Let's pursue challenges that make people grow, communities flourish, lives happier.

Freelance design

I was (mostly) a 1-person design team that provided full stack design services to startups, small businesses and social enterprises

It takes a business to know a business

As my design practice grew, it becomes apparent that clients don't hire designers for the "design", they hire us to help their businesses grow. I decided to run a design business so that I can empathise with my clients on what really matters to them as business owners.
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As the design studio of one, I had to try on some new roles i.e. business owner, marketing manager, salesforce, account manager, project manager, accountant. This "undercover mission" gave me valuable insight into how design can fit into the world of other roles.

Impact from intimacy

I primarily worked with startups and small businesses, which are usually lead by people who deeply intimate with the work they do: they are not only passionate about products they build, many of whom also treat their staff and customers as if they are families. They have inspired me to embrace the same intimacy with my work and people that I work with.

Putting this intimacy in practice meant caring for my clients as my friends, seeing the world from their eyes, delving into their domain, and providing recommendations with their best interests in mind. Work was most rewarding when I saw my client happy and their businesses grow.

image: Piccoli Horses

Constraint hones effectiveness

Resource was a constant constraint, since my clientele was mainly small businesses, startups and social enterprises. This meant everything I worked (which my clients paid for) had to deliver value and impact. It also meant that we had to work iteratively, efficiently, with flexibility. Most importantly, it was a constant negotiation to strive for the optimal outcome for all parties involved.

I can't think of a better training for effectiveness.

Lone wolf that hunts in packs

Although I positioned myself as a freelancer, I regularly teamed up with other collaborators to tackle bigger projects. I've also embedded myself in a few dev teams as the additional UX resource. There's power in numbers, especially when tackling a larger prize. This experience was a great experiment to try out all sorts of team structures and work relationships.

As the my client base grew, I partnered with Ian Loh to establish a small design agency under the name of Kope Studio. We embraced the same humanist values, and focused on delivering most impact to our wonderful clients, through every interaction we've had with them.

Moments I'm most proud of

+ Launching a website that the client is proud of
+ Watching lit-up faces when I pitch a design or concept
+ Seeing website, apps, logos that I've worked on out in the wild

Clients I worked with
‍Gecko Press
Scoop Media
Regen Agritech
Crystalnix
Piccoli Horses
Enspiral Network
NZTE

My key responsibilities are
Define user flow, IA, UX
Craft visual language & UI
Visualise user journey
Visualise persona
Consultation for UX strategy
Training client/teams

What I did
‍IA/sitemap
Low-fi wireframe
Hi-fi visual mockup
Interactive prototype
Brand identity design
Design system & UI kit
Concept presentation
Provide developer UI support

image: Gecko Press