When I first came up with the idea of an e-commerce with changing themes, many people didn’t understand the concept initially, and even with the ones who did, some were quite dismissive about it. At the British library, I was told by a marketing expert that I was completely mad. Yes, maybe I am but I believe that sometimes people need to take risks, whether they will pay off or not is another matter. In the past, I have worked for other people doing work that gained no satisfaction for myself, so now I am determine to do something that I enjoy regardless of what other people think. And judging from the responses after the launch of second theme so far, I feel like more people understand what my vision is about. Perhaps in the future, this format may change or no longer work, but I hope that it will survive a few more themes…
Collaborating with expatriate designers to create a new front page for each theme is an important part of this ‘project’. With the two designers I have worked with, they both brought fresh ideas and injected their own styles into the work, which was what I wanted and encouraged. It is important for the designers to enjoy what they do because I believe that good work always comes from the heart and not from the head.
The idea of a living room made out of paper came to me one day when I was daydreaming… remembering one of my homework as I kid: making a shoe box room using matchboxes and other scraps. This was the light-bulb moment for the front page.
The question was where to find a designer who would work with me on this? I decided to turn to the internet, I went through several online portfolios, and eventually I found David Tan, a Malaysian student who just graduated from his BA graphic design degree in London. I thought his style fitted the website and so I contacted him to see if he was interested in this collaboration.
David and I met a few times over coffee and I was glad that he understood my concept very early on. His enthusiasm and constructive input proved that I had found the right person, and the result was even better than I had hoped for. Even though he does not specialise in paper craft, his dedication and attention to detail can be seen from these photos ( also taken by him)…
My favourite item from the room… the delicate old-style fan!
David has since moved back to Malaysia, and I am sure he will have a bright career ahead of him. You can view David‘s website and portfolio here.