30 WEEKS: HOW DESIGNERS CAN BECOME FOUNDERS

Working Not Working November 19, 2015

30 WEEKS: HOW DESIGNERS CAN BECOME FOUNDERS

What do The Light Phone, MOTI and Slang have in common? They all came to life at 30 Weeks, a founders program for designers, half school, half incubator. The program is focused solely on creatives, from graphic, web, and product designers to UX/UI designers, to architects. 30 Weeks is unique in that it offers the hands-on experience, mentorship, feedback, tools, workspace, and connection to the communities designers need to create products and start companies that may just change the world. The program was created by Google in partnership with SVA, Parsons, Pratt, The Cooper Union, and Hyper Island.

One of 30 Weeks' success stories is none other than WNW Member #3358 Joe Hollier, creator of the Light Phone, which we featured on Free Range in May. Joe's take on 30 Weeks? “It gave me confidence. I knew that if I could do this, I could do anything.”

We spoke to 30 Weeks advisor and recruiter Kiely Sweatt, who reflected on the past year, how the program is evolving, and adds that the program is not for the faint of heart: "It’s not enough that amazing people come through our doors; being an entrepreneur means long days, long nights – it’s more than a full-time job."

The deadline to apply is 12/12.

Apply here

What are the biggest business pitfalls or challenges your designers have faced when transitioning from creative to full-time entrepreneur?

Our designers learn very early that they must wear many different hats and become knowledgeable about a number of disciplines. From design and market research to building product and a team, to developing financial plans and marketing strategies, the real challenge is keeping everything forward all at once. Startup founders are the CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, the list goes on and on.

Why is it important to have designers as founders?

Part of a designer’s training is to be more empathetic: how does a consumer relate to a product; an end-user with technology. Designers are taught to find solutions to complex problems with specific users and their needs in mind.

What are some success stories of the past year?

The Light Phone, MOTI and Slang. Another success story is 30 Weeks itself - the first year was an experiment that turned out to be a successful one, enabling a second year to happen.

What have you learned in running this program?

The program is only as good as the designers who are in it. A great idea is important, as is the quality of our curriculum, the support from our instructors, speakers, and mentors, but nothing replaces a designer ready to work hard. It’s not enough that amazing people come through our doors; being an entrepreneur means long days, long nights – it’s more than a full-time job.

30 Weeks is calling all designers and creative entrepreneurs interested in building products: Apply here.

MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER WANT TO KNOW ABOUT NICHOLAS FELTON

Working Not Working October 18, 2015

MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER WANT TO KNOW ABOUT NICHOLAS FELTON

Before Fitbit, there was the Feltron Report. Starting in 2005, well before the popularity of self-moniteering devices, WNW Member #8275 Nicholas Felton tracks, quantifies, and designs a yearly data visualization of, well, himself. Named the Feltron Report (a sort of nod to appearing more corporate), Nicholas organizes his life into quarters, accounting for his computer, location, environment, car, media consumption, sleep activity, and physiology. The result is nothing short of astounding. (MoMA seems to agree.)

Ten years later, Nicholas was the lead designer on Facebook's timeline and has helped launch Reporter, an iPhone app designed to record and visualize subtle aspects of our lives. Nicholas recently released his most recent Annual Report, which is apparently also his last. In light of what may be the Final Feltron, we spoke to Nicholas about his extremely personal project.

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How did you determine what to analyze?

Over the course of this project curiosity has compelled me to collect lots of nearly unknowable information about myself. I tend to pick metrics that I find personally compelling, but that are mysteries to nearly everyone… like how far I travel in a year or how many cups of coffee I consume. As the project progressed, I also discovered areas of interest that resisted simple or even brute-force collection. The challenge here is to develop a methodology for collection that will give high quality results and be workable for a year. To capture mood data about myself, I wound up devising an online survey that others would complete to record my behavior. In 2012 I commissioned a random-sampling iPhone app that I worked beautifully and I ultimately released it publicly as Reporter.

