Yah-Leng Yu is the founding Creative Director of Foreign Policy Design Group, a globally acclaimed creative agency based in Singapore. Yah-Leng’s reputation speaks for itself; she’s a member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) – the second Singaporean and the first Singaporean woman to join – and has received awards from the Type Director’s Club and the AIGA, amongst many others for her and her studio’s outstanding creative work.
Yah-Leng studied at the Art Institute of Boston, before moving to New York where she worked for several established design agencies. In 2007, She moved back to her home city of Singapore to found her own agency. Initially, she and her husband Arthur Chin – who is also a co-founding principal of Foreign Policy – found that at that time design was much less respected as a profession in Singapore compared to its status in the US. As their business grew into a successful and world-renowned agency, they have helped raise awareness of the value of good design. They describe themselves as a ‘design and innovation bureau — a creative think tank of artists, analysts, strategists and makers bringing the best of their expertise and experience to define and solve problems in unexpected ways.’
Narrative building and storytelling are fundamental to the work Foreign Policy creates—their work has more value than simply ‘looking good’. “Storytelling and building narratives responsive to context are at the heart of what we do here at Foreign Policy. With each touchpoint that we create we hope to kindle emotion and make an impact, whether big or small,” Yah-Leng tells Design by Women. The agency has worked with an impressive range of clients over the years and finds that having a varied client base enables them to challenge themselves in the projects they undertake: “we love challenging ourselves in learning new subject matter, so we do not restrict the project genres to a certain type or industry. We have done work for both large international corporate and mom-pop outfits running the gamut of restaurants, hotels, retail, art institutions, government institutions, non-profit organizations etc.”
A lot of their work has advocated local heritage, craft, and community in Singapore. One example of this is the ‘Brand Guide: Singapore Edition,’ which documents local brands that have inspired them and made a commercial impact through design and branding. As Yah-Leng tells us the project was, “especially important because Singapore has never been known as a creative and design city – I guess this is our way of putting it down in history.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Foreign Policy also formed the inspirational platform Design Diplomacy with the aim of linking the design industries in Asia. during a difficult time. Whilst attending various virtual talks and events Yah-Leng had noticed that very few Asian creatives were featured as speakers. So, they decided to create a platform for designers based in or from Asia that had fallen under the radar.
The exceptional work Yah-Leng and her team create inspires togetherness and often provides a stage for the under-represented. We recently talked with Yah-Leng to find out more about her inspirational work and career.
Can you tell us how you started out in design and describe your career before founding Foreign Policy?
I went to art school in Boston and did a lot of freelance work during my junior and senior years. I then spent a year in L.A. doing some freelance work and holding a multimedia design position for educational CDs. I then tried my hands at an ad agency before landing on a graphic design position in a small studio in New York when I moved back to the east coast. I worked a lot mostly in books, textbooksand annual reports during that time. It was the AOL era and I taught myself HTML. I then moved on to a digital media agency, probably my last full-time job. They were some of the most talented people I have worked with, designing and producing interactive websites and digital medias for fashion and lifestyle clients such as Versace, Bulgaria, Vivienne Westwood, Ferragamo, Paul Smith etc. After the Dot Bomb and 9/11, the studio went belly up and we disbanded and started our own little studios. I ran a digital design practice with my colleague-turned-partner for the next 5 years before I headed back to Singapore to found Foreign Policy.
What led you to set up your studio Foreign Policy with your husband in 2007?
We came back at the end of summer 2006 and after looking at what was available, job wise, I decided that I wanted to continue running our own shop. The creative scene at that time was not as vibrant as it is today. Most of the design firms were offshoots of big overseas ad agencies, the Ogilvies and the likes. There was a tiny handful of local indie shops doing some pretty amazing work, but they were very few. I decided that with our experience of the U.S. behind us we could create something brilliant at home in Singapore.
“ I decided that with our experience of the U.S. behind us we could create something brilliant at home in Singapore.”
What were your experiences of setting up an agency in Singapore? Did you face any specific challenges and how did you overcome them?
Client-wise the first few years were a little challenging because the level of sophistication was still not there compared to the clients in the US. Design was not on top of the priority list. Budgets for design were shoved under production therefore diminishing its value, which was shocking to us in the beginning. Because it was bundled under production clients were led to think that design is free!! That was the most difficult challenge to tackle. We had to educate them and show them the way. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Those who are more open minded usually come back to us for more work as they see its value for their business.
“Budgets for design were shoved under production therefore diminishing its value, which was shocking to us in the beginning. Because it was bundled under production clients were led to think that design is free!!”
