Where’s Gut favours “human-centric” design (despite being named after its studio cat)

The Kuala Lumpur-based studio has a visual approach rooted in Chinese culture, philosophies and symbols.

The creative force behind Where’s Gut studio is Magdalene Wong, a designer with a rampant curiosity. Though Magdalene would be nowhere without her trusty sidekick Gut – the studio cat who’s not only got a staff bio on Where’s Gut’s website, but also gives her name to the creative outfit. This unconventional approach to staffing is mirrored in the work Where’s Gut does – working across identities, print, and packaging design, Magdalene enjoys taking on a variety of projects, collaborating with different people and bridging gaps between mediums.

In one project, the studio used the tomato plant as inspiration for a card and angpow (red envelope) set, using Chinese embroidery aesthetics alongside contemporary illustrative shapes. Chinese culture, philosophies and symbols serve as a great influence to Magdalene, a fact she owes to her “culturally diverse upbringing”.

At the heart of Where’s Gut’s personal projects is a “human-centric” approach, investigating topics that dictate a sustainable future, such as mental wellbeing, urbanisation, animal rights, multiculturalism and environmental preservation. In 2021 Magdalene produced a typographic zine that explored the impact of Covid-19 on mental health, created with surveys and conversations in collaboration with the rest of the Where’s Gut studio.

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Where’s Gut: A Fruitful Year (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2018)

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Where’s Gut: A Fruitful Year (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2018)

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Where’s Gut: Drool (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2021)

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Where’s Gut: Drool (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2021)

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Where’s Gut: Pagi! Taman Paramount (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2021)

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Where’s Gut: 8 Immortal’s Colours (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2019)

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Where’s Gut: 8 Immortal’s Colours (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2019)

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Where’s Gut: 8 Immortal’s Colours (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2019)

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Where’s Gut: Lacher Patisserie (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2023)

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Where’s Gut: Head on: Mental Wellbeing (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2021)

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Where’s Gut: Sustainability is a Pain in the * (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2022)

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Where’s Gut: Sustainability is a Pain in the * (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2022)

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Where’s Gut: Buncit Bao Bar (Copyright © Where’s Gut, 2018)

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About the Author

Olivia Hingley

Olivia (she/her) is associate editor of the website, working across editorial projects and features as well as Nicer Tuesdays events. She joined the It’s Nice That team in 2021. Feel free to get in touch with any stories, ideas or pitches.

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