Life & Work with Carolyne Chang of Mid-Wilshire

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyne Chang.

Hi Carolyne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Ever since I was a child, I came from a music and art background; I took piano lessons starting from Kindergarten, I played the flute and sang in my county’s select chorus, I loved to paint and draw, I did ballet, and I even won awards for my creative writing. By the time I was in high school, I discovered that these two fields could actually combine and become a real career. I decided from that moment on that I was going to become a graphic designer in the music industry, and turn my passion into my job.

It started small; in my junior year of high school, I designed fake albums and posters for fake bands online. I was basically tapping into all of the creative writing, music and art knowledge I had to create imaginary worlds around these fake artists. I then went to college for graphic design, and began to pursue music industry jobs on the side. Starting from the summer after my freshman year, I began volunteer work as a graphic designer at a media company focused on Asian music and culture. I then took baby steps from internship to internship, working my way from smaller to larger labels, until I finally landed at the art department at Columbia Records.

Today, one year after graduating, I freelance within the music industry on the side of my full-time job in advertising. It’s a dream that I’m able to continue to pursue my passion in music, while still expanding my creative horizons through other industries.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The most challenging part of my journey so far has to be my immediate post-grad, late 2024. After picking up so much momentum throughout college, jumping from internship to internship and basically already working my dream job, I thought I would be set. I was overly ambitious and a little naive, and never really considered the possibility of failing.

However, when I finally graduated, I quickly found out that internships and connections don’t immediately equal a real job. Due to internal issues and travel, I wasn’t able to continue my internships, and wasn’t able to join any of my internships full-time either. For a few months, I was stranded and unsure of where to go next. It was like all of my momentum had come to a complete stop, and I had hit a wall.

This, however, soon turned into an important turning point for me. After a grueling job-hunt, I found myself in a completely different industry than music; advertising. It was an industry I had never previously considered, after working my entire college career to be in music. But I ended up enjoying it way more than I originally thought, and found it a refreshing new chapter in my life. I’m grateful that I’m able to learn something new every day, and challenge myself in a new industry.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a graphic designer freelancing in the music industry, with my specialty landing in Asian music, particularly K-Pop. Recently, my biggest project, and the one I’m most proud of, is for the KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack. I designed the cover artwork and some of the vinyl inclusions for many of the film’s biggest tracks, including “How It’s Done” and “Soda Pop”.

As a designer, I would consider my favorite kind of design to be typography. My senior design thesis in college, “Memento Flori”, was created by 100 type designs of flower names (you should go check it out)! I love combining typography with motion graphics especially to create my work.

In terms of style, my creative identity is heavily inspired by my background as a J-Pop and K-Pop fan; it’s *very* pink, bright, bubbly, and glittery. It also, however, has a sleek and dark undertone. I would consider my style today to be a more grown-up, edgier version of the Asian subcultures I grew up loving.

In terms of design, I love playing with gradients, strongly saturated magentas and purples, and chrome treatments. I would also consider myself to be a maximalist; just like how I cover all of my belongings in stickers in real life, my design work is highly embellished and decorative while still staying clean. I would say my design style sets me apart, and is easily recognizable!

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
In college, I was always intimidated by the concept of “finding a mentor” and “networking”, especially as an introvert. I was always too scared to approach people first or cold-email.

What actually worked for me was forgetting about it being “networking”, and just surrounding myself with people that had similar interests as me. My greatest mentor was actually one of my bosses at my first graphic design gig. We bonded through a love of the K-Pop group NCT, and it came naturally and easily. In fact, most of the “networking” I ever did was through shared interests, and just being kind, open-minded and approachable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carolynechang.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zx.chi/