Cindy Mai¹ It's a first gen Asian American rite of passage to choose your own western name. This usually happens during citizenship processes or as school is beginning. My family chose their names based on American icons: My mother, Liz after Elizabeth Taylor. My father, James after James Bond. My brother, Peter after the Ghostbuster. I wanted "Simon," from Alvin in the Chipmunks but, at 5 years old, my mother deemed me too young to decide. She named me Cindy, after her immigration caseworker. is a graphic designer² TLDR I'm a design director with a background in graphic design, specializing in campaign branding and editorial work. from Los Angeles³ Was born and raised in North Orange County, but spent my formative years all over LA. Got learned at UCLA and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. For this reason, I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for the romance of suburbs. and is currently based in NYC⁴ After a four year detour in Portland, OR to work as a concept designer at Nike, I moved to Brooklyn. I'm currently at Google Creative Lab in NYC. . Her design philosophy is similar to how she approaches her first dates: Make people feel a little uncomfortable⁵ Consensual, mutual discomfort dw but in a really good way. She hasn’t had too many second dates but is enjoying a fulfilling⁶ Lorem ipsum design career.