About Me
Hey there, I’m Shaina!
The core of my design practice is the belief that being a good designer is not just about making things look nice. Good design is a practice in empathy — it is about understanding people and their motivations in ways that allow us to design user-centric experiences that are truly valuable to them.
My personal approach to being a good designer is to constantly be learning and listening — once I was in a taxi with a chirpy elderly driver, Ricky, who turned out to be a film photography buff with his own darkroom! I asked if he could teach me how to develop film photos and we spent the rest of the afternoon washing and drying prints and sharing stories.
Aside from my insatiable curiosity and complete obliviousness to stranger danger, I’m also always working on new projects, whether it’s for a need observed (e.g a better triaging tool for doctors), or fulfilling a childhood fantasy of visiting Willa Wonka’s chocolate factory.
So if you’re looking for someone to join your team, or just looking for someone to share stories with about design/ people/ the world — feel free to reach out to me anytime.
Education
- Goldsmiths’ College University of London, BA (Hons) Design Communication, First Class Honours (2019)
- Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Diploma in Product Design and Innovation, Diploma with Merit (2016)
Awards
- Recipient of Lasalle Award for Academic Excellence (Top in cohort, 2019)
- Panellist and speaker at Academy Xi’s ‘Designing Services’ event (2019)
- Nominee for McNally Award for Excellence in the Arts (2019)
- Speaker at Lasalle Annual Alumni Sharing Session (2019)
- Recipient of Ngee Ann Kongsi Scholarship (2018)
- Awarded Motorola Solutions Final Year Project Awards (2016)