What you've learned about yourself when putting the reports together?

The most obvious thing I’ve learned about myself is that I have a high tolerance for labor-intensive past-times like data collection. I don’t tend to be too surprised by the findings of my reports. In fact, if I find something surprising in my analysis, it typically means that I’ve made a mistake somewhere. The awareness of everyday activity required for its capture means that I typically have a good sense of the things I investigate. One item that did surprise me was when I looked at my social contact by days of the week. By looking at my year through this different lens, I could see how each of my time with each friend was clustered around a particular day of the week, like Friday for my girlfriend or Wednesday for my business partner.

How have you seen yourself change over time?

One of my priorities with this project has been to capture my year with high fidelity without affecting my behavior too much. As a result, behavior change has been hard to notice and to optimize for behavior change I would probably want a much faster feedback loop than once per year.

Why did you decide to sell the reports?

I decided to try selling the reports in 2007. This was the third edition of the project and the second year I produced a printed version of the project. Charging for the reports was an experiment to see 1) if I could recoup some of the production costs and 2) how desirable of an object the report was. Fortunately I sold plenty of copies that year and with an audience willing to support the project I have been able to improve the production quality year over year.

Does the content influence the design?

The design of the report is always in service to the content. I am never satisfied until I feel that I've squeezed all the possible stories out of my data. The challenge is to find ways of linking the entire document together while also serving each angle of the data. Some years, the layout becomes more consistent to allow comparison from page to page (e.g., 2014 or 2011) while other years my desire is to delve deep on a facet of the data and develop custom visualizations for each page within a repeating layout (e.g., 2013 or 2012).

In publishing the reports, have you felt exposed? Did you ever hesitate to share all this information about yourself?

Fortunately, I am the researcher, designer and editor of my reports, so if anything is revealed, it’s because I want it to be there. I am transparent to a point, interested in showcasing my best attributes and certainly willing to make a joke at my own expense from time to time.

Are there things you've been tempted to track but ultimately decided not to? Why?

There are things that I’ve tried to track and failed at. Frequency is this discipline’s best friend… so when things happen irregularly it is hard to remain diligent and record them. I remember one year, I wanted to track all the pills that I consumed. The problem is that I don’t take vitamins really only take pills infrequently. A few weeks into the report I took an Advil but forgot to record it because I wasn’t trained to recognize it. A few days after I took the pill, I remembered that I was meant to log it and decided that the data was already corrupt and that I shouldn’t capture it.

Why is this the last Report?

There are three reasons why this is the last one:

1. I think that if you go past 10, you have to commit to another larger number like 20 or 25… stopping at 11 is not an option.

2. The reports take longer and longer to create. I always felt that there was no point in releasing an edition unless it was better than the last one. Unfortunately, this has meant that they take longer and longer to create and I’m now into the tenth month of the year before a report is finished. If I was to do one more, it would take longer than a year to produce and start causing real problems.

3. I have worked towards this report being the last one for a few years. The ninth report set this up by wrestling with the most ambitious topic I could imagine… capturing and evaluating my communication. Beyond that, I can’t think of anything more complicated that could be reasonably recorded. Now, with the final edition, I am able to revisit what is possible without doing much that’s out of the ordinary. By using only consumer apps and devices, I can evaluate the fidelity of personal data today and illustrate how far technology and society has moved since the inception of this project.

The Final Feltron Report

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

MANAGER PROFILE: ANNA CHARITY, HEADSPACE

Working Not Working October 11, 2015

MANAGER PROFILE:
ANNA CHARITY, HEADSPACE

Headspace, founded in 2010, is a digital platform that provides guided mediation sessions and preaches the importance of health and mindfulness. Another way they put it: a gym membership for your mind. For the many of us who struggle to maintain a balance between work and life, Headspace offers a useful tool, and an opportunity to recenter. We spoke to Headspace's Head of Design, the aptly named Anna Charity, to find out what it's like to work for a company whose main goal is "to improve the health and happiness of the world."

