For the longest time, I relied on various website builders to create and host my personal site. I've gone through Wix, Adobe Portfolio, and most recently, an indie drag-and-drop tool. That last one unlocked the freedom to build a fun personal website. It was super easy to use and quite flexible thanks to its of drag-and-drop nature, but over time, a few issues started to bug me:

1. The responsive design options were very limited. 
2. There was no support for bugs or errors.
3. It wasn't ideal for hosting blog content. 

Another major factor that came into play was my desire to rebrand. My previous website was playful, a little girly, and whimsical, which reflect my personality, but it didn't come across as professional, or, perhaps, as intentional.

![](/images/cursor.png)

And now with the rise of AI, I felt like I had no excuse not to try to build my own website. 

I took an intro to web development class during college where we dabbled in HTML and CSS, and I figured the experience I gained from side projects over the years might get me somewhere, especially with AI. Between Google AI Studio, Claude, and Cursor, I considered designing in Figma and vibe coding my way through, but I was lazy and wanted to launch quickly, so I "cheated." 

![](/images/template.png)

I found a free template and started modifying that instead! The initial updates didn't require much AI assistance because it was pretty straightforward to review the files and get the gist. For things I wasn't sure about, I turned to Cursor. Instead of relying on the agentic mode to do everything for me, I'd ask questions on how to modify something or to debug. I didn't like how it was modifying files that weren't relevant to the changes I requested, so I opted for some manual copy-and-pasting. This way, I can start learning how the files are organized and structured. 

![](/images/deploy-fail.png)

After a few failed attempts at cloning the repo and deploying, I can now make edits and launch with just a few clicks. Shout out to  Netlify for making it that easy!

It is taking me some time to create new pages and visual assets, but I'm so excited to finally be in control. Every issue I run into is now a reflection of my own skillset. It's incredibly liberating. And honestly, I'm really happy I no longer have to spend $200 a year simply because I didn't know how to do something. That was honestly my biggest motivator, haha. I did pay for Cursor, but that's okay because I'm learning.



Why I Changed My Website

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I don't know about you, but when my wiser friends used to tell me to find a hobby, I never really understood why I should. The common answer was that it would make you a more interesting person when it came to interviews or making friends, but that never felt like a compelling reason to seriously pursue one.

I used to find it hard to focus on anything other than my main goal at one time. No hobby felt engaging or exciting, maybe except for taking a long stroll every evening. I even felt a little insecure about not having a cool hobby and dismissed how I was spending my time, whether it was job hunting, working on my portfolio, or nurturing relationships. But now that I feel somewhat settled, I found myself twiddling my thumbs, unable to sit still. It has finally come a point where having a hobby made sense (to me).

During slower periods of my life, I did have hobbies and they were just that. Fun activities that distracted my mind from reality for short periods. Aiming for excellence wasn't a goal. When people say that to be great in life, you should be aim to be excellent in everything that you do, I used to think, how exhausting...but I also had some doubts. Is that the mindset I need to achieve wordly greatness? I still don't know the answer, but I do know that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and hobbies are meant to be fun. And "fun" doesn't always mean "easy," I've realized.

![](/images/painting-subject.jpg)

I recently picked up painting after my husband surprised me with an easel on my birthday. He said, "You need a hobby!" And just like that, sometimes the hobby chooses you. While I was able to complete my first painting within a few hours—and with great satisfaction—I found myself stumped on my second, third, and fourth pieces...Paintings that I started within a couple of days or hours from starting the one before because I was unhappy and frustrated that they weren't turning out the way I had hoped.

Instead of giving up and starting yet another painting, I decided to keep working on what I had already started. I painted over my earlier strokes, trying to fix mistakes or hoping that the next brushstroke would appear as intended. After hours and hours and several sittings, the paintings evolved. The vision became clearer.

Is it a master piece? Not yet. Will it ever be? I don't know. But I've learned that hobbies requiring some level of skill will reward you with improvement over time, if you're patient. Sometimes it takes intentional effort and awareness, but I think it eventually becomes muscle memory. Instead of focusing on creating something amazing, I've found it helpful to just pick up the brush and put paint on the canvas. It's not a big deal, but we often make it one. When you treat it as something "just for fun," it's a lot easier to get started and to keep going, session after session.

Hobbies do help you escape the stress of life, and sometimes, they're not the very first activity that comes to mind when you have free time. They are what you make of them. For some, a hobby is simply just that, and for others, it provides an opportunity to experiment and learn without pressure, like how painting and pickleball helped me truly *see* the value of repetition. Constant exposure to frustrating and scary "oopsy" moments removed some of that fear of failure and self-disappointment, because now I know, with enough time and practice, I'll eventually get there, and so will you!


Get a Hobby When You're Ready

![](/images/suminoh-169-crop-website.png)

When I was an undergrad studying industrial design, I struggled with my visual identity, my brand. I was the minimalist lover, drawn to sans-serif fonts, black and white, and a whole lot of emptiness. While there are many designers who embrace this style—as I once did—it didn’t reflect who I was.

