Andy Leung, Creative Director and Founder, Issi Design Ltd
Inspiration can come from anywhere. But the real challenge lies in turning that inspiration into tangible action. It takes sheer determination, perseverance, and dedication to harness that spark of inspiration, work towards it, and stay the course. Not many are courageous enough to take the leap of faith and stay unswervingly persistent in pursuing their aspirations. But few dare to articulate a vision from the inspiration, and relentlessly drive it to completion with a strong belief and unwavering commitment. An evident example of such a passionate and inspirational business leader is Andy Leung, the Creative Director and Founder of ISSI DESIGN LTD, a pioneering interior design firm based in Hong Kong.
Andy’s journey to become an entrepreneur roots back to his childhood when his interest in anime sowed a seed of passion for interior designing in his mind. While watching anime, he was more drawn towards the scenes in the animation and tried to copy them. Later, when he entered university, he got the opportunity to explore his passion for painting and sketching. This hobby further strengthened his observation and interest in space. And over time, he found his true calling in creating beautiful spaces as an interior designer. Driven by this vision, he founded ISSI DESIGN in 2007.
The Initial Challenges
ISSI DESIGN had a humble beginning with not-so-good laptops and computers and a limited staff in a small apartment. Its first project was a real estate design project in Shanghai. At that time, Hong Kong had just recovered from the SARS period in 2004, and then immediately it encountered the 2008 financial tsunami. As a result, the global market economy was not in a good shape. In addition, there were relatively few designers in China at that time.
So, in the beginning, Andy had to wear multiple hats and single-handedly tackle every role from marketing to work report, scheme design, and even construction drawing and subsequent site problem handling. Later, relying on China’s overall economy, the real estate industry developed rapidly, and the company’s business increased. Soon, the staff increased from 1 to 80 and the business scope also expanded from interior design to soft furnishings, retail, and product customization. With its participation in construction in recent years, ISSI has now grown into a one-stop service group company.
“This relies on many market factors. For example, the rapid rise of Internet and social media in the past decade has accelerated the communication of consultations, the joining of outstanding designers, the diversification of information, and the widespread of works by practitioners have all contributed to the quality of the company’s products. The leap forward has also made more people in the market aware of ISSI,” elucidates Andy.
ISSI DESIGN mainly serves large-scale domestic developers, and its business scope includes hotel, club, sales office, model house design, and private luxury residential projects at home and abroad.
Attributes that Differentiate ISSI DESIGN
Over the years, ISSI has established itself as an international design firm in the industry. However, its unique proposition lies in its ability to keep up with Hong Kong people’s western culture and professionalism while giving equal emphasis to the local Chinese living and cultural atmosphere and market needs. This diversified design gives the company a unique edge in the market and makes it a preferred choice for customers for their interior designing needs.
“Perhaps customers choose ISSI based on the above advantages, they need a more professional service, and every detail of our design is objective and scientific, which not only meets the needs of customers and the market but also lead customers to understand the market trends so as to develop unique and sustainable design plans for them,” asserts Andy.
Integrity is the Key
Andy believes that integrity is very critical while running a business. He explains, “The value of design cannot be quantified in many cases and its value depends on the trust and communication between the client and the designer. Therefore, in daily operations, we have made a lot of effort to build this sense of trust.”
Upholding its core values and commitments, ISSI strictly adheres to the contract details and promises made to customers. In addition to design, the company pays special attention to the quality of the product and time management to ensure customer satisfaction. In fact, it has a professional project manager responsible for the submission time and nodes of the work results. Being a part of a society that values human relations, the company also focuses on maintaining a close and long-term relationship with its customers.
Focusing On Hiring the Right Talent
Besides its products, the company emphasizes on recruiting the best creative talent for maintaining its position in the industry. According to Andy, talents are the company’s core resource. Hence, ISSI DESIGN follows a strict selection and training process for employees to build a strong team. Equipped with a seasoned team that has the expertise, creativity, and a passion for interior designing, Andy aspires to continue fueling the growth of ISSI DESIGN in the future.
“Talent is an extremely important factor for a design company to stay young. I also expect these new generations of young people and management teams to adhere to the company’s values and continue to lead ISSI DESIGN forward while generating greater value and influence for the design industry and society as a whole,” sums up Andy.