Beauty in Space
24/7 Design: A Talk with Global Retail Designer
Irene Kang
at Shu Uemura, Nicole Chan
Meet Nicole.
Global Retail Designer at Shu Uemura
Nicole Chan, graduated from UW VCD in 2010, is now the Global Retail Designer for L’Oréal’s Shu Uemura International. Having grown up between Hong Kong and Seattle, she’s been shaping the beauty industry through creative design for as long as she can remember. From her position as a Beauty Consultant at Sephora Seattle to now being based in Tokyo, her love for makeup and skincare is unending.
01 Uni Days to Pika shu”
Did you always know you wanted to enter this type of position and field since you entered UW?
I always had it in me that I wanted to be a creative in the cosmetic/beauty world, but I had absolutely zero idea on what being a designer in retail industry truly means then. TLDR I let my fear go and allowed myself to freely try positions that I might not be familiar with at the beginning, and see what they could bring me in the long run. And that led me into visual merchandising and becoming a design manager at the beauty company Caudalie and retail designer in L’Oréal.
Chase or ask for opportunities on your own, if what you want doesn’t seem openly available.”
As you’ve entered the working world from UW Design, what new skills have you had to learn and what are some that stuck with you?
Sensibility to typography and grids, white space, finding balance. I found out early stages that not all designers out there had that, which was shocking. Ability to give constructive feedbacks in a critique. I don’t think I did that very well back in the VCD days, but I had observed and learned from the ones that were good ;) Able to identify who’s good at that itself is a skill, too.
Things I learned over the years: time management and setting priorities. If you think you don’t have time for a project now…well. Beauty and fashion industry is rocket speed. So feedbacks and critique comes in handy on days like this. Know what noise to ignore and what to keep is also important. On the technical side, I picked up 3D designing skill and learned about architectural space design from my role in Caudalie & L’Oréal. I also managed a number of design studios in Caudalie so people management — is also a skill!
“
Can you share about one of your favorite projects that you’ve worked on?
There are so many! But if I were to pick, it’ll probably be (1) Christmas/ Holidays collection design with the Pokemon/Pika “shu” for Shu Uemura (L’Oréal, Tokyo) in 2019, and (2) Opening a flagship boutique in Seoul, Korea for Caudalie back in 2016-2017. Every year, we would do a holiday collection that often involved a collab sometimes with artists, and at other times, like this one, with a brand or character. For this, we collaborated directly with The Pokémon Company. They, of course, had certain brand rules and restrictions, but were surprisingly open-minded and flexible. We had creative discussions to find balance between both brands. I was responsible for the retail design, the store experience, from signage to spatial layouts. We worked closely with marketing, who determined the overall direction, while our team brought that to life in retail spaces. Pokémon was especially fun because we could really play with color, atmosphere, and playful design elements.
I loved how it came out cute yet a little dark — a great mix with Shu Uemura’s edgy aesthetic.” “
02 Making It in Makeup
What is a typical day at L’Oréal like for you?
I was in the Retail Design team in the brand Shu Uemura, part of L’Oréal, Tokyo. The team there is considered the head quarter ofthe brand’s “lead direction”, so we had a very international mix of people. That means it wasn’t a typical japanese working environment I’d typically get in 9- 9:45am. It usually gets intense from the afternoon on with lots of meetings, things to get approved on, and brainstorming sessions with teams across the brand. For my role in L’Oréal, I don’t need to travel much due to the structure of the organization. But previously in Caudalie, I did have to travel constantly to ensure each space that we design is up to standard.
How does the work culture differ between the cities you’ve worked in: Seattle, Hong Kong, and Tokyo?
I think I’m lucky enough to be always surrounded by amazing mix of people multi-cultural and backgrounds, they were equally enjoyable to work in. No favorites, I loved every single one of them. Caudalie was very french since it was a (french) family owned company, so while it was a job in HK, you had to be okay with french decision making style. The local design team was mostly people with oversea experiences, and we worked with the Paris team and New York team a lot. Sometimes, it isn’t so much about the location but rather the actual culture where you are working.
Design is everywhere and it’s part of our everyday life if you observe hard enough.”
You’ve worked both studios and companies what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of working for a studio as opposed to for a company?
Like many of you, I didn’t have a clue. But I’ve always been interested in branding since the days at VCD program, so naturally I went for a small design studio to focus on branding projects. Starting in a studio allows you to build connections while working on different projects, & meeting and befriending with lots of like minded designers in the same studio. I feel the vibe is different than a bigger company. You also have to learn fast and adapt quickly, since you'll be involved in several projects at once as an intern or junior designer at the beginning. They will keep you busy! But it’s great for growing your experience and skillset.
There’s really no advantage or disadvantage, I see both of them as valuable experiences. It’s more of a personal preference at the end of the day. Most of the designers I know had jumped back and forth a few times, until they could decide what suits them best.
01 Holiday Shu Uemura x Hello Kitty Table, 2021
02 Holiday Shu Uemura x Hello Kitty Pop Up, 2021
03 Shu Uemura x Pika “Shu” Storefront, 2019
04 Holiday Shu Uemura x Hello Kitty Palette, 2021
05 Holiday Shu Uemura x Hello Kitty Eye Pencil, 2021
06 Holiday Shu Uemura x Hello Kitty Lipstick, 2021
07 Shu Uemura Pika “Shu” Hair Oil, 2019
08 Caudalie Instant Firming Serum, 2025
09 Caudalie Flagship Boutique, Hong Kong, 2016
Get Ready with Nicole
Can you offer a piece of advice to a design student today?
Enjoy design outside of the simple frame work of a graphic design layout. You’ll have fun being a designer looking in the world this way! Inspiration is truly everywhere. Don’t be afraid to try projects or roles that are a little different than what you’re good or comfortable with.
What does L’Oréal—or other design employers from fashion/beauty companies—look for in an intern or new hire?
Your passion in said fashion or beauty brand. If you’re interviewing for a design position in companies like L’Oréal, you’re most likely joining one brand only, or a group of brands under certain like category (“fragrance”, “skincare”, “haircare”, "consumer brands”, “luxury brands” etc.) so your interest in those will make you stand out.
Other great qualities: Perseverance. Quick thinking. Flexibility. Thinking outside the box. Presentation skill on your own design. Capability on translating ideas from 2D to 3D, like Adobe Illustrator to Sketchup/CAD.
You might discover new ways of being a creative individual.”
What is something that a design student interested in the beauty industry may not know?
From designing on layout/prints to designing a seamless experience in space. How your design should and MUST work in a space—small or big. Pop-up store, PR events, customer event space, displays in a store, visual merchandising, internal communication design… there are endless ways to be creative and use your design mind and skillset. The fashion and beauty industry however is not so “green” in what they do. There’s a lot of waste. Things are being improved, but small steps at a time.
the Author.
Has anyone influenced your design style or approach?
I’m kind of a superrrr “sponge” and am inspired by everything consistently, so I can’t pin point one particular style. But in the past 6-7 years, I’ve been influenced by Japanese wabi-sabi style: uncluttered, unintentional white space with delicate ratio.
Irene Kang is a junior studying Visual Communication Design at the University of Washington. Like Nicole, her love for beauty, fashion, and visual arts from a young age drives her to create design experiences that are both memorable and deepen connection. Beyond the studio, she loves collecting fashion magazines, pretty bookmarks, and illustrating.