Hello! My name is Jeffrey Yam and you have reached my humble abode on the internets. Currently, I am serving as the "Senior Information Architect" for Razorfish as well as the Experience Advisor for Kaptur. Prior to Razorfish, I have also worked at WWE, ESPN and ABC as well as a start-up (ITMedia Corp later changed to Diligent LLC).
I am also captain of team Ozawa (a regular participant at the United East Basketball League), avid technology enthusiast and aspiring guitarist.
I realize that there will be different types of visitors on this site: friends, clients, employers and total strangers. Each with its own varying degrees of interest in this site. So, in order to keep this page simple, I've divided it into four sections. Please click on the section you'd be interested in reading about:
So what is it that I do exactly?Well, to my mother, I just "play with computers". And to my friends, I can Fix their emails. But to others in my respective field, I could be a product developer, user experience designer, information architect or a seasoned presentation layer developer with a knack for Flash. I have spent my extensive professional career creating websites and rich internet applications for agencies, corporations and media companies. Over the course of these tenures, I've worn many different hats and played many roles while helping to create exciting high-exposure online experiences. If you are reading this and still don't get what I do, then please accept my simple explanation that "I draw boxes".
To get a fuller picture of what I do, please check out my portfolio page or LinkedIN profile.
To get a fuller picture of what I do, please check out my portfolio page or LinkedIN profile.
I really believe that everyone is naturally drawn to a specific direction in life. Perhaps its the natural Taoist in me, but I believe there is a unique ebb and flow for each person - kind of like what a metronome is for each individual song. It doesn't dictate your life, but acts more like a guide for finding one's natural pathway. Once that path is clear and your niche or world is identified, passion takes over and fuels the melody that plays along the beats of the metronome. And from there, an individual can reach a point where they are in-tune. From that point onward, life is about sustaining that alignment whereas before, it was about finding it.
For me, I've always had an inherit attraction to create. Whether it was drawing, building with legos or writing a short story, I knew very well that my interest laid there. However, it took me a lot longer to find a specific niche to apply that firm interest. I knew I've always been close to my natural "metronome", but because reality often times forces you to choose between your gut instincts and practicality, I've definitely gone "off-track" at times. College was the best example.
Although I applied with intentions to major in English and Art (I wanted to be a children's novelist), family pressures, the reality of finding a paying job after school and the fact that I wasn't really good at non-creative writing (at the time) nor did I really fit-in with the artsy crowd sort of set myself off in hopes of finding an alternative to my thirst for creating. Consequently, I ended up majoring in Economics (and Asian Studies but that was more of an obligatory fulfillment).
Graduating in the dismal fiscal year of 2001 didn't help either. The world wasn't exactly my "oyster" at the time. However, I knew for certain that I didn't want a desk job working with Excel, which was what most of my peers did at the time with their Econ degree. To the dismay of my mother, I remained stubborn and pursued a very unlikely career in Web Design. Teased by the memorable experiences interning at the Walt Disney Internet Group and by the dream of working in a creative team, I held steadfast to my inner calling using the little work experience I had in that field as leverage and virtually tossed away all that tuition fee my mom had paid.
I wasn't so sure my decision would pay off or amount to anything at the time. I just tried to remain optimistic and opportunistic. I remember reading a quote from Confucius in one of my Asian Studies classes, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Needless to say, under such dire circumstances, I was praying everyday that I wouldn't regret my decision.
Just when I was about to give up (I started interviewing for finance positions and applied to graduate school for Asian Studies), things finally started to look up for me. I was offered a position at a small start up agency as a web designer with little pay and no benefits. Not to mention, a 4+ hour round trip commute (Queens to Secaucus, NJ) that consisted of three different forms of public transportation mind you (bus, subway, nj transit). I was young, had nothing to lose, and so I took it. From there, I was entrenched in the world of Internet/New Media and aspired to learn as much as I can taking advantage of the unique entrepreneurial environment I settled in.
Rough times and outside influences certainly gave me doubts about my decision, but I tried to harness my passion for what I do and stay "in-tune" as best as I can. Now, several years have passed and I've never looked back.
