned well over a hundred international accolades—including A’, Red Dot, Graphis, MUSE and Indigo—and has served on juries for multiple global design competitions.
As founder of Mornice Brand Design, An has made a name for himself by fusing East and West in a visual language that is both precise and poetic.
An cites designers such as Kenya Hara (notably his work for MUJI) and Jony Ive of Apple as key inspirations. He explains:
“Their pursuit of simplicity resonates with me. Good design is not loud.” But An does not stop at minimalism. His inspiration also comes from the textured richness of heritage: antique markets, weathered architectural details, and the visual stories embedded in old objects. “Whether it’s the worn texture of a centuries-old door or ancient pottery, these elements trigger ideas I can infuse into modern design.”
Heritage is embedded in An’s design approach. Operating between China and the USA, his work often combines a quest for clarity with cultural symbolism:
“I envision design as a bridge—connecting tradition and contemporaneity, art and utility, different cultures into one.” Among his projects: the poster Love is Forgiveness, which merges the English word “forgive” with the Chinese character for “love”. Another, Harmony Through Fusion. Balance Through Striving, deconstructs Chinese glyphs such as “容/和” (fusion/harmony) and “争/平” (striving/balance) and recomposes them into new typographic forms. Motifs like dragons, phoenixes and cloud patterns also appear in his portfolio.
Materially, An works at the intersection of the tactile and digital: he blends paper, traditional print techniques and hand-craft with cutting-edge digital tools. For example, his Red Dot-winning Digital Tie-Dye Interactive Platform project translates an ancient textile craft into an interactive digital system—visitors experience fabric folding, dye diffusion and haptic feedback.
Similarly, Self-Frame (featured in the Future Frames Exhibition 2025) blends traditional wood-cut textures with a digital aesthetic to explore collaboration between human and machine.
Looking ahead, An is keen to deepen his engagement with digitalisation. He remarks: “With technology advancing rapidly, I see immense potential and want to enhance my expertise in creating engaging, intuitive digital experiences.” For him, the future of design lies in balance—where technology amplifies tradition, and creativity bridges cultural divides.
