WEDA 2023: Chloe Choo on thriving under pressure

by Aisha Capulong

Chloe opens up on her journey to the top, challenging outdated stereotypes while tackling all the different pressures that come with leadership

At the helm of the impressive IDPM is Design Director Chloe, who envelopes every room she enters with her warmth and bubbliness. She achieved her current standing by staying pertinacious, even through the misconceptions around female designers. In particular, Chloe counters the idea that ‘women cannot handle pressure as well as men’ with how she’s found that women often have better prioritisation, which helps greatly in dealing with stressful situations. She also feels empowered to see more and more women in the industry speak up to prove these outdated ideas wrong.

Through years of fine-tuning, a major realisation she’s made has been that great design is about collaboration and understanding her clients’ stories. Chloe remarks how during her first days as a designer, she used to approach projects focusing on what she liked and what she thought would work. She has since learned to listen more and incorporate the incomparable experiences that her clients bring to the table, which gives her the unique edge she’s known for.

When presented with the question of what she would tell her younger self if she could travel back in time, Chloe comments with a piece of advice that many easily overlook in today’s fast-paced world, and that is: it’s okay to take breaks every once in a while, it’s nothing to punish yourself over and feel guilty about. If anything, she finds it crucial. “In the beginning, I was so focused on proving myself that I didn’t give enough attention to self-care. Now, I know that taking time off to recharge is just as important — it keeps the creativity flowing.”