Hazel's story
A decade of building and learning to make a positive impact.
15 years in graphic & UX/UI design,
8+ years in digital marketing, Founder of YDJ™
Before YDJ™
I'm Hazel Lee, founder of YDJ™. I've always wanted to be a successful creative myself, earning five to six figure a month working for others. But I found the corporate world was not providing me with the environment I needed to thrive.
Whenever I had some free time, I would talk to other fellow creatives either on social media or with like-minded friends, curious to find out if they faced similar career challenges. I quickly realised I was not alone...and that sparked something in me.
Launching YDJ™
Feeling motivated by the support I received from my community, I started a design blog called Your Design Juice in June 2015. As an inspirational blog for the global creative community, it also served as a platform for creatives to showcase their projects.
Me at my work desk, working hard on the YDJ launch page.
I was working as a freelance digital designer, while continuing to grow the YDJ™ platform as a side-hustle through blogging.
My learning curve
From 2017 - 2018, I was also proactively attending entrepreneurial workshops and startup related events to further develop my entrepreneurial and business skills.
That's me on the left at the GDG KL 2017 event. Volunteering, networking, learning and broadening my tech skills.
Going full-fledged
Your Design Juice has been re-branded to YDJ™, and officially became a registered business.
YDJ Marketplace
It occurred to me in late 2018 that I wanted to take YDJ™ to the next level. I launched YDJ Marketplace, an online marketplace for digital goods. Unfortunately it was a failed venture, but the experience taught me valuable lessons in business management and marketing that I carry with me to this day.
CAAD 2019
Climate Action Art & Design Fair (CAAD) was held to support local artists, and advocated for Greenpeace and climate action awareness in 2019. It was one of our most memorable community events.
Me (3rd from right) with the incredible artists who participated.
A community celebrating art
CAAD brought together artists, collectors and art lovers under one roof. Here's a glimpse of the incredible artwork and energy from the event.
See our past events
Growing my digital marketing portfolio
By 2021, I added digital marketing to my portfolio, a natural extension of the creative and entrepreneurial work I have been doing with YDJ.
Monetising YDJ™
Since founding YDJ™, it has always functioned as a social-enterprise startup, driven by purpose as much as passion. However, facing financial challenges post COVID-19, it was time to find a sustainable way to keep YDJ going, and so we did with SEO and affiliate marketing.
At the same time, we continued to deliver showcase features and social media marketing support for fellow creatives.
YDJ Blog still going strong
Through 2024 and 2025, the YDJ Blog has over 76 pages of portfolio showcase features across 9 creative categories. From UX/UI and illustration to motion design and typography.
Visit the blogInspiring the global creative community
We remained one of the most consistent platforms for creatives seeking visibility, and better online presence.
We continue to receive submissions from artists, illustrators, graphic designers and motion designers around the world.
With 16.2K+ followers and a strong community, our reach kept growing year on year.
Introducing YDJ™ Showcase Pro
YDJ™ is now more than just a portfolio showcase. We're guaranteeing results!
After several failed projects, 2026 marks our most significant leap yet with the launch of YDJ™ Showcase Pro Beta built exclusively for artists, illustrators and designers, powered by AI and refined by human expertise.
Your work continues to be featured on the YDJ Blog, just as it always has been. But now it goes further. With Showcase Pro, you get to reach the right audience who are genuinely ready to pay for authentic work.
Discover Showcase Pro