Melissa Chen

About Melissa

My name is Melissa Chen. I am a Sydney-based illustrator, designer and content creator with a strong passion for exploring new mediums and telling stories to inspire, bring people together and make them feel less alone. I am currently in my 2nd year studying a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication.

My illustrations tend to be bold and vibrant, but I also love exploring different visual styles and mediums. As I progress in my Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication degree and continue to experiment with various mediums, my work continues to grow with me.

I like to spend my free time drawing, vlogging, exploring new places and trying out new recipes. Currently, I am learning ceramics and linocut.

You can explore some of my design and illustration work on Instagram via @melmelstudio

Why UTS?

After I graduated high school in 2020, I pursued environmental engineering at a different university for 1.5 years as I had an interest in developing accessible and sustainable forms of technology.

Towards the end of 2022, I had second thoughts on my degree. Although I enjoyed engineering, I had always felt like art and design were at my most inner core in terms of passion - and that engineering was the second layer around it. I thought that if I were to give art and design a try, the best time would be now and then later. I was really nervous and overthought a lot of things during the application process and at the start of my first year at UTS. However, within the first few weeks of UTS, I loved the subjects that I was taking and from there, I knew that I had made the right decision to pursue design at UTS.

When deciding to pursue design as a career, I researched the top universities in NSW for design. I chose to study at UTS as UTS appeared as one of the top universities for design and I liked how the Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication degree offered great flexibility and had a focus on hands-on, studio-based experiences. As someone who enjoys learning by trying things out, I thought UTS was an excellent choice based on my learning preferences and interests.

Highlights of Design at UTS

I absolutely love studying design at UTS. I love the practical, studio-based learning environments, especially the shared learning space in Building 5B where I had some of my classes during my first year. It was such a warm, collaborative space where we could walk around to other classes and see other people’s work to get inspired.

My highlights from studying at UTS include:

• Taking my “My Allegorical Portrait” in the photography Studio in Building 6
• Using the Textile Studio to make my first screen-printed t-shirt
• Using the Dark Room to create my first photogram
• Creating a mini gallery exhibition on “the other” for VC Design Theory: Critical Approaches to Visual Culture

Entrepreneurship

I started drawing when I was in primary school and had a passion for creating ever since. I’ve always enjoyed collecting cute items like stickers and stationery. However, I didn’t think art and design was a career I could pursue, especially since I grew up in an Asian household that viewed careers like medicine, law and finance as notable careers.

During the pandemic, I noticed an increase in people sharing their art and starting small businesses specialising in art and design. That sparked an interest in me to share my work and develop my skills to create pieces of work that tell a story and convey my feelings.

What inspired me to take the leap of faith in sharing my work online was after attending the HUEHUE art market in 2023. At that event, I got to meet so many talented artists and it was inspiring seeing so many Asian artists in particular as it’s very common for Asian parents to criticise creative careers and think that “artists and designers starve and don’t earn much”. However, seeing so many Asian artists at that event gave me hope that it is possible to pursue a creative career and have fun doing so too!

I started my small business Mel Mel Studio at the end of 2023. What gave me motivation to start designing products like stickers, art prints and ceramics was getting accepted to my first art market at the UTS Makers Market. It was my first art market which was quite exciting and nerve-wracking! This market left me feeling blessed and so grateful that there were people who appreciated my work. It also left me feeling excited to continue creating, improving and sharing my journey.

From there, I continued to grow Mel Mel Studio by attending more art markets and expanding my product range to include keychains, washi tape, sticky note pads and sticker sheets. Recently, I attended my first interstate art market at Mellow Art Market, which was an amazing, fun experience.

As I continue to grow as an artist and designer, I am excited to continue sharing my journey and branch out into bigger products like plushies, pins, apparel and more!

Internship opportunities

I haven’t completed any internships related to design specifically yet, but I have completed two marketing internships - one with Think Pacific and the other with Salient. I plan to complete a design internship next year after my exchange in Singapore at Nanyang Technology University so I can gain some industry experience and develop my skills further. At NTU, I’ll be taking two design subjects along with an illustration elective, which will broaden my understanding of illustration and strengthen my ability to respond effectively to a range of creative briefs.

With Think Pacific, I received the opportunity to work on a project with Global Ecobrick Alliance. This project involved creating marketing materials to raise awareness for Ecobricks and plastic consumption, in alignment with the Fiji National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals.

With Salient, I was responsible for creating content assets and marketing collateral for Salient and APAC Women in Tech Sales, as well as managing and growing their brand presence.

What’s next?

My current career goal is to work in illustration and branding. I am passionate about creating designs that tell a story and bring communities together. I aspire to be able to collaborate and work with other creative professionals to produce meaningful and intentional designs that resonate with various audiences.

I plan to continue working towards growing my business Mel Mel Studio. I find immense joy in creating products and sharing my journey through my content. I also would love to travel and learn more about the world - and let those experiences and moments shape my creativity and work.

As I continue to grow, learn and develop my identity as a designer, I aim to continue sharing my journey in hopes of inspiring others to pursue their own creative paths and not be afraid to pursue their dreams.

What’s your advice for incoming students?

My advice for incoming students is to not be afraid to try new things and to build a community during your uni experience. Your time at university will go by quickly so make the most out of it while you can. University is also the perfect time for you to explore, learn and make mistakes in a supportive environment - so use every chance you’ve got to experiment and develop your skills but also remember that nothing is set in stone. Just like how I switched from engineering to design, it’s never too late to pursue your dreams and switch career pathways. There is no shame in doing so or feeling lost during the process.

Remember, we are all on our own path. Your path is different from everyone else’s so there’s no point in comparing yourself with others. You are not behind or ahead of anyone. You’re exactly where you need to be. It’s up to you what lies next.

Enjoy the process and trust in yourself!