Hello, I’mjean yi – an architect & design manager w/ a focus on Design Systems & Branding.
Editorial layout, web & app design, model making, furniture building & Chinese calligraphy.
I’m an architect who spends her days writing the rules: design guidelines, quality standards and briefs that keep many projects, teams and countries consistent. Now I’m bringing that systems thinking to brand and graphic design.
9years in practice
5+years client-side
5European markets
Practice · Study · Places (2011 – 2026)○ completed ● current
Profile
Architect and design professional with 9 years of international experience across Europe and Asia, including 5+ years client-side in real estate development. Experienced in developing design guidelines and scalable quality standards, leading multidisciplinary teams, and managing projects from feasibility through construction across multiple European markets.
Work experience
Design & Project Coordinator / In-house Architect
Architect & Project Coordinator (projects in China)
Design Lead
Architect
Design & Project Coordinator / In-house ArchitectVastint Development
Mar 2021 – Present
Amsterdam
- Lead end-to-end design and multidisciplinary coordination of office, residential, modular housing and mixed-use developments across Europe, from feasibility and masterplanning through design development and construction.
- Develop and evolve company-wide design guidelines, technical requirements and quality standards, ensuring consistency across projects, products and markets.
- Develop design-review checklists and quality-control frameworks for modular housing products, translating design, technical and operational requirements into scalable standards.
- Manage external architects, engineers and specialist consultants, leading multidisciplinary design reviews for design quality, sustainability, technical requirements and local regulations.
- Partner with development, commercial, leasing, facilities management and operations teams to translate business, operational and end-user requirements into briefs and design solutions.
- Provide design oversight from feasibility through construction across the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Lithuania and Latvia, driving continuous improvement across projects.
Architect & Project Coordinator (projects in China)Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos
Jul 2019 – Feb 2021
Berlin
- Led concept development and design coordination for large-scale commercial and cultural projects in China, including international competitions for high-rise developments.
- Coordinated European design teams and local consultants, maintaining design intent while addressing technical and regulatory requirements.
Design LeadHome One
Jan 2019 – Jun 2019
Berlin
- Led the development of modular housing concepts for urban infill and prefabricated residential projects, balancing design quality, standardisation and repeatability.
ArchitectSteiner Architektur
Nov 2017 – Dec 2018
Berlin
- Designed temporary and permanent museum exhibitions from spatial concept through design development.
Architectural Assistant
Kuala Lumpur
CF de Studio
Jan 2015 – Aug 2015Kuala Lumpur
Education
DIA, Hochschule Anhalt · Dessau
Nominee, Robert Oxman Prize
Master of Arts, Architecture
2015 – 2017Nominee, Robert Oxman Prize
Taylor’s University · Kuala Lumpur
Dean’s List
BSc (Hons) Architecture
2011 – 2014Dean’s List
Disciplines
- Design Standards & Guidelines
- Design Management
- Multidisciplinary Coordination
- Quality Assurance
- Branding & Signage
- Modular & Scalable Design
- Space Planning
- Sustainability Integration
- Web & App Design
- AI-assisted Design Workflow
Tools
- Figma
- Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, XD
- Revit · AutoCAD · Vectorworks
- SketchUp · Rhino
- Visual Studio Code
Languages
- EnglishNative
- Bahasa MalaysiaNative
- MandarinIntermediate
- GermanB1
- DutchA2
References
Available upon request.