What is the source/origin of your domain name, DHKY?
David Yu: Initials of my full name, David Huk Kan Yu, simple as that!
We feel that your web site has been more like an art rather than just a website. Do you have a background in traditional fine arts?
David Yu: Not anything formal... as far as my college education goes, I had graduated from Computer Science from my hometown of Vancouver, BC. There wasn't any deliberate intention to make my site more art than design. Besides being a home for my portfolio, I use my "brand"and my site to experiment and test out new ideas. With each successive version of the site I've been trying to find the right balance between something that's fun and easy for me to update and also easy for people (and potential clients) to browse through.
We see that your site has cartoon/animation like feeling throughout. Is there any Japanese animation that inspired you?
David Yu: I loved cartoons, and especially Japanese animation, as a kid...usually ones involving huge robots and absurd levels of destruction. I've only recently in the last few years rediscovered anime, with recent titles such as Evangelion, Spriggan, Rahxephon, Inuyasha, etc. Right now I'm hooked on Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex. I'm big into sci-fi and fantasy, and love how these "anything's possible" realties and characters are created in anime. Same goes for video games...coming from a background of Apple IIe and Colecovision, I can certainly appreciate the maturation of gaming in the last ten years. I love games like Rez, Onimusha, Silent Hill, Zone of the Enders, etc.
We all know the importance of the ideas and inspirations upon creating something new, do you have anything in particular that inspires you in great deal?
David Yu: I get inspired by things going on around me in my daily life. I look at a lot of different things and think about how stuff works. I try not to think too much about being inspired and like to just keep an open mind. Sometimes I like to think of sites as little glimpses into much larger worlds, or as little slices of life. I'm also obsessed with nostalgia...I find that when you dig into your subconscious and tap into things like half-forgotten memories, the emotional impact can be pretty powerful. With commercial work, I think about what my client wants and what users want, and what I think would be new and fun for me to do. I think if you have fun with what you're doing, that enthusiasm can really come across in your work.
Do you have some technology or projects related to the web/internet that you would very much like to try in the future? Also, do you have something like that outside of the world of web?
David Yu: The thing that makes interactive design so exciting and challenging is that the technology supporting it constantly changing and improving, along with the general population's acceptance and understanding of it. This is just the beginning right now and I have a lot of hope for how things will evolve in the future, and I'd definitely like to focus on this medium for the long run. As far as what I'd like to do in the future outside of the web, for me, gaming and game design seems to be a natural extension of the kind of interactive work I like to do best...the same principles and methodology apply.
You seemed to have worked on Japanese websites before, but have you ever gone to Japan for a visit? If so, was there anything about Japan that you liked?
David Yu: I've been to Japan a bunch of times, most of it being in Tokyo. Like most Asian kids who were weaned on Japanese anime and manga, toys, videogames and snacks, Japanese pop culture has had a big impact on me. Now that I'm older the curiosity is still there, but now I tend to enjoy experiencing rather than purchasing things. I'm grateful that from doing web design I've been able to meet likeminded friends around the world, and now whenever I go to Tokyo my pals from Power-Graphixx would take me around to restaurants, bars, record stores, book stores, etc.
Is there any Japanese site that is your favourite or inspired you?
David Yu: Hmm, I can't really name just one of the top of my head. There are many that I like and that inspire me. Sometimes when I'm surfing around going to some of my favorite sites like raku-gaki.com, no-name, crablike.com, sountain.com, etc. and come across a list of links to Japanese graphic/illustration/photography sites, I find tons of interesting random interesting personal projects and a lot of great creative work from people I've never heard of. I like the whole spirit and energy and of this community, it feels really honest and sincere.
If you don't mind, could you tell us whether your decision to move to Hong Kong from NY was based on the direction you wanted to take in your career or on something private?
David Yu: It's a bit of both. My family is from Hong Kong but I had never spent any time living here, so I wanted to get closer to that culture and see what that was like, and be able to spend more time closer to my family. I enjoy travelling and Hong Kong is a great hub for seeing Asia. Workwise... I didn't really know what to expect before moving here, to be honest. I had a few friends and clients that I knew before moving here and that was it. Hong Kong is a technologically advanced city with an excellent and increasingly popular broadband network, and has tons of retail/consumer and entertainment properties, yet they haven't tapped into online branding and marketing in the same way that North America has.... partly because there isn't really the expertise here and many people are too concerned about the bottom line (web developers and clients alike) to take any risks or try anything new. Which, in a way, makes it a perfect opportunity for me to take the experience I have, line myself up with like-minded clients, try to make a difference here and do things a little differently. So far it's worked out great.... I'll continue updating my site with new works in the future.
You seem to like Kung-Fu from Hong Kong. What is your favourite Jackie Chan movie? We like "Drunken Master" and "Shaolin Wooden Men".
David Yu: Despite Jackie Chan's recent embarrassing (under)achievements, its comforting to know that you can always dig up your old "Drunken Master 2", "Project A", "Police Story"DVDs and remember the good old days of Hong Kong kung fu cinema. And speaking of kung-fu sell outs, people who haven't seen Jet Li's "Swordsman 2"and "Shaolin Temple"should go and pick them up now.