Janet
Yin

What led you into design?

Like many fellow creatives, I was interested in arranging images and text from an early age. Since elementary school, I've consistently been involved in producing wall murals/newspapers. Now that I think about it, it must have been a sign. Besides, I'd rather doodle than take notes in my textbook. 

But, born to Chinese parents who are both engineer-minded and consider art and design less than other “real majors,” I had to convince them to let me study design strategically. I'm grateful that they came around and supported my decisions after seeing my determination. The rest is history.

What does a typical day look like?

Every morning, my two shelties wake me up at 7AM on the dot (more effective than an alarm clock.) After the pups are taken care of, I usually make myself pour over, losing my thoughts in the coffee bloom for a few minutes. Then I catch up on some reading while enjoying my coffee. By 9 o'clock is when I log onto work. Usually, around 11:30AM is when I have my early lunch since I'm not a big breakfast person, and then I will work through 6PM.

What's your workstation setup?

Where do you go to get inspired?

Everywhere!

I work in the branded content sector, so researching client brands is a critical step in the process. For example, when I worked on a project with a high-end jewelry brand, our client's unique jewelry packaging inspired the main visual motif. I also enjoy exploring all forms of art. There are countless times when my inspiration comes from abstract paintings, compositions, and even sculpture.

I should also mention that leisure time is essential for me to stimulate creativity. Exploring places I've never been, watching a football match (by football, I mean soccer,) or even doing jigsaw puzzles will spark new ideas for me.

What product have you recently seen that made you think this is great design?

Terra Kafee TK-02 by Ammunition. 

I am in the market for a fully automatic espresso machine and came across this model. As a sucker for clean design and fine typesetting, not to mention with a slight OCD tendency, I was immediately drawn to the minimalistic, perfectly arranged patterns on the surfaces and well-done typesetting in the digital interface. 

I can't wait to get this product.

What pieces of work are you most proud of?

I'm really proud of the Forbes 2023 State of Sustainability post that I designed and we launched on March 14th, 2023. This post is part of Forbes Research's official debut. As with many of Forbes’ content programs, the sustainability research reflects the perspectives of—and is targeted at—C-suite communities and business decision-makers. We start the post with a dynamic video header showing a mix of striking sustainability and executive-themed video clips. The body of the post features a collection of bespoke data visualizations, which fuse images, an interactive quiz, and a variety of graphs. Check out the published post here.

Back in 2021, I worked on a post for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The post's core message is bringing forward the importance of equity and inclusion in the fight against cancer. Two things made me incredibly proud of this project. First, this post was one of the first that we published using a single interactive module as the core storytelling device. It opened the door to new innovative formats and interactions. Second, I was able to empower a fellow creative, Nadzeya, the freelance portrait illustrator we commissioned to create all three gorgeous portraits. 

What design challenges do you face at your company?

I'm part of a tightly-knit, cross-disciplinary team at Forbes called the Content & Design Studio. We focus on producing branded content published on Forbes.com for our high-caliber clients. I have found that one of the inherent challenges in the branded content space is striking a balance between representing the client's brand and maintaining the Forbes design ethos that keeps our readers engaged. 

We are also constantly experimenting with visual design and interactivity in order to push the boundaries of our storytelling capabilities. The challenge is translating our design vision into a reliable and smooth web experience built on our in-house content management system (CMS). We work closely with our Product team to develop new functionalities in our CMS. The enhanced CMS enables our content experience to be more unique and engaging.

What music do you listen to while designing?

Any advice for ambitious designers?

First, keep strengthening the design muscle. Put in the effort until the very last minute, and it will pay off. 

Second, talk about your work with confidence and pride. If you are an introvert like me, write things down, and share a bulleted list. These baby steps will take you somewhere. 

Lastly, remember to take a break, recharge, and ask for help when needed. Collaboration with talented people can only make your work stronger.

Anything you want to promote or plug?

At the Forbes Content & Design Studio, we constantly look for talented freelance illustrators, animators, motion studios, and more to collaborate with. Please feel free to contact me at jyin@forbes.com and share your work with us.

On my personal work side, I would like to thank my dear friend Kwame Asare for allowing me to create the website on Squarespace for his hot sauce brand, Ohshito. The design is deeply inspired by Kwame's birthplace, Ghana. It's warm and classic. Plus, those are some damn good hot sauces in the market!