18 Oct 2018
More than meets design
As a member of the Retail Design Management team, Christina Cun ensures that the quality and timeliness of design submissions from tenants in the shopping malls are in compliance with the Retail Design Guidelines under her portfolio. This includes Anchorpoint, YewTee Point and Bedok Point.
We sat down with Christina to find out more about her background and her passion for design!
The bold move
After completing her Diploma in her hometown of Chengdu, China, Christina was confident that she wanted to pursue her passion in design.
“Building a career in the design industry is not conventional for people in my hometown. I wanted to attain my degree abroad. Initially, I had plans to move to France. I spent six months learning French before conceding that was not the right fit for me. Instead, I decided to move to Singapore because of the cultural similarities of both cities, and it is located close by.”
In 2013, Christina graduated with a degree in Graphic Design from Raffles Design Institute in Singapore and landed her first full-time job at Frasers Property Singapore.
Do what you love
Christina and her colleagues out and about on one of their monthly outings to learn more about the latest design, material and technology in the industry
In the four years with the company, she has fostered some good friendships with her colleagues and tenants.
“I love the exchange of ideas between myself, my fellow colleagues, and the tenants. Seeing the final product at the end of the process makes everything worthwhile. It’s always exciting to offer different ideas for different types of tenant, but of course, keeping in mind their brand guidelines.
As a designer, it is important to take the needs and resources of our tenants into consideration when we offer design recommendations. Ultimately, it is up to them to decide if they will be able to execute the design or concept that we have suggested.”
Besides handling the day to day design critique of the storefront, Christina also supports ad hoc graphic design initiatives and producing necessary illustrations for implementation and adaptation.
A new home
After living and working in Singapore for so many years, it is easy for Christina to call Singapore home. A self-proclaimed foodie, Christina loves Singapore’s local food as much as she loves to cook.
Spread of home cooked meal Christina prepared for friends over the weekend
“Local food such as Bak Kut Teh is my personal favourite! Mala Hot Pot, a Sichuan cuisine has also been gaining popularity in Singapore, which makes it easier for me get my hands on some comfort food when I am missing home.
On the weekends, I spend my time cooking – mostly Chinese dishes, or organise hotpot sessions with my friends. Another passion of mine is photography. I enjoy taking pictures of the food I have prepared, or whenever I go café-hopping with my friends.
I also set aside time to sketch and explore different creative platforms. At work, I am used to drawing with the aid of computer softwares. It feels nice to draw on actual paper every once in a while when I am home!
I think it’s important for me to set aside some time to explore my personal style and get creative outside of work. This also helps to keep me inspired and have a constant flow of ideas at any given time.”
After all, design is a lot about the little details, and Christina seems to have it spot on.