We asked Anna what Headspace looks for in the creatives they hire: "They say you’re only as good as your next piece of work. But what about the work you’ve done that you’re not necessarily proud of? And how has that led you to making better decisions? We don’t see enough failure in portfolios. But it’s that contrast that makes someone’s body of work rich. It’s the cracks that add weight, worth, value and personality to a portfolio."

In keeping with the balance that Headspace promotes, we made sure to also find out what Anna focuses on in her free time: "Music in its many forms. Listening to it, seeing it live. I’d say most of my drive comes from music and has ultimately shaped my passions, interests, [and] beliefs."

Tell us a bit about your background and career journey.

I always fancied myself as a musician but being adept at the oboe was nowhere near cool enough for me! Thankfully I had another outlet, which was art. After a year in college in the depths of the Welsh valleys, I ventured down to Brighton (UK) to do a degree in illustration. I think I became quite disillusioned with the idea of being an illustrator. And the fact was, I couldn’t envisage getting a steady wage packet from it! But whilst I was at university I became interested in other areas, such as animation and design. I loved the process of thinking in narratives and seeing illustration being brought to life. I also loved the problem solving aspect of design and after graduating I enrolled in a traineeship in interactive media to learn the ways of the web. So I ventured down to London and started working at a digital production company called specialmoves, getting my teeth sunk into web design and animation – when Flash was all the rage! Since then I went on to freelance for various agencies and production companies such as B-Reel and The Mill. A year ago I moved stateside to LA where I now work for Headspace.

How did you end up at Headspace?

I was introduced to Rich Pierson and Andy Puddicombe (the co-founders of Headspace) by someone I freelanced with at B-Reel in London. Back then Headspace existed mainly as an events company but wanted to reach a larger audience, so I was initially brought on to design the first version of the app and to develop their already existing brand. Following that, I took a sabbatical and embarked on a 9 month trip around South America, returning to Headspace full-time. That was three years ago and I’ve since been involved in a re-brand and the launch of V2, which is the current version of the app.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

Being part of a project whose main mission is to improve the health and happiness of the world and to be entrusted with developing a brand that literally makes a huge impact on peoples' lives is pretty awesome. I’m super lucky to be working with a brilliant team of talented and inspiring people. And it’s not very often you work on a brand where you’re given creative free reign and the support to realize ideas, no matter how off the wall.

What’s your creative outlet?

Music in its many forms. Listening to it, seeing it live. I’d say most of my drive comes from music and has ultimately shaped my passions, interests, beliefs etc. But apart from creating 46-hour playlists, my outlets lie in the usual arenas of most creatives - traveling and exploring different cultures, reading of books, art, history, architecture, conversation, curiosity – the list could go on! I recently visited New Orleans and was hugely inspired: the history, the music, the food, and the architecture. It’s such a rich, soulful and rhythmic place where music informs everything. The thought of working there remotely has crossed my mind, but I fear I would melt in the intense heat and humidity!

Describe Headspace in 3 words.

Innovative, playful, curious.

What qualities are most important in a prospective freelancer?

Inquisitiveness, charm, passion, ambition and of course talent. We have values as a company, but what are the individual’s values? How can their insights and opinions inform and enhance the brand? Whilst at the same time having a sensitive approach and understanding the needs of a brand?

Which social networks do you prefer for stalking people, creative or otherwise?

I don’t tend to do a whole lot of stalking besides checking out a portfolio. It’s the work I’m mostly interested in. Though if they have an Instagram account I’ll usually take a peek at that. And if they have a Spotify account, all the better – I love nosing through peoples playlists!

What are you looking for in a portfolio that's unique to Headspace?

