For years, I tried to disappear into the crowd.
It didn't work.
Turns out being visibly Asian in 1990s England is a terrible stealth mode.
So I did what every confused third-culture kid eventually does.
I accepted that I'd never fully fit in.
And I stopped trying.
And this is an important lesson I think we can all take something from in this crazy-af-tech-landscape.
I stopped fearing new environments.
I've been a foreigner my whole life. New countries, new companies, new rooms full of strangers. They all feel the same to me, somewhat familiar. While others are scanning for the exit, I strangely look for the opportunities.
For designers, new environments = new opportunities. Stay open-minded, spot the problems, see the opportunities, if so inclined, help fix it.
I got weirdly good at reading rooms.
Bridging cultures since age 5 trains you fast. Connecting across backgrounds stopped being a skill. It became instinct. I grew up making friends (some of them still BFFs) from Turkey, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, Morocco, etc. I stopped thinking I needed to look like everyone else in order to fit in. A multinational room was what I craved.
For designers, new rooms = new ideas. K-Dramas, Squid Game, Blackpink, Parasite. Media is going through a cultural shift. I believe design is too.
Search for weird rooms. It can be literally, or in the comfort of your underwear at home. You never know what you might find, and to me, that's exciting.
I stopped believing in one right way.
Most people grow up with one story. I had to hold 3 at once. That's why I've never been precious about process in design, career paths, or anything else.
For designers, the way of doing things is being disrupted. Skip Figma, straight to Cursor. Generate PRDs from meeting notes. Prompt to animate a static images. It's all to-be-defined. The cool thing is you get to play a part. Don't shy away from it.
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Funny thing is the stuff I spent years hiding became the stuff people got most curious about.
The bridge between worlds. The banana perspective.
I came to understand that being in-between isn't a flaw.
It's a feature.
From there… I started feeling kinda special.
If you're somewhere in-between right now: cultures, careers, or a better version of yourself...
Welcome it.
Welcome the new, welcome the exciting, and welcome the unknown.
That discomfort is the whole point.
Lean in.
It's what this whole journey is about.
