Jacky Lin - Interactive Design Graduate Spotlight

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Heya! Design wasn’t really what I had in my mind before getting into it in high school. My main desire was to get into Art because I wanted to learn how to draw. Unfortunately there was an excess of students who applied for the art class. So, we were moved into a digital design class one year before we were actually meant to take it. Despite not getting into the subject I originally intended, I wasn’t deterred by the situation. I was optimistic to try something new.

Looking back, it was good for me to embrace change. I cultivated a passion for design that over took my desire to make art. Then my teacher recommended studying at MDS, because of the great industry connections. Hearing that, I was instantly interested – I knew the connections I would make during my studies would be something I couldn’t miss out on.

What was the focus of your graduating project?

My project “The Second Moon” focused on visualising all the space junk that we have currently, and forming a sphere from it which orbits earth and acts like our second moon. I choose this topic because space is an area that we have yet to fully grasp. With all the missions to space for exploration, research, and commercial purposes, objects that once had purpose are left behind – floating out there, turning into junk. Pieces of space junk are super dangerous, traveling at extremely high speeds —even a small piece of junk the size of a marble can destroy a satellite, creating more space junk and damaging our satellite infrastructure.

I wanted start a conversation about this problem with STEM students. Then we could leverage their new ideas, perspectives, and techniques to find effective solutions. I wanted to visually represent the problem looming over our heads, so that it is hard to ignore.

Why did you choose to study design at MDS?

It was definitely the industry connections that they provide. I’m super introverted and I wanted to step out of my comfort zone a little and actually start talking to more people and engage with industry. MDS has provided me with plenty of opportunities to achieve this and far more — from event invitations, to studio tours, portfolio reviews and great hands-on learning experiences in the lectures!

MDS is a smaller university, without a doubt and I really enjoyed that. Being able to spend more time getting to know your peers and lecturers creates a great atmosphere for growth.

What did you enjoy most about the Bachelor of Media Design?

There’s many aspects of the programme that I liked, but the key standout was the many mediums we could play with and explore. The different mediums forced me to think in a different way, to look at things from a different angle and add different perspectives or ways of doing things in projects. And this programme has offered me all the tools to achieve this and really helped me to find what I like doing within design.

What was your biggest challenge while studying?

The biggest challenge I had and still have is two fold. First is comparison. I always go back to the quote “Comparison is the thief of joy” commonly attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt. Which does hold weight. If you compare yourself too much to others it could lead to some bad habits. Then Second is the feeling of imposter syndrome. I often feel this because I just think that I don’t have what it takes to create something that can stand alongside others. These two things combined makes a pretty bad cocktail.

But I just chose to look at this differently. I chose this as one of my reasons to improve. Pick out reasons on what and why I like others’ projects and apply them to my own. Compare what I’ve done to others and see what I’ve missed or can improve, and apply the learnings. No doubt that I still feel the imposter syndrome everywhere I look, but I choose to see it as a form of motivation which helps me grow.

What inspired you to pick design as a career path?

I’m all for exploration, learning new things and creating. I’m always curious and there are so many things to learn in this field, there’s definitely no shortage of inspiration when it comes to this industry. There’s always something to look out for in other industries, formats, techniques that can be applied into what we create and becoming more innovative with our approach to tackling problems. And that’s what I love doing.

What piece in your portfolio are you most proud of and why?

I would have to say my graduating project “The Second Moon”. I really like how the idea formed because it takes inspiration from size comparison videos along with a topic that we don’t often talk about and puts it in a position that we cannot ignore. I feel that the combination creates a good core outcome that would spark conversation about space debris.

What’s next for you?

The next steps for me would be to update my portfolio. I want to experiment with more styles, macro and micro interactions, and just to keep my coding skills up. Then I’ll focus on trying to get an internships, work experience or full-time work in the industry. I currently aspire to work in studios such as Gladeye or Resn.

Knowing that there’s so much to explore and learn, I don’t know where I might end up, but I will let the wind carry me.

Where can we see more of your work?

My portfolio site is the best place to see my work, follow me on LinkedIn and check out my insta, where I post the occasional “good” photo.

Find out more about the Bachelor of Media Design

Article courtesy of our friends at Design Assembly