Isabelle Tan on the value of things often dismissed as ugly

Singaporean by nationality, born in Malaysia and raised in Thailand, Isabelle Tan has spent her career so far navigating the space between different visual cultures. As a Junior Designer on the branding team at 2x4, she works across identities for clients including Chanel and Miu Miu. Before that, stints at Wkshps, Synoptic Office and ABRAMS helped shape an approach rooted in collaboration and adaptability. Her GDUSA and A’ Design award-winning thesis, Voice Print, offered a glimpse of the sensibility she carries into commercial work – a fascination with things typically dismissed as unrefined or ugly, and the conviction that they deserve careful, intentional framing. In this conversation, Tan discusses growing up surrounded by multilingual signage, what she learned designing a guidebook for Miu Miu, and the creative tension between the density she grew up with in Asia and the minimalism she encountered studying in New York. TBI: Hi Isabelle! How are you? IT: Good!