Girl on fire
multi-hyphenate
Was never a one-trick pony. Deal with it.
experience designer
purveyor of ideas
highs, and lows
Because it’s time we keep things real.
The rest
The Rest is my latest project; and for many personal reasons, probably the one I am most proud of.
A 3-part project, with Phase I being the renovation of an old family home; Phase II the development of a business idea and brand; and Phase III, its implementation.
This project is the best illustration of my multi-disciplinary approach and capabilities; and audacity of my spirit.
yifan Mandarin
Yifan Mandarin was the first big project I took on quite accidentally after becoming a new mom. The plan was to be traditional wife and mother, but on meeting Kate Zhou, and listening to her aspirations to start a language school for young kids, I couldn’t not be involved.
As a self-owned start-up, back in the days before iPads were even a thing, we had to do everything ourselves and from scratch. From business development, branding, graphic design, PR, marketing, class and programme design, we did together.
The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.
This was my baby, way back when my baby was still a baby too. The collaboration with Kate on Yifan Mandarin & Mandarin for Munchkins (the brand we came up with) inspired me, and my creative urge went into overdrive.
The concept was to develop a range of products, geared towards language learning (starting with Mandarin) for kids from families where no-one spoke the language in question. Fun products and resources that will feel like play, not education. From crib mobiles to video flashcards, to interactive games, talking books and toys… It was ambitious, and expensive.
Creatively one of the most successful things I had embarked on, but naïveté resulted in a con that ultimately brought my fledgeling company to its knees.
We live and learn.