So my advice to others who feel lost with their life or career. It doesn't matter if you are knee deep or shoulder deep in whatever you are currently doing. It's never too late to get back on track, listen to that internal metronome, and do what you enjoy doing because life is simply too short. Life's ebb and flow will call out to you. All you have to do is listen with your heart. I may be doing this internet stuff now, but my passion to create might just take me elsewhere a few years from now.
For me, I've always had an inherit attraction to create. Whether it was drawing, building with legos or writing a short story, I knew very well that my interest laid there. However, it took me a lot longer to find a specific niche to apply that firm interest. I knew I've always been close to my natural "metronome", but because reality often times forces you to choose between your gut instincts and practicality, I've definitely gone "off-track" at times. College was the best example.
Although I applied with intentions to major in English and Art (I wanted to be a children's novelist), family pressures, the reality of finding a paying job after school and the fact that I wasn't really good at non-creative writing (at the time) nor did I really fit-in with the artsy crowd sort of set myself off in hopes of finding an alternative to my thirst for creating. Consequently, I ended up majoring in Economics (and Asian Studies but that was more of an obligatory fulfillment).
Graduating in the dismal fiscal year of 2001 didn't help either. The world wasn't exactly my "oyster" at the time. However, I knew for certain that I didn't want a desk job working with Excel, which was what most of my peers did at the time with their Econ degree. To the dismay of my mother, I remained stubborn and pursued a very unlikely career in Web Design. Teased by the memorable experiences interning at the Walt Disney Internet Group and by the dream of working in a creative team, I held steadfast to my inner calling using the little work experience I had in that field as leverage and virtually tossed away all that tuition fee my mom had paid.
I wasn't so sure my decision would pay off or amount to anything at the time. I just tried to remain optimistic and opportunistic. I remember reading a quote from Confucius in one of my Asian Studies classes, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Needless to say, under such dire circumstances, I was praying everyday that I wouldn't regret my decision.
Just when I was about to give up (I started interviewing for finance positions and applied to graduate school for Asian Studies), things finally started to look up for me. I was offered a position at a small start up agency as a web designer with little pay and no benefits. Not to mention, a 4+ hour round trip commute (Queens to Secaucus, NJ) that consisted of three different forms of public transportation mind you (bus, subway, nj transit). I was young, had nothing to lose, and so I took it. From there, I was entrenched in the world of Internet/New Media and aspired to learn as much as I can taking advantage of the unique entrepreneurial environment I settled in.
Rough times and outside influences certainly gave me doubts about my decision, but I tried to harness my passion for what I do and stay "in-tune" as best as I can. Now, several years have passed and I've never looked back.
So my advice to others who feel lost with their life or career. It doesn't matter if you are knee deep or shoulder deep in whatever you are currently doing. It's never too late to get back on track, listen to that internal metronome, and do what you enjoy doing because life is simply too short. Life's ebb and flow will call out to you. All you have to do is listen with your heart. I may be doing this internet stuff now, but my passion to create might just take me elsewhere a few years from now.
Those who know me or have worked with me would tell you that my style of designing and coding is clean and simple. If I may borrow a quote, Albert Einstein himself once said, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." Although he may not have thought of web design at the time, it nevertheless served as a powerful inspirational quote for all my creations whether it be websites, applications or illustrations.
When approaching a design, I always ask myself, what is the application or website for? Who is it for? What does it do? My approach is a combination of user-centered design and activity-centered design. The balance of the two depends on the project. For projects that attends to a broad audience with different levels of content familiarity and technical savvy (ie. websites with high exposure like WWEShop.com), I would focus more on activity. On the flip side, for projects that address to a niche user base with a unique profile (ie. microsites like WWE SummerSlam 2009), I tend to concentrate on the user.
However, if ever asked what my "style" is in person, I would and could never give a solid answer although the underlying theme should be simplicity perhaps. My philosophy and life's MO is that "if you do not change direction, you will end up where you are going." (Confucius) The meaning behind that saying is two-fold, quite like the glass half-full or empty analogy. Unswerving consistency and persistence will lead you to your goals. However, "things change" as the Joker would say. Change is inevitable and sometimes necessary.
