School of Creative
Industries
Amanda Keisha Ang

Amanda Keisha Ang

MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice
2022 — 2023

Amanda is a brand design manager, art director and lecturer. Currently a packaging design specialist in the world of Fintech, she also teaches creative direction, foundational skills and branding in LASALLE.

An active practitioner in the field of electronic music, she curates diverse music lineups for events and performs regularly under the moniker A/K/A Sounds. She also runs an inclusive art and music collective called ATTAGIRL! which serves to nurture accessible and safe spaces for female-identifying and non-binary folk to network and learn within the nightlife industry.

Work

Teaching philosophy and research interests

As a creative individual, I am fascinated by the connection between emotions and the human experience. I am particularly interested in exploring how emotional intelligence and interdisciplinary work can enhance the creative process in design. Additionally, I am passionate about music, visual arts, culture and their potential to contribute to social change. These are the areas that shape my practice as a designer and researcher.

Lifelong learning, to me, is like an infinite onion. As an educator, my role is to strip the layers to uncover and help students develop new layers of knowledge and questioning. This cycle continues with every new experience and teacher. I hope that by providing real-world perspectives and opportunities for self-reflection, learners can view their work and personal growth holistically to make a positive impact on the world. I aspire for my students to surpass me as Aristotle surpassed his mentor Plato, who surpassed Socrates.

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Thesis abstract

Emotions in the design process: Effects on art-making and its outcomes

While there is extensive research indicating that emotions significantly impact the creative problem-solving process, relatively little attention has been given to exploring the role of emotions in the design process. Drawing on a phenomenographical approach, this thesis investigates the relationship between emotions and the cognitive design process by examining the lived experiences of four experienced designers through recorded interviews and journaling during a real-time design project.

The data analysis helped us pinpoint the different types of emotions and distinct categories of understanding that can significantly impact the design process such as: (1) tone of emotions are established during alignment between project and client, (2) tendency of high arousal emotions occur during ideation phase, (3) unforeseen challenges that affect problem solving trigger high arousal emotions, (4) structure, moderation and focus of project completion can manage emotions, (5) emotions are managed by external activities or other motivators out of the project, (6) feedback and validation helps emotional management during design process, (7) final design outcomes can positively change overall emotions and perceptions of work, and (8) personal and professional growth is supported by reflecting on emotional patterns.

The study also reveals various strategies that experienced designers use to regulate their emotions, and how design learners and novice practitioners could apply these emotion management strategies in their work. In sum, emotions are deeply rooted in the human consciousness and thus ought to be an essential aspect of the design process that is implemented universally.

Work experience

2021 – present
Wise Asia-Pacific
Lead cards and packaging designer

2021 – present
LASALLE College of the Arts
Adjunct lecturer

2020 – 2021
Huge Inc.
Senior designer and art director

2019 – 2020
Grey
Senior designer and art director