Over the last 10-15 years, design awareness and appreciation have been gone up. Clients are more savvy about what they need and what they want, and the good ones know they need the services of a good design studio. The more sophisticated clients even include us in their business strategy meetings and seek our opinions before any big branding or even business decision is made.
What is your studio ethos and what type of client projects do you usually focus on?
I am always clear that it’s not just about making something pretty; most designers can do that, easily. Storytelling and building narratives responsive to context are at the heart of what we do here at Foreign Policy. With each touchpoint we create we hope to kindle emotion and make animpact, whether small or big. We love the challenge of learning about new subject matter, so we do not restrict ourselves to a particular type of business or industry. We have done work for both large international corporate and mom-pop outfits running the gamut of restaurants, hotels, retail, art institutions, government institutions, non-profit organizations etc.
“I am always clear that it’s not just about making something pretty; most designers can do that, easily.”
The studio does a lot of work that advocates the local heritage of craft and community in Singapore – particularly arts and hospitality projects. Do you have a standout project of this type that you’ve worked on and why is it important to you?
There are a few close to my heart:
Brand Guide: Singapore Edition is probably the piece of work encompasses the Singapore creative landscape from the time we came back upto 2015.(We have been working on a second edition, but it’s a long journey). Brand Guide is a documentation of 17 brands we think have made an impact on the Singapore commercial scene through good design. It is also a celebration of how far Singapore has come in terms of creating ideas and brands that are not run of the mill. It is also a celebration of the brand owners and founders who went against the grain in creating these brands, who believed in their ideas and design. This is especially important because Singapore was never known for being a creative and design city. Maybe we will make a mark in history.
“It is also a celebration of the brand owners and founders who went against the grain in creating these brands, who believed in their ideas and design. This is especially important because Singapore was never known for being a creative and design city. Maybe we will make a mark in history.”
Figment, a co-living concept, was pretty much a project built upon the narratives of Singapore culture. Figment’s spaces are mostly based out of the historical Singapore shophouses and that is their edge, so we really want to dig deep and expand upon that context. This is why expats would want to stay at any Figment space – to soak in Singapore culture. Figment is also big into building community around the neighbourhoods they are in, which is great for their content. Nowadays, content is a key element for brand building. This is a really important project as the founder is able to blend business, arts, culture and design in one, and the common goal is to celebrate the local arts/culture by expanding them into each and every part of their programs. I am quite a history buff myself, so these projects excite me too – especially if I can connect history with what’s happening today.
We love your inspirational platform Design Diplomacy, which you started during the Covid-19 pandemic. Can you speak about the purpose behind the platform?
Thank you! Our aim was to bring together the design community during this down-time. Conferences were cancelled, everyone was stuck at home. It was also to create a platform for the Asian/Asia-based designers who were/are under the radar. I participated in several design ZOOM/LIVE TALKS and I realised a lot the speakers were from Europe or the US and sometimes I was the lone Asian. “Where are the Asian designers?” was my thought so that was also one of the prime reasons we wanted to do this. I have met so many influential and famous design friends in the region over the years and so it was the plan to invite these veterans as well as up-and-coming designers who are doing really incredible work. It was purely to make the world aware of these talented designers and for them to share their work, ethos and processes.
Do you feel that being an Asian woman has had an impact on your career?
So far it has been positive, I think. But I am not sure if that’s because I am an Asian woman? I hope not.
How do you manage being a parent and running a successful design studio? Has being a parent impacted the way that you work?
Becoming a parent definitely has an impact! How do you balance your child and your work? I think it would be unrealistic to say I can perform 100% on the studio front. But at least within 50% I try my best to accomplish all I possibly can. This tension helps me make better choices in terms of prioritising projects as well as compartmentalising my time.
“Becoming a parent definitely has an impact! How do you balance your child and your work?… This tension helps me make better choices in terms of prioritising projects as well as compartmentalising my time.”
What do you look for when hiring designers to join your studio team?
Attitude, spirit and passion.
If you could go back to the beginning of your career what one piece of advice would you give your younger self?
“Don’t be so shy. Be more vocal. Go out there and stand right in front to show them what you can do.”
Do you have any words of advice for creatives just starting a career in the design industry?
Do not be afraid to put your work out there. Keep working, do it better and keep sharing. Get involved in community events and activities, be out there, make connections. I think most designers, regardless of whether they are underrepresented or not, tend to be not so confident of themselves and that keeps them from doing things. That’s really one of the underlying issues I see so far based on designers whom I have talked to.
“Do not be afraid to put your work out there. Keep working, do it better and keep sharing.”
