challenge
Design the complete experience of a new kind of hotel in Shanghai—a boutique destination that had to: Invent a brand from scratch, including name, identity, and physical design expression. Be unmistakably modern Chinese without falling into clichés or themed kitsch. Reflect deep sustainability values in both brand and operations. Compete in a hospitality market flooded with global chains and inauthentic "local" offerings. Deliver a cohesive experience across interior, service, marketing, digital, and print, years before “brand experience design” became a known field. → The real brief wasn’t a building. It was to create a living brand, one that could be felt in every interaction, from signage to scent to service.
Client
Space Development
Format
Brand
ACTION
I led the design vision and execution across every guest-facing and behind-the-scenes element, treating space, service, and story as one integrated experience. Experience Strategy & Brand Creation Developed the brand concept, naming ("URBN"), and brand identity system, rooted in understated, modern Chinese sophistication Selected “China black”—based on traditional ink—as the brand’s core color, avoiding the stereotypical gold/red and signaling elegant, cultural depth Defined the positioning as Shanghai’s first eco-boutique destination: cosmopolitan, local, and forward-thinking Designing the Space as an Expression of Belief Reclaimed a former postal building in a local neighborhood, preserving architectural bones and grounding the brand in place Led interior and spatial design using 85% recycled or reclaimed materials, from bricks and timbers to textiles Employed locals from the surrounding neighborhood for operations and security, embedding social sustainability in daily practice Service as Brand Designed staff uniforms, service scripts, and in-room collateral to reflect a calm, attentive, and unpretentious luxury Created a brand playbook covering tone of voice, experience flows, and environmental cues, ensuring consistency across touchpoints Designed the restaurant experience and menus to feel coherent with the spatial mood—low-carbon sourcing, elevated casual dining, local ingredients Multi-channel Storytelling Delivered print and digital assets (website, brochures, signage) that extended the mood and brand tactility Prioritized photographic storytelling and visual identity to support press coverage, social sharing, and editorial attention
RESULTS
China’s first sustainable eco-hotel—URBN became a category pioneer, cited by media and trendsetters alike Award-winning and widely published, with features in global design and travel publications Designed for high emotional resonance: guests returned frequently, and the hotel became a regular choice for international travelers to Shanghai Highly photogenic—“Instagrammable” before the term existed Personal milestone: this work secured my recruitment by frog design, where I was brought in for my ability to design across brand, system, and space This wasn’t just a hotel. It was a manifesto: That design could be sustainable, culturally rooted, commercially successful, and emotionally magnetic.
LEADERSHIP LENS
At a time when design was siloed into “interior,” “branding,” or “service,” I pulled all of it together. My role was orchestration: Clarity – Built a unified brand story that could be read in material, menu, and message alike. Cadence – Balanced fast-paced development with iterative user feedback and supplier coordination. Care – Respected the neighborhood, culture, and travelers—delivering luxury through humility, not excess. URBN was my first proof that experience can be designed as a system of values made tangible, a belief I’ve carried through ever since.
