We were lucky to catch up with Mikel Tan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mikel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I’ve been a web designer for 15 years spanning multiple teams with colorful personalities. As a Director of Design what I’ve learned is that your approach matters. Having soft skills naturally is a gift that I believe will help one succeed in the future of their business. This is something that I have instinctively but I’ve learned how to access that skill and utilize it in the workplace. This coincides with building a genuine healthy relationship with your peers. Caring for your team’s concerns and listening to their solution proposals with an “us” and not “me” attitude aids in harnessing long-term success.
Mikel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a Los Angeles based Designer offering Graphic + Web Design (UI), Art Direction, and Branding. I got into my craft in high school and I used to sketch logos in my notebooks. I also discovered a program on my custom built PC called Microsoft FrontPage Editor. It was an HTML editor and web admin tool which peaked my interest.
I think I’m most proud of my growth over the last 10 years. In the last decade, I’ve learned to balance my time management, become an effective and caring leader, and sharpen my mindset and work ethic. When combined, I feel that it’s a strong formula for me to become more polished professionally, but personally as a husband and father.
Fast forward to today, I enjoy helping my clients represent themselves as the quintessential business that their clients and potential customers would want to work with. I particularly love rebranding a business in need of a refresh. The idea of taking an old brand and breathing life into it again with a professional touch is very gratifying.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I believe that building a relationship with genuine care for my clients’ needs is important to my success. I always strive to give my clients the best experience during every step of the design process. This means that customer service and the willingness to listen to their needs and guide them toward the best path possible is my top priority. I listen to their objectives and goals and I do my best to deliver exactly what they’re looking for in a timely manner. I think this is why my client reviews glow the way they do because I give my all into each and every project.
Have you ever had to pivot?
There was a defining moment in my life when I needed to pivot in order to become mentally tough and resilient. It was in college when I thought I was an untouchable designer. I was once a “know-it-all” and thought my approach to my designs were untouchable. During my first year in college, whenever a project finished, we would pin our work up on the classroom wall. That’s when each student’s work would get critiqued by the class including the instructor. I realized then that some of my peers and instructors offered some humbling feedback. I look back and understand that it was all constructive and it helped me improve at my craft. I had to be okay with taking good criticism and understand that there is always a better solution to a problem.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crayoncrate.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crayoncrate/
- Other: https://voyagela.com/interview/life-work-with-mikel-tan-of-los-angeles
Image Credits
Mikel Tan