【Interview】 1st Story ~Designer/Dayoung~ part2
Ms.Dayoung is inhouse designer at Maisond, she creates visual designs and member icon illustration for website and corporational materials.
In the previous article, I went deep into Ms.Dayoung's student days until she started to work as a designer.
This time, I will share about her first job as a designer,her current job at Maisond, and rewarding she can feel working at Maisond!
※Previous article：https://note.com/maisond/n/n23cdb5e43ebb
Profile
・Dayoung Cho
・She was born in Korea and moved to USA with her family when she was 13 years old.
・She went to Art Center College of Design, after she graduated junior high and high school in US, and started to studying design professionally.
・After graduation, she works as a freelance designer in the US, and moved to Japan alone from 2019.
・In the activity in Japan, Maisond CEO Shiotani contacted her and she joined Maisond.
Hardship and "Trial and error" as a designer
Mina: What was your first job as a designer?
Dayoung: I got first job in the United States, I was hired as a freelance designer to design picture books. It was a mysterious picture book, that I could wear like a raincoat.
Mina: What do you mean!??
Dayoung: It's a picture book when you fold it, but it will be able to wear when you unfold it ...
Mina: That's amazing! Did you commercialize it as a product?
Dayoung: Yes it was commercialized, but I was disappointed that I couldn't see the finished product because neither I nor the art director knew where it was on sale. .. But as the first job to make money in design, I strongly remember it.
But after this job, I had been depressed for about half a year because I couldn't get a job.
In the meantime, I thought that I might not be able to live freelance, so I started job hunting to be hired as regular employee or contract.
Mina: Well, did you find a job?
Dayoung: I found a job, I got a job of IT company's in-house designer with a friend's referral recruiting, and I started to work as a contract employee for about a year. I used to draw illustrations of their services and anything needed in the company. I was able to draw so many pictures and it was very fun and rewarding. And at that time, I saved money to come to Japan!
Encounter with Maisond
Mina: After hearing this story, I feel you really likes drawing. .. Did you always work in design in Japan?
Dayoung: I've done some work other than design. First of all, I went to a Japanese language school to learn Japanese, and after that I searched online for a job as a freelance designer, I made some arts and uploaded them to my site. Then I was get an offer from a design company to create an illustration for the company's website, that was my first job in Japan.
I found a job soon after I came to Japan, so I remember I was very happy and I thought, "That was a right choice to come to Japan!!"
But after that, I didn't have a design job for a while, so I started to work as an ALT (assistant for a language school teacher).
Mina: How did you find the Maison from there?
Dayoung: When I first came to Japan in 2019, I was looking for some people on LinkedIn to expand my network, and I found Yuto-san (CEO of Maisond) .
I found him because we graduated the same university in the United States. After that, around July 2021, Yuto-san sent me a message that "Please follow the Maisond's page." ,so I visited the Maisond's website.
In the website, I found Maisond is recruiting staff, so I contacted him again.
But at that time, I didn't expect to be hired at all, I contacted him with a feeling like "I graduated from the same university, but I'd be happy if we could talk casually~~!"
Mina: You were from the same university as the CEO! While talking with Yuto-san, your were accepted as a designer??
Dayoung: Well, while talking about various things online, we talked that Maisond can helping me with visa renewal, and he offered me as a designer, so I decided to work.
That was totally different from interviews with other companies, Yuto-san didn't have general questions like "what you can do in Maisond?" Or "What is your goal as a designer?"
Mina: How did you feel when your hiring is decided?
Dayoung: To be honest, I couldn't believe it!
Until that time, I couldn't get a design job for a year, and I couldn't even go to an interview for a job, but suddenly I was hired!!
I couldn't believe it, about a month…!!
"Now" and "Future" at the Maisond
Mina: What kind of work do you do at Maisond now?
Dayoung: As a visual designer, I create illustration related Maisond and images of products and services.
I created icons for members, and next are illustrations for websites and LinkedIn. Maisond did't have many illustrations, so I would like to make the website more and more colorful.
Mina: I love the member icons you made^^
Dayoung: Thank you! Yuto-san and my design have different tastes, but Yuto-san knows what is good and bad, so I believe him and want to make many design together.
Mina: You have a lot of illustration work now, right? There are many things I would like you to draw, such as the content of the service!
Dayoung: Yeah, it's a lot of fun to paint them! Maisond is a global company, so I think it would be nice to fill up the various explanations with various illustrations, because it would be easier for everyone to understand.
Mina: I agree with that!
I think you have worked with various people and companies,
but what do you like about the Maisond?
Dayoung: Free atmosphere is what I like about Maisond!!
Mina: That's a quick answer!
Dayoung: Yes!lol
Japanese culture had a strict hierarchical relationship, but it would be nice that Maisond don't have that kind of culture and we can talk casually and feel free to ask questions.
Also, when I talk to other employees, I was worried to make mistakes in Japanese, but I don't need to worry about that in Maisond .
I may not be able to speak anything because of anxiety at other companies…
Mina: You mean you may feel anxious about making someone angry or judged by someone as an incompetent member?
Dayoung: Yes, I may worry if I make the other person uncomfortable even though it's not on purpose. And I may hesitate to ask something because I worry about everyone would think "Don't you know that….?".
But at Maisond, I can feel free to ask what I don't know or don't understand, because there's no judgement.
Mina: That may because everyone lives in different places and there are people from different backgrounds. It feels like we are accepting the differences and the values of each.
Mina: Do you have any goals as a designer and creator in the future?
Dayoung: Yes! I would be happy if more people could see my work by exhibiting it on a big screen such as Shibuya or Times Square. That is my biggest goal in my life! I would be happy if I could make Maisond's service bigger and my dream would be realized in the Maison's work.
Mina: That's nice! !! I'm happy if I can go for your goal together.
Ms Dayoung, who always overcome difficulties positively with art design, she is always bright, energetic and powerful !
You can see a lot of wonderful works by Ms.Dayoung on the Maison's Website and LinkedIn. Please take a look!
Website：https://www.maisond.cc/
Linkedin：https://www.linkedin.com/company/maisond
In addition, we are looking for members to work with Ms.Dayoung and wonderful members!
If you are interested, please check the application guidelines below and contact us!
https://www.maisond.cc/career