About

My name is Lydia and I am a recent UC Davis graduate with a B.A. in Design and a minor in Human Development. I have recently been working as a student designer for The Experience and Exhibition Design Handbook and as a freelance set designer building and designing props/backdrops for photography shoots.

I want to pursue a career in experiential exhibition design and interior design as I love the idea of using different design mediums to create an environment that can transport someone into a story, while still being functional and intentional. I design by thinking of my client/audience at every angle in order to develop and design spaces such as residential/commercial interiors, museum exhibits, and photography/theatre sets.

Design Journey

When I was a kid, I never thought I would become a designer and didn’t know that it was a career I could pursue. Growing up, I loved learning about biology and psychology and always assumed I would have a career in the health field. Both of my parents work in the health field and it was the most sought after career choice amongst my peers in high school. Though I have always loved crafting and finding new art projects to try on the side (which has resulted in me having an abundance of random art supplies), I never felt I was good enough to be a professional artist.

I started at UC Davis on the pre-med track as a NPB major (Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior). I remember having a few friends in the design major and listening in awe at the projects they got to work on. At first, I just admired my friends from the sidelines for pursuing a career in the arts. I told myself that it wasn’t a feasible career path for me, but the major kept calling to me and I decided to take the introductory course my sophomore year. The quarter after, I took half design and half pre-health classes and thought I could pursue both. Very quickly I realized that I was burnt out and knew I had to decide on one. After a lot of thinking and getting advice from my family and friends, I decided to fully take-on design.

Looking back, I feel very blessed to have gone to UC Davis because the design major here is open for all to try (design majors at other schools are often competitive) and the faculty was very encouraging. As I have progressed through the major and started focusing my interests on 3D and graphic design, I have found a career that I am really passionate about that always keeps me excited for what's next.

Outside of Design

When I am not working on a design project, you might find me:

Reading a book while cuddling with my cat, Sita
(Currently Reading: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Thrifting on the first saturday of every month at Goodwill
Singing and playing my ukulele in my room
Spending an entire a day baking macarons and hoping they will have feet
Dancing to oldie music
Knitting my family matching beanies
Taking pictures with my film camera