Contrast. Unfinished stuff. As a creative I think it’s always hard to see anything as finished. How could they have taken a project further, what would they have done otherwise? An understanding of typography is essential, because that’s the foundation of good design. Self-initiated projects, what makes you tick outside the day job? They say you’re only as good as your next piece of work. But what about the work you’ve done that you’re not necessarily proud of? And how has that led you to making better decisions? We don’t see enough failure in portfolios. But it’s that contrast that makes someone’s body of work rich. It’s the cracks that add weight, worth, value and personality to a portfolio. How can a portfolio offer a less filtered/overly edited, more honest view? I think all these values exemplify what Headspace is about – honesty, playfulness and curiosity.

What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?

Although it’s an oldie… this.

How much time do you spend on each portfolio? And how long before you make a gut reaction on the portfolio?

It can range from a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes. I normally get a gut reaction within the first few seconds but will explore enough until I feel that this is the right person for the job or not.

What do you judge first?

Music taste. Joking - typography.

What kind of talent makes you warm inside?

The kind of person who doesn’t know how good they are. Especially in this day of constant self-promotion where we are all trying to amplify our worth. That charm and humbleness makes me warm inside. And a sense of humour. It’s surprisingly hard to find people who can laugh at themselves. If you’ve got a kickass portfolio but you take yourself too seriously, well life is too short for that.

Portfolio trends you wish would go out of style? What drives you nuts?

It drives me nuts when people talk about themselves in the third person, it’s pretentious and unapproachable. Don’t do it.

Best piece of advice you can give about portfolios, personal websites, and resumes?

Mix it up. Be bold, colourful, and shout about your personal work. Coming from the UK where people seem to be alot more self-deprecating about their work to the US where it’s the norm to big yourself up (no matter how good/bad your portfolio is) has been an interesting thing for me. I’ve received many cover emails where people have sounded like they work in sales. ‘Forsake all other designers!’ Only to discover that I’ve seen better layout skills from a 3 year old kid with chronic diarrhea. So yeah, it’s about recognizing your talent but being honest and humble about it.

Anything we didn’t ask that you’d like to add?

Get your inspiration from looking at other things besides other people's work. It’s unhealthy and a recipe for self-comparison. Try and steer away from looking at design all together. How can a tin of baked beans inspire you to create something unique? Don’t overlook the ordinary. And never underestimate the power of music.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

CREATIVE COUPLE: MASATO & KAREN TO NAKADA

Working Not Working April 22, 2015

CREATIVE COUPLE:
MASATO & KAREN TO NAKADA

WNW Members #2386 Masato Nakada and #2766 Karen To Nakada run a studio together, focused on a range of design, from typography, to branding to motion graphics. They aren't afraid to boast their romantic status, proudly declaring it front and center on their website. Masato and Karen believe that there's "some kind of magical trust" gained with clients when they see how much they enjoy their work (and that they're probably talking about the job over dinner!)

That being said, Karen and Masato concede that independence and time alone is critical for creative success. Their advice for other creative couples that can really apply to anyone, "Don’t forget to hang your own “do not disturb” sign. Masato calls it the “CAVE TIME”! We can’t stress enough about the cave time, or the solo time. Everyone needs a piece of alone time so he/she can just get lost and relax. It helps us maintain our work and relationship to go a long way."

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Hi guys! Tell us a bit about yourself, where you're from and what you're currently loving:

Hello there! This is Karen and Masato from the Happening Studio out in sunny Los Angeles. Our background ranges from typography, branding, motion graphic, web to print design and we don’t like to limit ourselves from gaining new skills. We just wrapped up a couple fun motion projects for NatGeo Wild and Chobani and we currently are tackling two new exciting brand development for a start-up furniture designer and a watchmaker. After a long day of hard work, we are quite the passive Netflix junkies. (Shamelessly) watching Friends with wine or beer is actually a fun and relaxing way to end our day.

MASATO

What do you admire about Karen?

