On My Radar: Lisha Tan

Lisha Tan recently joined The Mill's design studio, Mill+, as art director. Arriving at the company from Santa Monica production and animation outfit Elastic she has directed, designed and animated work for brands including Nike, Foot Locker, Yahoo and Starbucks.

Here she offers the lowdown on what inspires her day-to-day life, including a cookie campaign, cool computer graphics and her trusty Uber phone app.

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

Oreo Wonderfilled Anthem (below) is one that really stuck with me. It’s beautifully designed and animated and wonderfully whimsical. It captures the childhood joy of eating Oreos.

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

I check these sites out daily on feedly:

Motional – a fun place to see what the other people in the industry are up to in bite-sized pieces.

Refinery 29 – it’s a nice place to keep up with what’s trending at the moment and an entertaining read.

Science Daily - because I’m secretly a bit of a science dork.

Apartment Therapy – a hub of recipes, DIY tips and décor inspiration galore.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

My 13” Wacom Cintiq [interactive pen display]. I’ve wanted one for ages and it makes the world of difference! It solves that issue of hand-eye separation whilst drawing on the computer and means no more wobbly lines! Plus, it’s small enough to carry in your bag so you can take it everywhere with you.

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook. I have a bunch of friends scattered around the world, having lived in Singapore, Australia and now LA. It’s the best way to stay in touch with everyone on one platform.

What’s your favourite app on your phone and why?

Uber – it’s the best thing ever. It works around the world with no fuss: a car shows up at the press of a button, you don’t have to speak to a voice commanded robot (which is always a problem with my weird accent!) and I’m not a fan of driving outside of West LA.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. It’s such a good show, from the great writing to Anthony’s witty and brilliantly, slightly cynical dialogue to the wonderful cinematography. Whenever I travel overseas, I’ll check out his travel guide of where to go and, most importantly, what to eat. I’m a huge foodie, so my travels usually revolve around food and he’s a great guide.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Spirited Away by Hayo Miyazaki is my favourite film of all time. It transports you into a different world and, in my book, is one of the most visually stunning pieces around. Tip: watching it in its native language (Japanese) is a must.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Half-awake in bed. A mentor of mine gave me a great piece of advice when it comes to ideas: “sleep on it!”

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

Music videos. There are still some amazing ones out there, but fewer. It’s a bit of an endangered art form, what with a lack of funding and often a standard formula followed, and I’d love to see that really shaken up again.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

I think a lot can be said for taking yourself less seriously and having fun with your work.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

Being a gamer since the age of eight has definitely had an influence on my career. I was blown away by computer graphics and my sole focus was to work for Sierra or Blizzard but there just weren’t that many games companies in Australia. I then looked into design and visual effects, where I happily still find myself today!