23 questions!

What sparked your passion for design?
Cartoons! I spent many hours of my childhood in front of the TV watching ben & jerry, gummi bears & mighty mouse chasing each other around and saving the world. I was always intrigued by how they were created and that curiosity led to design.

How creative were you as a youngster?
I love storytelling and still love a good story. Items missing at home could normally be found in my 'lair' as I would collect and build my world using them. I was the hyper imaginative kid at home who would use mom's cloth to make super hero costumes, invent poisonous swamps & make everyone in the family stay away from it. Ah.. the good ol' days!

Do you come from a creative family? Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer?
Yep! Mom love working with her hands and comes up with ideas that surprises me even till now. She made us dresses, sweaters, pillow covers, quilts etc. Up until my sisters & I were older, every year she would bake us our birthday cakes. My most memorable one was a layered sushi cake made out of rice. Dad on the other hand, has always been very passionate and animated. He also loves traveling,
something I was blessed to start on from a young age.

What sort of education and training have you had?
I was selected into the science stream in high school doing the 3 sciences (physics, chemistry & biology) but I never stopped getting in touch with the arts by taking up an additional literature module. No guesses to which one I did better at! That year after, I enrolled in Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore and graduated with a diploma in Digital Media design, specializing in animation. After a year in the industry, I returned to uni in Melbourne, Australia for my Bachelors in Communication Design in Swinburne.

Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
Honestly I was kinda clueless after I graduated because it was also the year when the 2001 Economic Crisis happened. The industry wasn't as stable and companies weren't really hiring which resulted in a shortage of jobs. Most of us felt like orphans.

Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
I was required to animate an opening 3D logo sequence in a day, which I would have been given 3 weeks to do in school? I absolutely freaked out back then, but I guess I learnt about timelines the hard way. I ended up using 2 days to finish the sequence that fortunately turned out pretty decent.

What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years?
I used to created my documents in Freehand before Indesign came into the picture and since then, its just made more sense.

Greatest advancement in technology?
Gosh.. so many. Perhaps the most obvious is how easy (& how tiny the devices) it is to access the web for any kind of information. Although its a progressive movement, i think it has really shifted our perception of accessing data, networking and just really, our way of life.

Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
Oh no, I don't believe so. There is always a need and an appeal in print (and the beauty of physical paper) for the areas where digital technology cannot fulfill. With books for example, digital technology is great with its ability to update and inform to its audiences in a quicker manner via the web but also because of this benefit, material from before might not have been preserved for future references. In a way, I believe the two mediums will only help push the effectiveness of the way we communicate to the demographics and not fight each other.

Whose work do you really admire and why?
Alice, my mom. She never fails to amaze me with her spirit to learn and improve regardless of how old we are. She has a great attitude which I aspire to look to which is why my mom would be one of my biggest role models.

Who has been the greatest person that you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you?
I have been blessed to have worked with many fantastic people in the years of my career. In some way or another, they have all taught me important lessons that have extended out of the classroom and studio.

How would you describe your work?
It is appropriate when it needs to and crazy when it can be. There isn't a fixed style to my work as I am constantly evolving & drawing influences by my surroundings, so is my work. One thing I've learnt is to not stop looking & doing.

What are your plans for the future?
I hope to use my knowledge & love for design in other purposes out of work, continue working on personal projects and collaborate with designers from various disciplines. Possibilities are endless!

What sort of company would you like to work with next?
It would be amazing to be in a company of like minded people with are professional, passionate and honest with the quality of the work done.

What is your opinion of Australian design?
There is a lot of good work done in by designers in Australia. I especially appreciate the quirkiness and sense of humor in it.

What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
Given the pool of talent in this country, I'd say the best and worst thing here is the competitiveness it has to offer.

In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future?
Because geographically we're so far away from everyone else, I think we have to constantly put our work out there to establish the recognition we deserve.

What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Looking at amazing homes & interior design, gift wrapping (http://haotianqi.wordpress.com), cooking, fashion & photography

What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
I love going back to Cookie at Curtin House. Great location, good food, coffee & beers and beautiful light in the afternoons. I always go flipping their collection of children books.

What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
http://www.designspongeonline.com
http://thedesignfiles.net
http://adsoftheworld.com
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com
http://surround.sg

What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
December Rains, The musical soundtrack. This gift just arrived for me in the mail and I'm ecstatic because I wasn't able to attend the musical in Singapore. Love the vocals of the lead actress, Kit Chan.

If I was a font, I’d be...?
- a different one for a different occasion!

For more information regarding Natalie's availability, call us here at Mathew here at Artisan on 9514 1000!