In James Tu’s view, though interior design is an industry requiring compromise everywhere, he insists on his baseline and style. Respecting customers doesn’t mean thorough surrender or doing everything the customers require. In fact, invisible contradictions between the designer and customers always exist; the customers want to control the whole process, while the designer needs to embody his own specialty and style.
Many customers believe in geomancy, and they may invite a master of geomancy to join in. But designs suggested by the master of geomancy usually have conflicts with the designers’ scheme. James Tu treats it in this way: first, respect the suggestions of the geomancy master; next, try to embody the unique style of the designer in the almost fixed pattern. The compromise of James Tu to the design schemes is a great respect to the customers, which shows a modesty and low-key attitude of an interior designer. In his view, “design is a kind of service industry.” Therefore, whether a design plan is perfect or not, not only depends on the affirmation of the designer, but also needs good communication and cooperation between the designer and the customers.
The concept of comprise held by James K.S. Tu when undertaking interior design, is not only shown in his communication and coordination with the customers, but also embodies the independent control of the design style. Audi (International) Interior Design Company declares that its core value is “grasping solid design theories and design styles; from complicated classic to modern conciseness, it can all show its quintessence.”
In James Tu’s eyes, the development of the whole industry also needs comprise at each level. For example, cultivation of designers needs both logical training in the aspect of architecture and cultivation of professional teaching on interior design; only in this way, can the design scheme reach a subtle realm of perfection and balance. This is because architecture is rational and requires a reasonable implementation of architectural materials into real space, while interior design is emotional and needs to create three-dimensional space and delicate aesthetics through the right aesthetics proportion. An excellent designer should wander between rationality and sensibility and embody a perfect compromising design scheme.
Since 2008, James Tu sincerely thought about turning the core of the business to the mainland market. This is because China has never attracted the attention of the world like today; and by his acute instinct, James K.S. Tu realized the opportunity to operate in the mainland market has already matured. So he regarded Shanghai as the center of his business in the mainland. In fact, business in the mainland at that time was no more than that in Taiwan. But considering the long-term development, James K.S. Tu still put most of his energy into the mainland market. “This is because I have seen the benefits brought about by the rise of the whole of China; we want to do something in this process and enter into this grand stage,” James Tu expressed with great ambition.
