Today we’d like to introduce you to Yen Nguyen.
Yen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Creative and design has always been an influence in my life (I used to hang up mail as posters as a kid awing over color, photography, and illustration), so naturally, it is what I have always gravitated to, and feel very fortunate that I am able to do this for a living full time as well as freelance on the side. Before officially becoming a designer after graduating from art school, I’ve held rather normal roles that one would have but have always found ways to be creatively inspired. I was a team leader on the Mens department at Urban Outfitters and would help assist our visual merchandise teams with the Floor Sets every season, I worked at multiple skate parks but always found opportunities to design contests, band flyers, monthly newsletters, and any kind of visual communications for them (we did not have adobe software, so I often times printed out type and laid out everything on colored paper stuck with scotch tape, and ran copies through a fax machine — whatever gets the job done!), any time a co-worker would get engaged, I was always fortunate enough to work on the branding for their weddings (I myself hate weddings—even though I did work at a wedding magazine, but I love taking the backstories of my couples to create a suite filled with their easter eggs and hidden messages to share with their friends and families). Growing up in a little suburb outside of Dallas, Texas (and always wanting more for myself), Southern California has always been a dream place to live. After ten years of working in creative, from packaging design to retail marketing in that market (and a year and a half in the NYC market), I was able to move to LA, where I have been for almost 10 years. Inspiration is everywhere here, from street graffiti to effortless fashion, as well as the nature that surrounds us; I find myself inspired every day and am lucky I get to live and work here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Luckily, it has been a smooth road for me. Moving and living out here is not easy. I have always focused on why I am here and fully know that I can quickly be sent back home if the universe wants that to be. I’ve kept my friend circles small, focused on the health and happiness of myself, my husband, and our pugs, and only take on work that inspires me and aligns with my values. Everything else is just noise. I also make sure the people I do creative work for are good people, especially with a full-time job; if I take on freelance design, that eats up into my personal time. So it has to be worth it!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I traditionally have a Graphic Design background, but as the world shifts in terms of creative technology and social media, and as I have grown in my career, I have found myself leading teams of creatives for large brands and companies. I have found that staying true to my design aesthetic while respecting the history of brands to help amplify their visual identities as the world shifts is what I love to do. I find myself thriving in roles where brands have fallen off the map culturally and need a little help with brand design, creative, social and video content. Not an easy challenge, but one that I love to be part of! On the freelance side of things, I love taking parts of the story of my clients to create work that is meaningful and full of easter eggs that IYKYK to make work that feels special and created just for them.
What matters most to you?
Prioritizing my work and personal life while focusing on my health and happiness. I once went to a design conference in Dallas, and one of the speakers gave great advice on how he prioritizes himself and his time. He said, “8 8 8”. We only have 24 hours in a day — 8 goes to work, 8 goes to your personal time, and 8 goes to sleep. I used to hustle and live the work grind early on in my career, but at any point and time, a company could lay you off, or a freelance client you don’t know could lose their business, thus ending both of your income streams. As I get older, I am more focused on where my time goes and definitely have prioritized things that make me happy and inspire me to do the work for and will not sacrifice myself for companies and clients that don’t value me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yennmadeit.carbonmade.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yennmadeit/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yennmadeit/
