WEDA – Rachel Khong Of Northmos

Women Empowering Designer Award

Rachel Khong of Northmos has been in the industry for over a decade, consistently creating great designs and pursuing even greater ones, despite any challenges thrown her way. The recognition she has garnered is well-deserved.

MH: Hi Rachel, we’re so glad to be talking to you. We’d like to know how you got your start in design.

RK: I didn’t like designing when I was a kid because I’m actually not strong in drawing. By that, I mean drawing by hand or any art design by hand. But I was forced to join the industry when I followed my uncle in his renovation business. Soon, with the help of technology, I became able to design anything through software. When I found out that design can be done by using designing software, which doesn’t require any hand drawing, my mind was changed. Designing can be very fun! One thing that I don’t like about design is it can sometimes take too much of my time, as I need to spend all day and all night in front of the computer to do the design. But when you can see the outcome after the renovations are done, everything is worth it.

MH: Sounds like a fulfilling job. But what is it like working in an industry that’s male-dominated?

RK: Oh, it’s not easy to work with them! Comparing the safety boots with heels, they will think that the woman is not capable enough to work in this industry. But with “woman sense,” which is a huge advantage, I always point out the mistakes and carelessness of their works. They soon agree that women are more careful and can make the whole team achieve better projects. Together, we work to save time, save cost and increase the work efficiency for all our projects.

MH: We’re glad to hear you are able to show them your worth! What is the biggest challenge for you during your career? Have you ever considered leaving this profession?

RK: The biggest challenge during my career has been manpower, especially in the early stages. It’s like a “one man show” at first, where you need to handle everything at work with the longest working time – from morning to midnight! In terms of quitting, have you ever heard the saying: “Quitters never win and winners never quit?” I’m pretty sure in every difficult moment, we always consider quitting! But once I take a deep breath and remind myself of this quote. Don’t let the problem make you want to escape but instead try to solve all the problems by challenging yourself.

MH: Thank you for the advice, we’re sure it will be inspiring for those who are feeling challenged at work. What is the most fulfilling moment in your line of work? How about in your personal life?

RK: The greatest achievement in this line of work is to see my team getting bigger and bigger as we expand the production line to cover more areas and more projects. For my personal life, it’s simple. As a woman entrepreneur in the industry, I wish to offer more opportunities to young and passionate women designers to join our team, as well as to contribute more to society by sharing my experiences to inspire them. I would like to see more women designers in our industry in the near future.