Check Out Mikako Yee’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikako Yee.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Originally, the reason why I came to LA was to pursue my dream to be a professional dancer. After I got an O-1 visa and worked hard as a dancer, performing with artists like Nikki Minaj and Calvin Harris, I reached a point where I was finally satisfied with my dance career. I’ve done swimming, gymnastics, Karate and dance and have been physically active pretty much my whole life. For my next career transition, I wanted to pursue something that challenged me in a non-physical way. One thing I was really interested in since I was a little was drawing and I’ve enjoyed using computers in general. I started connecting dots here and there and found I had a “knack” for creating with Illustrator and Photoshop. I was researching what kind of job was out there leveraging Adobe software and found an article that mentioned “web design”. In order to become a web designer, I also had to learn HTML/CSS. I never thought I would learn such languages, but I wanted to challenge myself anyway, so I started taking online classes. With the new knowledge I obtained, I began making websites and thumbnails for my friends’ YouTube channels, which eventually led to referrals to business owners in different industries from nutrition/dietetics to lifestyle eCommerce.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No, finding something you love is actually the hardest part. After 20 years of pursuing dance as a career, it wasn’t easy to transition to a different creative outlet that I could pour my passion into.

In web design, learning to write code is a constant challenge. Even if you get past the first problem, there is always another problem afterwards to solve.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a web/graphic designer that is also a native Japanese speaker, so I receive many requests from U.S business owners/companies who wish to reach a Japanese audience and vice versa (Japanese business owners/companies that want to reach a U.S. audience).

With all of my clients, understanding the story they want to tell to their audience and communicating their strengths are key. I love these client interactions because together, we can take a concept and bring it to life.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Today, web design is shifting to DIY. There are tons of templates online and people can use those templates to stand up websites in seconds. However, even with those templates, design layout is still hard for beginners. The user interface/user experience (UI/UX) aspects of web design will greatly influence this industry over the next 5-10 years.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.mika-webdesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikako_nakagawa/