Following the rhythm, he roams all possibilities between the virtual and the real / Three UltraCombos - Zeng Weijie

"Before the level 3 alert was announced, we happened to go out for a staff trip with the whole company, but as soon as we came back, it became a WFH (Work-From-Home), and we were in a hurry for a while." Zeng Weijie in front of the video camera said, I didn't expect it to be the last One free time to go out. We watch him across the screen in his usual black top, and the interview begins with a chat about the pandemic.

Evolve into the next-generation organism in the living room

Zeng Weijie spent a week rectifying all work modes, including adjusting the direction of case reception, project management strategies, etc. Many cases could no longer be carried out in the previous mode. Will the severe impact of the epidemic bring about an existential crisis for the three-type UltraCombos, which mainly undertakes the exhibition business?

"Although it has been a chaotic period, this may also be a turning point. In addition to expanding service projects, remote work has become the norm under the epidemic, personal life and work are inseparable, and everyone will start to think about the introduction of technology into life. new possibilities."

Does the concert have to be there? Does the proposal have to be face-to-face? There are many difficulties ahead, but there is an unknown light shining in the dark. Zeng Weijie said: "I think the company is an evolving organism, constantly adjusting its constitution to survive in this era."

Founded in 2010, Sanshi UltraCombos is composed of a group of professionals in various fields who love experimentation. It is a digital experience design team dedicated to innovation and good at cross-disciplinary cooperation. It is said that there is also a mysterious experimental field in the basement, where amazing works are born. Since such a group of people with "mixed blood" characteristics, we were curious about how they communicated and cooperated, so we asked about a three-style auto show fashion show earlier this year: Gogoro VIVA MIX.

Reverse the protagonist and flip through the fashion show of the factory

Compared with the previous three styles, who were mostly responsible for the interpretation and execution of new media, this time Gogoro's new car launch has more director status, and it is not only the new car that can show off their skills, but also their infinitely expanding creativity.

"Gogoro's new car features the ability to change the color of the car and replace the personalized parts, coupled with the display function of the press conference. The concept of 'fashion show' is very suitable for such products with various appearances." Zeng Weijie said that in the past In the new car presentation, a model rides a bicycle to create a usage situation, but the car is less like the protagonist. "We hope to focus the audience's attention on the product."

With this expectation, they cooperated with the owner to use the AGV (Automated Guide Vehicle) unmanned vehicle used by Gogoro in the smart factory, a truck that replaces the conveyor belt and focuses on the quality of each assembly step. Taking advantage of its features of automatic lifting and switching of tracks, the production line is directly moved to the scene for "fresh delivery", with the switching of the camera and sound and light effects, as if the car itself is on the stage, and the focus is returned to the product itself. The ride display, which was indispensable in the past, is now an embellishment, and the entire light show flips through the manufacturing industry that is hidden behind the scenes.

In the process of preparing for the show, the team worked hard on the technical side. Zeng Weijie pointed out that the difficulty of this case is that the production line carriers of industrial products are designed for functions after all, and cannot be displayed as flexibly as models. Only then can the car-to-car changeover become a delicate catwalk. With such a huge project, it is even more necessary for manufacturers and teams to cooperate with each other.”

Find your rhythm in the unknown flow

The works of the three styles span different professional fields, so how does the internal cooperation work? Zeng Weijie said that one of the company's cultures is to adapt to the "unknown". Each member of the three styles is accustomed to participating in experiments and communicating with people from different fields, and always keeping an open mind about things. Therefore, everyone is well aware of the work flow and attitude that should be adjusted in different cases.

With such a basic consensus, the next step is to allocate the case to the right person as much as possible under the premise of sufficient resources. "This year, we started to try to look at the case from a human perspective. For example, what would he be particularly worried about about this case? Is there any personal goal he wants to accomplish? In short, try to strike a balance between the case and personal will, so that people can Through his own self-pursuit to make the work more perfect.”

Although with the development of the company, the division of labor makes Zeng Weijie inevitable from technology to CD (Creative Director), whether to participate in the case also depends on the necessity of his role. But he likes his current job, remains curious about fields he has never been in contact with, and wants to participate in the early stage regardless of the case type. He said with a smile, although that doesn't mean I can handle it well.

Indeed, even through the video software, we can still feel that when he talks about the production process of the case, there is always a calm and focused enthusiasm that forms with the work.

With laterally extending synapses, the essence of everything can be freely transferred

So, where does he usually get new knowledge from? What exactly does a creative director care about?

"In the past, I would do systematic research in a specific quadrant. For example, when I was interested in VR, I would delve into its technology, methodology, etc. Now, the way I receive information is 'point contact'." Zeng Weijie further explained that the so-called point-like contact is to dabble in various fields without limitation. Through a lot of reading and subscribing to channels and fan pages in other fields, information related to the theme is accumulated.

