Meet Yuqin Ni | Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yuqin Ni and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yuqin, how do you think about risk?
Every move I made in my studies and career involved taking chances—it’s just part of the journey. It’s not that I love risks; what I love is my goals and the exciting possibilities, which always come with risks naturally. Risks mean unpredictable cons and pros behind every choice. Sadly we don’t always have the privilege of getting to know what they sign up for before we jump into something new. The key is to gather as much information as you can, decide if the potential rewards are worth the risks, and have the bravery to try new things.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What I really like about graphic design is its flexibility and the numerous career paths it offers. I’ve been fortunate to explore different facets of the industry. Luckily I got the chance to see what different sides of the industry are like. My specialty in school is branding and typography and my first three experiences were in design agencies where we do branding projects for clients, those are fun, exciting and aligned perfectly with what I learned in school. Interestingly, even within branding studios, there were variations in styles, workflows, and structures. Later on, I got the chance to experience what it is like to work as an in-house designer in a big tech company. They have a very unique working process and specific tasks that you may not do anywhere else, which is surprisingly fun. Then, this year, I accidentally got into the entertainment industry and started to work as a key art designer. This is super different from what I mainly did in the past but still have a lot in common. I design less as a system but more to compose a piece of art.
So far I enjoy all the experience and am eager to see where my career goes. Everything is worth the first try no matter whether I want to do it again. I learned how much potential I have as a graphic designer and there are thousands of possibilities of what my future could look like.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I will take them to Santa Monica, Pasadena, Long Beach…… Just hang around the city and see as much sky, sunset and sea as possible! As for where to eat, my current favorite Japanese restaurant is izakaya osen, favorite Korean restaurant is Louders and favorite Chinese restaurant is Little Skewer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I barely knew anything about graphic design four years ago or what jobs were out there. Now, I’m proud to say I’m good at it and have worked in various places in the industry. Big thanks to my school, ArtCenter College of Design, where I learned the basics and kickstarted my career. Shoutout to all my awesome professors who taught me the skills. Grateful for all the workplaces I’ve been part of: Gretel, Rice, DixonBaxi, Apple, and AV Squad!

Website: www.yuqinni.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qin-ni-5a20a8193/