Hello! Today, I interviewed Huang Hsiang Yun, who is in charge of the overall design for Trifa at ERAKE (nickname: Yun-chan)!

Yun-chan, originally from Taiwan, is a talented 26-year-old who is currently active as a designer at ERAKE. She was captivated by Japanese culture during her third year of university and experienced a short-term study abroad in Japan, which prompted her to start her career in Japan.

In this interview, we asked Yun-chan about her thoughts on Japan and her journey to working at a Japanese startup in detail. Please take a look.

ーーFirst, could you give us a brief self-introduction?

My name is Huang Hsiang Yun. I am from Taipei, Taiwan, and I am 26 years old. At ERAKE, I am responsible for the overall design of Trifa as a designer.

Since childhood, I have been passionate about drawing and attended art classes since kindergarten. I chose a general high school to focus on my studies, but since I loved drawing, I majored in Graphic Communication in university to study design intensively!

I started learning Japanese in my third year of university and studied intensively at the Waseda University Japanese Language Education Center for a year starting in September 2022. Utilizing that experience, I joined ERAKE in 2023.

ーーYou have loved drawing since you were a child, huh? That sounds just like you! I heard you studied abroad in Japan during your third year of university, but what sparked your interest in Japan?

Yes, thank you! Since I was little, I traveled to Japan with my parents often and was captivated by its beautiful streets and delicious food. Among them, I was especially attracted to the simplicity and sophistication of Japanese design, which deepened my interest in Japan.

I also love Taiwanese design, but the refined beauty of Japanese design, which utilizes negative space, was a significant attraction for me. I wanted to understand Japanese design more deeply, so I started studying Japanese in earnest.

ーーRefined design... So, you already had a sense for design as a designer! By the way, ERAKE is your second company; what type of company did you work for in your first job?

After graduating from university, I was assigned as a new graduate to the design team of an e-commerce site of a Japanese company in Taipei! I primarily worked on designing advertising banners and product feature pages, gaining two years of practical experience. Through this experience, I learned the basics of design, but my desire to create more user-oriented designs grew stronger.

Although it was a Japanese company, there were fewer opportunities to use Japanese than I had imagined, which made me want to improve my language skills and elevate my skills in the field of Japanese UI/UX design!

ーーI see! You aimed to enhance your skills by combining design and language skills and moved to Japan! By the way, did you feel any gaps after actually living in Japan?

Actually, I had never lived away from my family while in Taipei, so my first experience of living alone abroad was honestly filled with anxiety and loneliness (laughs).

The speed of communication in Japanese was faster than I expected, and at first, I was often bewildered and struggled in many situations. However, because I had a clear goal, I was able to gradually adapt while encouraging each other with friends who were also studying the language.

Since I originally loved traveling to Japan, my year at the Japanese Language Education Center was genuinely fulfilling. On weekends, I went to various places with friends and deepened my understanding of Japanese culture and history!

Especially, I can't forget the art tour on Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture. I love visiting art museums, and Naoshima had a unique atmosphere where nature and art merged, making the entire island feel like a museum. Riding a bicycle around the island and experiencing various contemporary artworks was a significant source of inspiration for me.

Through living there, I realized the joy of communicating in Japanese, and my language skills improved rapidly.

ーーIt sounds like you had a fulfilling yet challenging start to your life in Japan! Later, while attending a language school, you were job hunting, but what specific aspects were you focusing on?

At my previous job, I was gaining experience as a web designer, but I wanted to thrive as a UI/UX designer in my next career, so I started looking for a new job. At that time, I was focused on having the discretion to take on various designs and working in an environment where I could utilize my language skills in English and Chinese.

Ultimately, I received offers from three companies, but the one that particularly impressed me was ERAKE. Based on my experience using eSIM during my study abroad, I was acutely aware of its convenience and was strongly motivated to promote the app "Trifa" to the world.

I was also interested in inbound projects, so I feel a significant sense of fulfillment in being able to convey the charm of Japan to foreigners through "Trifa"!

ーーDid you feel any anxiety about challenging yourself in a startup environment?

Actually, I love "Animal Crossing" and found joy in freely building houses and developing towns in the game. From that experience, I started to feel a strong sense of fulfillment in creating something from scratch in my work.

I used to be cautious, but my desire to take on various challenges while I’m young grew stronger, and I decided to make this career change. Honestly, I was a bit nervous at first, but the excitement of being able to try something new outweighed my anxiety!

ーーIt's wonderful that you have such a strong desire to join! How has your work been since you joined ERAKE?

I have been involved in a wide range of design tasks, from app UI/UX design to internal tools, advertisements, brochures, materials, and product design. In particular, during the renewal of the ERAKE corporate site, I handled everything from design to web construction, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment!

In addition, in inbound marketing, I was able to utilize my language skills through marketing support for Taiwan and Chinese translation. Through translation work for the support desk, I deepened my understanding of services like eSIM and Trifa, and it has helped me in communication with influencers. I also realized that all my work is interconnected!

ーーYun-chan is actively thriving in ERAKE! What do you want to achieve at ERAKE moving forward?

I want to further evolve the Trifa app! Through improvements in UI/UX design, I want to enhance the user experience and create a service that more people can use smoothly.

In particular, I want it to become an indispensable app that overseas users, including those from Taiwan, will definitely want to use when traveling!

ーーThat's great! Let's create the best product together. Finally, could you please say a word to candidates who are interested in ERAKE?

I think ERAKE is a good fit for people who enjoy change and like working as a team! In a global environment, I want to improve Trifa together with those who can think and act independently while respecting diverse values.

If you have a desire to enhance the user experience through design, let's work together at ERAKE and enrich the travel experiences of people all over the world!