I admire Karen’s criticality and grace. She has a way of assessing a situation and finds multiple ways to progress and make things better. Every time she does this, I am like, “That’s a no-brainer. Why did I not think of that!” And she does all this with a sassy grace. What can I say, my wife is sassy.

Through working together, I have discovered...

...that she loves to learn new things, from tedious technical program scripts to learning new words from TV shows.

KAREN

What do you admire about Masato?

He is hopelessly happy, positive, and relaxed. When I am all stressed, tensed and/or angry, he is still a calm body of water which often help us out in tough situations.

Through working together, I have discovered...

..that he has a hard time saying no to a client (or anyone who is in need of help)!

KAREN & MASATO

What came first, romance or work?

It’s actually neither! Design school came first then followed by coupling then finally working together. We went to CalArts at the same time to study graphic design. Masato was an MFA candidate while Karen was in the BFA program. According to Karen: "Masato was acting helpless with After Effects so he tricked me into helping him out." According to Masato, "Karen was just too charming, she had to talk to me." We never get to settle the truth.

How did you start working together? What was that transition like?

After graduating in the same year, we pursued different design fields for the first couple of years, which helped us gain skills and knowledge as a designer and as a business owner. We got to know many great people and shook many hands. As time went by, we started to accumulate projects that required both of our skills. It made perfect sense for us to finally join forces together and create our own studio.

Had you dated anyone in the creative field before?

Sadly no for Karen and yes for Masato.

Do you have work/personal boundaries? If so, how do you draw that line?

We have very blurry boundaries between work and personal but in a productive way. Sometimes a good idea strikes us during after hours or over a weekend. If you enjoy what you do, your work easily becomes a part of your life without sacrificing your personal time. Each year, we try to take a month off to unplug and travel together. We recharge our energy as a couple and as designers.

Ideal Coupling: Not Coupling ratio

75:25?
When we are both mouse-clicking and racing against time, it’s not that romantic.
Then we are a couple again afterwards. Pretty systemic now.

Do you find that it helps to promote the fact that you’re married? Ever hide it?

We are never shy about telling people that we are married and work together! There’s some kind of magical trust we gain from our clients when they see us enjoying our work and knowing that we are probably talking about their job over our dinner table.

Favorite thing about working together. Hardest thing.

Our favorite thing about working together has to be the honest factor. During our design process, we can say things as it is, instead of spending time to sugarcoat or guess each other’s thoughts. The hardest thing is that everything is doubled. If shit hits the fan, we get double the mess. That’s why we are constantly learning on the go and trying to avoid messy situations.

As a couple: how have you seen your work evolve? As a professional, how has your relationship evolved?

Work wise: we are able to do things that neither of us can do alone, in terms of style, technical executions and on a conceptual level. As a couple, we benefit from growing our relationship and business at the same time, double happiness!

Are you friends with other creative couples? Why do you think people date each other in this field?

Yes, we know many creative couples from work and from school. It’s mostly because design is such an essential part of our lives; it is a big plus to have your special someone understand that language and lifestyle.

Advice for other creative couples?

Don’t forget to hang your own “do not disturb” sign. Masato calls it the “CAVE TIME”! We can’t stress enough about the cave time, or the solo time. Everyone needs a piece of alone time so he/she can just get lost and relax. It helps us maintain our work and relationship to go a long way.

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Are you a creative couple and want to share your story? Email us.

ON STARTING OVER: ZIPENG ZHU

Working Not Working April 15, 2015

ON STARTING OVER:
ZIPENG ZHU

When you meet WNW Member #2465 Zipeng Zhu, you won't easily forget him. Raised on a diet of Manga and Gossip Girl, Zipeng's style might not be so surprising as he describes himself as exuberant, colorful, and relentless with the desire "to make every day a razzle-dazzle musical." Before he could live his New York City dream however, Zipeng had to get through the hurdle of visas (or rather a "real life Hunger Games"), and before that, making the big decision to eschew his parent's preferred path of a traditional life in China as a biochemist.

