d+a | Issue 116 • Jun/July 2020

/ LIFE / 92 MUCH TIME FOR PLAY During school holidays, she was equally contented accomplishing tasks for the Science Centre’s Young Scientist Badge program and ploughing through books on all topics. She joined the science club, arts club, computer club, drama club, choir and helped with the school magazine. Such diverse interests resulted in fluctuating vocational goals, unlike classmates with ambitions clearly in hard-nosed or liberal arts professions. In industrial design, she found her salvation. “It felt right for me because I feel disciplines don’t belong in silos,” says Lee, whose childhood businesswoman dreams – she experimented with imaginary company logos – represented an interest in not just how things are made, but also sold. While Lee’s commercial artist parents did not overtly promote design, they did provide a nurturing framework. Lee had access to their design books and magazines, and art supplies like cow gum, set squares and spray mounts were not out of bounds. “As a child, seeing projects just emerge around