Editor's Note: The girl wearing a gray hoodie is Tan Haoyu, a talented student from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute who has recently gained a lot of attention for her exceptional work in designing the emblem for China's crewed spaceflight mission Shenzhou-17. Despite her shy demeanor, Tan's eyes light up when she talks about her passion for drawing and her love for otaku culture.

As a child, Tan was drawn to manga and would spend hours imitating her favorite characters. However, her art teacher once told her she had no talent, discouraging her from pursuing her dream. Nevertheless, she persevered and continued to work hard, and her dedication paid off when her design was selected for the Shenzhou-17 mission, making her the only student work to be chosen in the history of China's manned space engineering.

Tan's approach to designing the emblem was both creative and practical. She prioritized clarity and focused on expressing the necessary information, such as the elements of the mission, the space station, stars, Earth, and the universe. She enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to arrange and combine these elements to create the best possible design.

Although the design process was not straightforward, Tan worked diligently to create a visually appealing emblem that effectively conveyed the mission's message. She struggled with the color and layout choices but ultimately settled on a circular design with a blue color scheme, which she believed would resonate with people's associations with space and the sky.

She laughs and admits that this kind of inner struggle is too common in design. "I designed emblems for the Tianzhou-6, Shenzhou-16, and Shenzhou-17. Actually, I was most satisfied with Shenzhou-16, but who knew that Shenzhou-17 would be chosen?" Aesthetics vary from person to person, but Tan Haoyu believes that her design, which has been carefully thought out and polished, and can clearly convey information, is the most important thing.

Aside from her accomplishments in design, Tan also enjoys creating otaku-inspired artwork in her free time. Her drawing style is charming and playful, and she often incorporates her love of Pokémon into her illustrations. When talking about the latest Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, She excitedly waves her hands and says, "You must try Violet! It's much cuter!"

Now, Tan Haoyu has received a lot of recognition and attention. Many netizens have interacted with her online, and her friends have sent their congratulations. Tan feels a sense of affirmation and confidence in her abilities as a designer: "Whenever I doubt myself, this experience will encourage me to continue on the path of design."