"It was only after a period of information accumulation and integration that I mastered the mental method of absorbing information." Even in seemingly unrelated fields, there are still lessons to be learned. He used games and architecture as examples, "In the case of games, It has something to do with psychology, how to create expectations and stack emotions, which can be applied to the experience of exhibitions or web pages; or architecture, after I came into contact with architecture, I found that they view space, environment, and objects in a very unique way. From my perspective, can this also be applied to exhibitions? I used to think architecture had nothing to do with me, but now I can transfer the spirit of these different fields to what I am going to do next.”

Just ask one question in the multiverse

We are curious about his vision of the future world in the face of this information-accelerating generation, who has been immersed in technology and art for more than ten years. He was silent for a long time. "This question is complicated. We... are using technology to enter the next more complicated stage," and then asked: "So, will we be happier because of this?"

Will we be happier because of technology? This is a no-nonsense answer, but it concerns our ultimate imagination of the future.

Technology has made information and material more accessible than ever. Statistics show that the amount of information we ingest in a day is equivalent to the knowledge that a human being could acquire in a lifetime 100 years ago. Perhaps human possibilities are maximizing outward expansion, and in the context of such collective progress, it is increasingly difficult to predict what future societies will look like.

However, we cannot deny that the age of technology cannot be turned back, and it is indeed a good tool to make it easier for people to collaborate and connect. But are people really happier because of technology?

When spiritual satisfaction is more meaningful than material goods, the definition of "value" shifts from a material level to a spiritual measure. In this way, taking "value" as the starting point under the technological framework, Zeng Weijie thinks about the gains and losses between the virtual and the real, "Nowadays, many things can be realized on the Internet, such as online shopping, online conferences, online exhibitions... ..and so on, virtuality brings convenience and de-spatialization characteristics, minus the sense of ritual, and escapes from linear time. Because of digitization, information can be stored in the virtual world without distortion. More broadly, it is like this The preservation of the characteristics of the document, whether it is historical or government documents, can be freely obtained, which is why it is said that digitization is one of the forces that promotes social democracy. On the contrary, things that are distorted are gradually eliminated, and at the same time appear precious.”

In such a situation, there is also the problem of companies taking precedence over the state. "Because the social structure in real life has not changed, technology relies on human nature to pursue interests or things of value such as happiness, and in the fluctuation of virtual and real values again and again, it is always easy for people to seek benefits for the sake of profit. Virtual service compromise."

He cites Facebook’s censorship as an example, a deal we had to agree to in order to fit into the group. "What makes people happy is valuable and worth trading." Zeng Weijie said that he did not know whether technology would make our future happier, but he always had an imagination: one day all of us will live in a virtual world. Then there is the real world.

Calm down, art is not what you think

Even though the generations are constantly changing, there are still many students who yearn for the sound and light experience brought by "technical art". When asked what advice Zeng Weijie would give students, he smiled and said there was no specific answer. "I don't have an educational background myself. My background at the time was so different from what I have now. It's hard to answer this question." He said that although he didn't step into this circle from the very beginning, even if he misunderstood the subject and misunderstood the field , I often don't understand the situation, and I still get to the way it is today. "Because I have always had a clear voice in my heart: I want to use technology to create. Those things haven't changed."

He also pointed out that the so-called "technical art" is actually difficult to define. It can be established as long as it is created with technology. It has no structure for people to apply, and all paths must be explored by themselves. "Doing art is a very luxurious thing. If there are students who want to go this route...it will be very hard!" He said with a smile. And behind that smile, perhaps flashed the marquee of various troubles in previous cases.

"Before making a decision, I hope that students can not only understand the nature of art, but also ask themselves why: Why do you want to enter this field? How can you give yourself a sense of achievement? Know what you want to do so you can keep going." Although Zeng Weijie said After the uncertainty of doing this business, but I believe that most of the students who have submitted the Taoyuan Design Award have stepped into the design swamp with half of their feet. What advice does he have?

"Because the environment changes rapidly, I don't have a specific answer. Concepts are more important than technical advice. Of course, I often hear the answer to live a good life, but there are also people who are under financial pressure, and it may be difficult for him to do it. This." He pointed out that the first step is for students to be honest with themselves, to understand themselves well instead of just watching others, and to think clearly about what they have to offer in exchange. The second is that students must have the ability to manage themselves. In this era of faster changes and more possibilities, they must learn how to make good use of resources and focus more accurately. Finally, in this era when cross-domain is the basic skill, we must have the ability to collaborate and think as a team.

Give up the exaggerated impression and let technology play the most necessary supporting role

Finally, we asked, if he could set out to transform Taoyuan with design, where would it be? Zeng Weijie said that technology is ubiquitous and has no regionality. Therefore, rather than a specific stage, he wants to do a comprehensive digital transformation of the entire city scale. "This is indeed an astonishingly expensive imagination, but if possible, I would like to use the design thinking method, whether it is a workshop or a forum, to discuss how to do digital transformation or digital equality here, so that technology can respond to real needs. , not just to show everyone's existing imagination of the future and make some too exaggerated transformations."

SyndAvant brings together creative people who are willing to apply their creativity and expertise to transform and advance society. We call them Avantists. This series of interviews will show you how these Avantists manage their professions, use their talents and influence, and then form a positive influence on society.

Editor: Guo Ke Interview: Zhang Yujie Review: Vera