Naomi Chan
Creative Developer / Graphic Designer / Squarespace Designer
Seattle, WA
www.ohmi.design
instagram @ohmi.design
Q What do you do?
“I make brands come to life with creative code and interactive website designs.”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Before I was freelancing full-time / working for myself, I worked at an advertising agency in Minneapolis as a Creative Technologist and Designer. This gave me valuable insight into the world of website design, the business side of marketing, and how to collaborate with a team. I worked with clients like Google, Walmart, and Sherwin Williams... and how it showed me that big companies are just big conglomerates of regular ass people.
From there, I moved to Seattle, and COVID hits. This is when things really start to take off in my business because all of a sudden everyone wants to ✨ work on themselves ✨ (update their personal websites so they can leave their jobs). I amped up my online presence, put an ad out with a COVID website discount and boom the ball is rolling. Thanks to COVID, I work for myself now. I have never gotten so many clients in one year as that year. Combined with honing in on my style and doing my best to get clients who hire me for ⚡ what I like to make ⚡
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I feel with my interest in interactive design combined with my experience in creative coding can add a layer of forethought into the storytelling process. A design really needs to convey a feeling and the feeling for your brand is what is going to make an impact on people. I am hugely inspired by the brutalist website movement and engaging experiences.
Q What are you working on right now?
I'm currently working with a few small business owners remotely during this uncertain time, offering flexible alternative prices and payment plans for very real-life circumstances. I've always worked with clients remotely, but it's cool that now more than ever it’s more widely accepted because its everyone's new normal. Outside of that, I try to find time for off-screen creativity. Like designing tattoos to stick & poke my body or creatively gardening or creatively baking a new cookie recipe :)
Q What’s your style?
I really love to take a brand and make it come to life with movement. I love a scrolling text, a custom cursors, and a tasteful hover state. Same goes for social media, I always ask myself, how can I make this bad boy more lively? I wouldn’t say my work aligns EXACTLY that of the brutalist trend, but it inspires it. Elbow Juice's website is a great representation of my work, they have little to no brand (just a logo and some chosen colors) and they really let me run with it. I used animated SVG's all over their site so it's really fast and reliable ♡. Another is a website that's not quite out yet, but keep your eyes peeled on ohmi.design for Flagrants website coming soon!
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I have been focusing in on the design side of my world so I wish I could focus more on the creative coding side of my skills, so when I am designing a website I can be quicker on my feet. Or if I had all the time in the world, I would dive into A-frame, a web framework for building virtual reality experiences or Spark AR Studio, AR experiences on Instagram.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Being a freelancer working remotely. I struggle to build my creative community to lean on and keep it strong. Luckily I just joined In Creative Co and they are some great folx! Hopefully, they can sustain me ︎︎😊
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would pay someone to give my puppy all the love she deserves while I work 💔🐶
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I’d probably go back to me in college and tell myself to not be afraid to call myself a ‘designer’. I was a ‘photographer’, ‘developer’, even ‘artist’, but I thought I wasn’t worthy enough to call myself a designer. I always have and still do admire designers and never thought I could be one. I used to shy away and avoid things I was afraid of, but now that I’ve grown into my designer shoes and proved to myself that I could be a designer, I realize I could have used this confidence earlier on. Now I face my personal fears head on and know that if I work hard and always keep learning then I can do whatever I want. I love being a designer.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
There's always room to grow, so excelling my Squarespace customization skills. How to better incorporate custom, fun, code into my templates. I want the internet to continue to be a playground for lively, engaging, and inspiring content.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am looking to work with medium to small-sized businesses on their websites. I prefer clients with brands that have some flair, but if you are trying to make this world a better place then I am excited to work with you! I would really love to create a clothing shop or restaurant website soon ✨
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
A perfect client experience I’ve had in the past was someone who wanted a Squarespace website for her sculpture work. She was so patient, but knew what she wanted. She was clear about what she wanted and when we reviewed her website she gave detailed feedback and gave me time to make revisions. We made a timeline that worked for both of us and hit each deadline. She paid when we planned on it. She also provided all the imagery and copy in a timely manner. She was truly the ideal client. To this day she has periodically hits me up to update her website. I love when my clients trust me to design for them! I love collaborating with my clients! I love when we can work together on a timeline that works for us both! I love when I can be a partner in creating solutions for my clients!
Q What is your rate?
My hourly is $100/hour, but I am open to negotiating flat rates depending on the project!
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Emailing me at naomi@naomichan.info or messaging me on ig @ohmi.design is the *best* way to connect with me then we can set up a time to meet! It’s best if you tell me where you found me or who recommended me :)
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Create often (client or not)
Inspiration = (two words) Panda Plugin.
Keep creative friends close.
This member profile was originally published in January 2020, Updated November 2022.