✍🏼 Redefining Home Designer’s Profession: iPad Drawing, White Space and Personal Brand | Henry Gao

Welcome to Olga’s podcast! Meaningful conversations with architects, artists, and designers. Meet my today’s guest — Henry Gao from YouTube: @HenryGao Henry is a home designer, YouTube creator, architecture photographer, and illustrator. His new passion is teaching online iPad drawing for architects. “Today, I am a San Francisco-based home designer, illustrator, artist, and photographer. I take every bit of inspiration from my childhood into my everyday work. I don’t just design spaces – I tell stories through them.” In our conversation, Henry redefines the path of architects, focusing on personal brand and creativity over traditional norms. He encourages architects to explore new roles by matching their interests with possibilities. Managing various roles, Henry shares tactics to prevent burnout and maintain a fulfilling career. We also discussed top drawing apps for iPad, making design easier across different project stages. ✏️Questions we’ve discussed today: 1 The traditional route of an architect is to work the entire life for good big architectural companies so you can earn a proper income and save for retirement. In the 21st century, how can we redefine this route? Is it more these days about focusing on a personal brand in architecture, about being more creative? 2 Your most popular video on YouTube is “My 4 streams of income as an architectural designer”. Could you please share with us the main takeaways from that video? 3 How to create that “white space“? I watched your interview with Eric from “30X40 Design Workshop“ and you were talking about your first side hustle: you worked as an architect and had a 4-day workweek. You had Fridays and weekends to do what you want. Could you please give fellow architects advice on how to create free time, that white space, to be able to learn something new, to try new things, to just think? 4 Henry, you have all those other streams of income, and how do you manage to balance those creative pursuits and professional commitments? You are wearing so many hats. 5 Any strategies to prevent creative burnout? 6 Henry, which apps do you use for different aspects of a residential project, such as design, drafting, or presentation? 7 Among Morpholio, Procreate, and Concepts, which app do you find most effective for your architectural drawings and why? 8 You have an impressive ETSY shop with highly detailed architectural drawings. What is the inspiration behind your architectural drawings and how do your travels influence your work? 9 You have such a good line! I know you have been drawing with pen and inc since 6 years old, looks like it has become “your style”, very recognizable. Do you teach that technique in your online course? 10 Which advice would you give to emerging architects in today’s rapidly changing industry? In his interview with Eric Reinholdt from “30X40 Design Workshop“, Henry shares the art of creating “white space“ amid architecture commitments. Architects are guided to find time for learning, exploring, and testing new things. Link to that interview: Watch also Henry’s video “My 4 Streams of Income as an Architectural Designer” : ✏️Check Henry’s free workshop on iPad drawing for architects: ✏️Stay connected with Henry online: Website: Instagram: YouTube: @HenryGao