It wasn’t until a few years ago, when I “discovered” my visual identity. I hestitate to even call it “identity” because it sounds like I have a clear idea, and frankly, I don’t want to confine myself to a theme. (This is probably one of the reasons why I struggled to express myself through my portfolio.) I couldn’t commit, and it was most likely a reflection of what I was going through at the time. Confusion and lack of confidence.

Back then, I didn’t realize that the collection of things that I liked would naturally form a theme, a pattern that represents me, and eventually become a visual identity. Not all things harmonize perfectly, but it is truly in the process of finding balance amongst the different elements that ultimately creates a cohesive theme, what we call a brand.

![](/images/sesame-umbrella.png)

I leaned into minimalism out of cluelessness. Following rules was somewhat easy, and that is what minimalism is. Each design decision has to be precise and intentional because there aren’t many elements to draw the viewer’s attention. I’ve never been much of a rule follower. I was, and I am, stubborn. My soul yearned to make the world beautiful, despite my parents’ strong wishes for me not to pursue design. And to me, minimalism isn’t that.

Instead of trying to define myself, I began building my website by placing elements I thought looked cool or cute. Even in real life, my home is scattered with random objects. Some gifted by people I love, others picked up during my travels or on random antique shopping sprees. Not everyone finds them charming as I do and that’s okay. Some people might not love my choice of Garamond for my (previous) website, but I’ll bet some grandmillenial enthusiasts would approve.

In the same spirit, when building a portfolio and defining your brand, don’t focus on potential employers who might “judge” your work. Your vibe might not vibe with theirs but a good designer will respect that. Your website, your portfolio is your playground. It is an opportunity to showcase your  ability to express ideas, your personality, and to demonstrate your creative confidence. If you’re worried about pigeonholing yourself to a style, remember you can illustrate all the different styles you are capable of mastering through your projects.

Some mentors will encourage you to think about who you are. Personally, that didn’t help me. There’s been research showing that excessive self-focus can lead into a mental rut. If that’s the case, don’t think about yourself, just create. Treat your website as another sketchbook.

Go ham and then refine.

Finding Your Visual Identity

Home

Product Manager

Industrial designer turned product manager.  While my 9-to-5 is focused on optimizing ad ops workflows and improving attribution management, I also scratch my creative itch through painting, gardening, writing, and dreaming up my next home project.


Before I pivoted into product, I spent some time as a designer working on both digital experiences and physical products. My design experience was mostly with early-stage startups that didn't have formal product managers. While product managers do exist for physical goods, I never worked with one during my time as an industrial designer. This meant identifying customer needs and deciding which features to prioritize fell on my lap. I either worked directly with CTOs or senior dev leads, or I took on the role of an engineer creating CAD models for manufacturing. In setups that lean, there weren't many layers between decisions and execution, which meant little risk of misalignment and interpersonal friction. In hindsight, I had it easy. These challenges weren't even on my mind.

As I've grown into a larger organization, I've come to see how important teamwork and ownership really are. Experiencing environments where these weren't always present taught me firsthand how critical culture is for effectively delivering on goals and retaining employees. I used to think "culture" was just one of those fluffy buzzwords tossed around on Linkedin, but now I feel it through and through.

### Ownership and Integrity

Ownership and teamwork go hand in hand, but without ownership nothing gets done. A deliverable is more than just the end result; it reflects the collective effort and integrity of the team. Ownership shows up in many ways: gathering the necessary context by identifying the relevant colleagues and asking questions, paying close attention to the work being defined, making sure all the stakeholders are aligned, thinking ahead about potential technical or resource conflicts. Integrity is knowing, or learning, what it takes to improve your craft, and putting that into practice even when no one is watching. But ofcourse, as humans, we have blind spots, and that's where your team steps in.

### Together

The team that cares, the team that aims for the common goal, fills in your blind spots. Teamwork lightens the mental load and makes challenges easier to face. I really appreciate not feeling alone in carrying the weight of responsibility. I love seeing an idea bloom into something greater through sharing and collaboration. It's exciting to watch informational walls break down. No matter how much effort or ownership you bring, achieving a smooth product experience is nearly impossible without the support of a strong, caring team. 

The beauty of building a product lies in working with people who bring different backgrounds and strengths. Some are more knowledgeable about specific topics, while others bring more enthusiasm to the table. Although it may seem easier to work with a homogeneous team with a shared base of knowledge and skills, someone new to the problem space can often offer a fresh perspective, an innovative or even a delightful touch. I think teamwork in cases like these means being patient, showing humility, and offering grace. 

Colleagues who not only care about the work but also about how we work together make the workday far more rewarding. I'm especially grateful for teammates who keep communication open and share the pieces that keep  projects rolling. Silos often emerge when an org is rushing to grow while juggling a full stack of projects, but when we take the time to share knowledge and check in, we grow and move forward together as a unit.

I've come across different schools of thought about work. Some people only care to show up to complete the task at hand, while others aim to make most out of the process. Work can't be sunshine and butterflies but I believe with the right attitude, 9-5 is an opportunity to upskill and continually better yourself in ways that make work more meaningful.

Sumin Oh

Latest Post

9-5 Viscosity

Why I Changed My Website

Get a Hobby When You're Ready

Finding Your Visual Identity