Zipeng tells us about his first impressions of America, how he became a designer, and what it means to start over. He also created a series of seriously awesome illustrations specifically for this post.

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What was it like growing up in China?

Hmm… Where do I start?

I grew up in a very ordinary Chinese middle-class family. Because of the one-child policy in China, I was the only child, or rather, the spoiled brat. Since both my parents had to work, I spent a lot of time at home alone, the only thing keeping me company was my Legos. I was not interested in anything else but legos: boxes and boxes of legos. I was constantly constructing and deconstructing lego pieces all through elementary school.

What was your first exposure to America?

I always loved Power Rangers. But in Asia there are two versions: one is the original version called Super Sentai and the other is the American version. My memory of the American version was that it was the same as the Super Sentai but with American actors. I also remember that the cinematography was so different (the Japanese one was greener.) I felt the American one was nothing but a rip-off. So my first exposure to America was not great.

When did you know you wanted to move here?

In high school, I fell in love with the show Gossip Girl (shame, and this is why my English sounds like Blair!) After seeing all these fabulous fancy bitches on the UES, I decided I had to come and see if it was at all true. (Sex and the City was before my time.)

The creative community in China vs. America: what are some differences?

In China, due the the popularity of Manga, the illustration industry is very dominant in the creative scene, so lots of the designers are primarily illustrators. More recently, there is starting to be more “design” designers. But the creative scene in China is still almost a blank paper, full of possibilities and opportunities. Meanwhile, America seems to be much more developed. Both however, are super tough industries.

Do your parents understand what you do for a living? How do they feel about you living so far away?

My parents are starting to understand what I do after they saw the Jewish Museum identity that I worked on. They finally know what typography is, thank god! They also finally understand that living here is much better for my career. We miss each other very much though; I FaceTime my parents on daily basis!

Tell us about the visa process. As a foreign student, what pressures did you feel?

Getting visa is like a real life Hunger Games. There is just such a slim chance of actually getting the visa and you need to make sure you are super qualified for it. Since I was applying for the O-1 visa which requires industry recognition, instead of working 9-5 like most of the recent graduates, I had to spend extra time to put myself out there and let people know who I am. I had to work really hard on everything since there might be a chance 6 months later that I would get deported. Plus, lawyers are ridiculously expensive.

What have you learned in the process?

I learned how nice the industry is. Honestly, I wouldn't have gotten the visa if I didn't have help from everybody.

What’s your proudest accomplishment, personal or professional?

Moving to New York! I was a biochemistry major in high school and it took a lot of fighting with my parents to convince that I'm was going after my passion and not necessarily a safe and comfortable life.

Tell us more about that transition from biochemistry to design.

I was really into manga when I was in middle school and I wanted to be a mangaka (manga illustrator.) After three years of drawing, I finally realized I sucked at it. I spent a lot of time talking about broken dreams, listening to Comptine d'un autre été on repeat and drinking endless cups of bubble tea. All that I was left with was the fact that I knew how to use photoshop (not to mention an endless number of embarrassing illustrations which I'm not sure I'll ever be brave enough to show to the world..) Since I was the only one in my whole school who knew the software, people started asking me to make posters and flyers for all the clubs and events at school. My art teacher mentioned graphic design as a career and I was like, "I can make money from making posters?!" My mind was like BOOOOM. It went from there to me walking on 23rd Street. I mean, who cares about biochemistry any more?

What has been the biggest challenge in coming from another country?

Language, no doubt. It's not just the day-to-day vocabulary, its the slang and cultural references that drove me insane. I basically didn't know anything before 2009 (the year I arrived), so it took me almost a year and a half to finally have an effortless conversation without forming the sentences in my head first.

Any favorite words or expressions?

Word - Uranus

Expression: DUH (with my eye roll of course.)

Best thing about being a foreigner here?

The excuse of "I'm from China" works everywhere and every time.

