Roy Poh is a founder and creative director of Kinetic, one of Singapore's foremost local creative shops.

Since 1999, Kinetic has adhered to the highest creative standards without ever sacrificing the interests of clients (which include big international brands, small international brands, big local brands and small local brands). One of the most highly-awarded agencies in the region, to date, Kinetic has more than 200 international and local awards. Its story is one of people having the passion to dream the impossible: that a small country like Singapore is capable of producing global talent that can take on the world.

01.30.08

Whatever You Decide To Do, Start Young

If you have a degree in what field is it? I don't have a degree but a diploma in visual communication. In our industry, paper qualification is useless.

Which designer (or design studio), other than yours,  do you most admire? I like the work of local shop Asylum because they are multi-discipline and excel in all areas of design.

What's the strangest request you've received from a client? To do their personal work, like a friend's birthday card.

If you weren't working as a designer what would you be doing? I'd be a chef. It's still art but more technical. I've been a great fan of good food since I learned how to eat.

What well-known identity is most desperately in need of a redesign? The London 2012 Olympic Games logo.

From where do your best ideas originate? From the heart.

How do you overcome a creative block? If there is a creative block, it means that i've not got enough knowledge and learning about that project. So i do more research.

What's your dream project (not client, but project)? To get the world to write a book with mobile phone messages. A short paragraph will be the origin; the next person will continue with the story and forward it to another. It's easy enough to see where I'm headed, the only problem I'm facing is how to execute the whole thing.

Do you have creative outlets other than graphic design? Cooking and writing short stories.

What's your approach to balancing work and life? Always treat work as something fun, that way, you'll like what you're doing and that's life itself.

What product/gadget can you not live without? The mobile phone, it's how I keep in touch with people I care about.  

What's your favorite quote? Do-it-yourself.

Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Well, I do have advice for people who want to start something on their own. Start early (young)! The conclusion is only the beginning and you've got a lot less to lose. You're young. You're adventurous. You've got the appetite. You've got the ambition. Tainted by cynicism? Not quite yet. Worried about job security because of children. Ain't even thinking of one yet. Held back by mortgages for your fancy Porsche and your designer apartment? Haven't really got there yet. As a young and relatively new professional in the industry, this is the period of your life when you've got the least to lose.

What's one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? More people.