Krystabel Kok Su Lyn recently graduated from the BA (Hons) Design Communication programme. Although still a fresh graduate from the class of July 2021, she was already able to secure a job as a designer at TOY EIGHT, a Japanese education start-up.

TOY EIGHT’S mission is to uncover every child’s unique strength through diversified assessment methods, and Krystabel’s main scope of work involves developing the user interface (UI) and character design for the AI-assisted assessment tool in the form of a mobile game.

Reflecting on her varsity years, Krystabel recalls how she was equipped for such employment through her programme’s project-based assignment structure. The degree provided assignments that simulated a real working environment such that students could gain experience working with deadlines and communicating with clients. Moreover, the programme introduced Krystabel to the fundamentals of various disciplines within design such as illustration, web design, animation, graphic design, packaging design, entrepreneurship, and more. This opened up countless possibilities for her as a fresh graduate, while at the same time, allowing her to discover her skills and preferences within the discipline.

“Sampling a breadth of skills showed me the activities I did and did not enjoy doing, effectively narrowing down my niche to help me become more of a ‘T-shaped skills’ person,” she commented. Krystabel also mentioned that she developed a greater awareness of Malaysian current affairs in general and specifically in the arts due to the programme’s encouragement of students to identify and create solutions for real-world issues. One such example was through a project on Kelantan tourism in 2018, in which students drew inspiration from the state’s traditional arts and crafts such as wau, wayang kulit, and batik. “(The) project gave me a greater appreciation for and awareness of local crafts. It also gave me the chance to conceive a viable product that the modern Malaysian consumer would find both practical to use and proud to display as a show of heritage,” she said, speaking of how such projects invoked ideas of how her design solutions would apply in different contexts.

Outside of her assignments and degree, Krystabel was presented with many other opportunities from Sunway University to enrich her varsity life as well as personal growth. As a Chancellors’ Scholar, she was allowed to host foreign students as a student ambassador as well as organise their activities during their exchange programme at Sunway. She also attended an online exchange with Lancaster University organised by Student Life when she was unable to physically visit the institution due to the pandemic. Additionally, she served a term as the President of the Sunway Dance Club from 2019 to 2020.

The Sunway Dance Club (SDC) and other clubs & societies further enhanced Krystabel’s Sunway experience as she performed regularly with SDC, participating in a large-scale charity dance performance in 2019 as a designer and dancer. She also taught French briefly in the Sunway Langualicious Club and emceed the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID) Student Saturday – a nationwide interior design competition with fellow alumnus Bernard Yap.

As a student, Krystabel was adamant about making the most of her varsity years. Her mindset of closely seizing every opportunity provided by the institution opened doors for her, allowing her the chance to participate in department-organised design trips to multiple countries such as Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan. Speaking about her overall experience at Sunway University, Krystabel mentioned, “There are many exciting things to do in Sunway that would guarantee you a boast-worthy student life – it simply depends on if one wants to seize such opportunities or to let them slide.”