Cultivating Talent: BLINK is Built to Last
Legacy is a word we hear often in design, but it doesn’t happen by chance. It’s not built through portfolios, logos or awards alone, legacy is built through people. The ones who show up, grow with you, challenge you, and sometimes even outgrow you. That’s where the real story of BLINK lives. When you invest in talent, you’re not just shaping a studio, you’re building something that endures.
I’ve come to learn that building a lasting team isn’t about finding the perfect fit every time. It’s about learning who grows with you. For every one person who becomes part of our future, there are others who move on — and that’s part of the process.
The Ones Who Stay
In the early days, we used to joke that a BLINKer was someone who liked a drink after work. But as our team has grown, now more than 120 strong across multiple studios, what it means to be a BLINKer has evolved with it. Togetherness now takes many forms: a coffee club in Singapore, a post-work workout, a quiet sketch shared in the studio, or a visit to a new bar or restaurant. It’s not about one kind of culture, it’s about connection, in whatever form feels right. What brings us together is not what we do, but the values we share.
So, what really defines a BLINKer? Grit. Curiosity. A willingness to roll up their sleeves and care deeply about the work. Those are the people who stay, grow, and lead.
Flat by Design
We’ve always aimed to stay flat, not just structurally, but in mindset. Titles don’t dictate contribution, and good ideas don’t follow hierarchy. Seniority brings experience, but it doesn’t guarantee better thinking. Everyone has something to offer, and everyone gets heard.
People aren’t promoted just because they’ve been here a long time. We look for those who invest in others the way we invest in them. Leadership at BLINK isn’t about time served, it’s about showing up for the team and elevating the work.
It’s not uncommon for someone fresh out of university to sketch ideas directly with me, or sit alongside a director in a concept meeting. That’s by design. We care more about the strength of an idea than where it came from. If it’s good, it gets heard, whether it came from the most senior person in the room or the newest.
“Because when you remove hierarchy, you make space for ideas to lead.”
Growth is Succession
There’s a philosophy I hold on to: if you’re ready to rise, you must lift someone with you. This ripple effect is how we keep our culture strong as we grow. You step up, you pull someone else up behind you. Then they do the same. That’s how we build for the long term.
That’s why we invest in programmes like the A Wish to Remember by Kayte McMillan travel award. Every quarter, someone is given the chance to step out of the studio, explore the world, and come back with new perspective. These trips aren’t rewards, they’re preparation. A moment to recharge creatively, to see design from a different lens, and to return with something to share.
It’s also why we prioritise exposure. Site visits aren’t reserved for senior titles. When we travel, we often bring junior designers, even if it means covering the extra seat ourselves. Because seeing the work in context, meeting clients face-to-face, walking the site is where real development happens.
It’s Not About Me
One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn as a founder is to let go, to trust. For a long time, I felt it was my role to hold the design direction, to protect the brand. But over time, I realised that stepping back didn’t mean stepping away, it meant making space.
The work was no less interesting or brave, but our directors were making decisions I might not have made, and they were exactly what the projects needed. It was exciting to watch the studio evolve in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
That’s not loss of control, that’s evolution. Because the brand isn’t Clint, it isn’t me, it’s BLINK. My role is to be its steward, not its shadow.
Nurturing Talent
If you want to see what this all looks like in practice, just look at our people. Ing joined us right out of college and now, a decade later, she’s a design leader with a rare ability to blend creativity, business insight, and people management. This kind of multidimensional talent doesn’t appear, it’s grown over time in an environment that nurtures it.
And that nurturing environment is why people like Keaw and Ying stay with us for over 16 years. That kind of loyalty? You don’t get it unless you’re doing something right.
We’ve had people leave and come back, too. Gavin left for several years, then he came back and is now an Associate Director. Jom did the same. That says a lot about the kind of culture we’ve created – one worth returning to. When you put people first, the results speak for themselves.
What’s the Real Legacy?
If you’re building your own studio, or thinking about what your next chapter looks like, here’s what I’d say: find people who might one day be better than you. Then give them the space to get there. Train them so well they could leave but build something so meaningful they don’t want to.
Projects can win awards. But it’s people who build legacy. And at BLINK, that’s exactly what we’re here to do.