For designers, both consistency and change can be good or bad. For example, David Carson once said at a Flash Forward Conference I attended that "if you are always doing the same thing, then you are not designing." But I've also heard Robert Hoekman speak about leveraging consistent design for usability and branding strength.
So in conclusion, if I really had to sum up my style, I would probably tell you that it is "clean and simple" now, but it might be completely opposite tomorrow.
When approaching a design, I always ask myself, what is the application or website for? Who is it for? What does it do? My approach is a combination of user-centered design and activity-centered design. The balance of the two depends on the project. For projects that attends to a broad audience with different levels of content familiarity and technical savvy (ie. websites with high exposure like WWEShop.com), I would focus more on activity. On the flip side, for projects that address to a niche user base with a unique profile (ie. microsites like WWE SummerSlam 2009), I tend to concentrate on the user.
However, if ever asked what my "style" is in person, I would and could never give a solid answer although the underlying theme should be simplicity perhaps. My philosophy and life's MO is that "if you do not change direction, you will end up where you are going." (Confucius) The meaning behind that saying is two-fold, quite like the glass half-full or empty analogy. Unswerving consistency and persistence will lead you to your goals. However, "things change" as the Joker would say. Change is inevitable and sometimes necessary.
For designers, both consistency and change can be good or bad. For example, David Carson once said at a Flash Forward Conference I attended that "if you are always doing the same thing, then you are not designing." But I've also heard Robert Hoekman speak about leveraging consistent design for usability and branding strength.
So in conclusion, if I really had to sum up my style, I would probably tell you that it is "clean and simple" now, but it might be completely opposite tomorrow.
Yes, I enjoy doing freelance from time to time. For me, they are actually excellent opportunities to learn more and acquire/upgrade my skills whether in design, flash, html or new cms's. Since I have a full time position, I only have enough bandwidth to do one project at a time. In addition, I prefer to work on projects from clients that are either referred by a friend or a past client. Charges or rates varies depending on the size and complexity of the project as well as the time sensitivity. Rushed projects are plausible in certain situations.
I have provided various services to my clients including consultation, print design, logo design, web design/development and rich media presentations development. To see a full list of my clientele and brands that I've worked with, go to my portfolio page.
If you are interested in working with me, please shoot me an email or write me using the contact form on this website. To expedite a reply, please explain the project in detail (what it is, what it's for, project timeline, estimated budget, similar projects, content ideas, functionality and features, etc).
I have provided various services to my clients including consultation, print design, logo design, web design/development and rich media presentations development. To see a full list of my clientele and brands that I've worked with, go to my portfolio page.
If you are interested in working with me, please shoot me an email or write me using the contact form on this website. To expedite a reply, please explain the project in detail (what it is, what it's for, project timeline, estimated budget, similar projects, content ideas, functionality and features, etc).
Whenever I am not doing my work, internet, geeky stuff, I spend my time obsessing over three other things. One of them is basketball. I live, eat and breath basketball. Oh yeah, I play basketball too. I'm actually captain of a basketball team called Ozawa that is a regular competitor at the United East Basketball League.
My second obsession would be food. If it wasn't for my first obsession, I would be a very very fat man right now. Ask any of my friends and they'll tell you that I eat just about everything and lots of anything. Occasionally, I will blog about new restaurants I've found or new foods/restaurants I've tried.
The last and third would be movies. Not all movies. Just certain movies, including bad movies that irk me enough to obsess negatively over. I also specialize myself in Asian Cinema, having grown up watching Hong Kong movies. So don't be surprised to read a rant about some movie I "wasted" 12 dollars on or a movie that's coming out in Asia.
Overall though, I will try to keep the subject of this website simple - web and technology.
My second obsession would be food. If it wasn't for my first obsession, I would be a very very fat man right now. Ask any of my friends and they'll tell you that I eat just about everything and lots of anything. Occasionally, I will blog about new restaurants I've found or new foods/restaurants I've tried.
The last and third would be movies. Not all movies. Just certain movies, including bad movies that irk me enough to obsess negatively over. I also specialize myself in Asian Cinema, having grown up watching Hong Kong movies. So don't be surprised to read a rant about some movie I "wasted" 12 dollars on or a movie that's coming out in Asia.
Overall though, I will try to keep the subject of this website simple - web and technology.