Advice for fellow foreigners? Other creatives?

For foreigners: Make sure your work speaks for you and hopefully you also made some awesome friends that are willing to help you with the visa.

For everyone: Know your worth.

The future: what would you like to create? Be known for? Dream projects?

I want to create things that represents me as an individual.
I hope to be known for my happiness and optimism.
Dream projects mean an open brief with endless budget.

Any other WNW members whose work you admire?

Karan Singh
Dan Savage
Skip Hursh
David McLeod
Luke Choice

Follow Zipeng on WNW

30 WEEKS: HOW DESIGNERS CAN BECOME FOUNDERS

What are the biggest business pitfalls or challenges your designers have faced when transitioning from creative to full-time entrepreneur?

Why is it important to have designers as founders?

What are some success stories of the past year?

What have you learned in running this program?

30 Weeks is calling all designers and creative entrepreneurs interested in building products: Apply here.

MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER WANT TO KNOW ABOUT NICHOLAS FELTON

How did you determine what to analyze?

What you've learned about yourself when putting the reports together?

How have you seen yourself change over time?

Why did you decide to sell the reports?

Does the content influence the design?

In publishing the reports, have you felt exposed? Did you ever hesitate to share all this information about yourself?

Are there things you've been tempted to track but ultimately decided not to? Why?

Why is this the last Report?

The Final Feltron Report

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

MANAGER PROFILE:ANNA CHARITY, HEADSPACE

Tell us a bit about your background and career journey.

How did you end up at Headspace?

What’s your favorite part of the job?

What’s your creative outlet?

Describe Headspace in 3 words.

What qualities are most important in a prospective freelancer?

Which social networks do you prefer for stalking people, creative or otherwise?

What are you looking for in a portfolio that's unique to Headspace?

What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?

How much time do you spend on each portfolio? And how long before you make a gut reaction on the portfolio?

What do you judge first?

What kind of talent makes you warm inside?

Portfolio trends you wish would go out of style? What drives you nuts?

Best piece of advice you can give about portfolios, personal websites, and resumes?

Anything we didn’t ask that you’d like to add?

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

CREATIVE COUPLE: MASATO & KAREN TO NAKADA

Hi guys! Tell us a bit about yourself, where you're from and what you're currently loving:

MASATO

What do you admire about Karen?

Through working together, I have discovered...

KAREN

What do you admire about Masato?

Through working together, I have discovered...

KAREN & MASATO

What came first, romance or work?

How did you start working together? What was that transition like?

Had you dated anyone in the creative field before?

Do you have work/personal boundaries? If so, how do you draw that line?

Ideal Coupling: Not Coupling ratio

Do you find that it helps to promote the fact that you’re married? Ever hide it?

Favorite thing about working together. Hardest thing.

As a couple: how have you seen your work evolve? As a professional, how has your relationship evolved?

Are you friends with other creative couples? Why do you think people date each other in this field?

Advice for other creative couples?

Are you a creative couple and want to share your story? Email us.

ON STARTING OVER:ZIPENG ZHU

What was it like growing up in China?

What was your first exposure to America?

When did you know you wanted to move here?

The creative community in China vs. America: what are some differences?

Do your parents understand what you do for a living? How do they feel about you living so far away?

Tell us about the visa process. As a foreign student, what pressures did you feel?

What have you learned in the process?

What’s your proudest accomplishment, personal or professional?

Tell us more about that transition from biochemistry to design.

What has been the biggest challenge in coming from another country?

Any favorite words or expressions?

Best thing about being a foreigner here?

Advice for fellow foreigners? Other creatives?

The future: what would you like to create? Be known for? Dream projects?

Any other WNW members whose work you admire?

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us.

MANAGER PROFILE:
ANNA CHARITY, HEADSPACE

CREATIVE COUPLE:
MASATO & KAREN TO NAKADA

ON STARTING OVER:
ZIPENG ZHU