Hi, I’m Kevin Lam, also known as urfd online, short for Ur Friend. I was born in Hong Kong and I’m now based in Brisbane, Australia. I currently work at Nightjar Studio.
I enjoy searching for unique brand stories and turning them into soulful experiences. Like a friend, I like to listen first, understand the story, then find the small idea or feeling that makes a project memorable.
Feature Projects
Odyssée Clinic
Brand + Website
Odyssée Clinic is a doctor led medical aesthetics clinic in Sydney. This was a project I worked on at Nightjar Studio. The brand idea was built around a guided aesthetic journey, where every treatment begins with understanding the patient first. We used the sphere as a visual node, a quiet object in motion that suggests the beginning of that process. The final identity was considered and grounded in care, rather than focused on quick results.
Challenges: The challenge was to avoid the familiar cosmetic clinic feeling. Odyssée needed to feel refined without becoming cold and clinical without feeling distant. The design had to support the clinic’s doctor led approach, where communication and trust are part of the experience.
Personal note: I liked this project because it gave me space to bring my 3D skillset into the brand world. The assets added depth and atmosphere without making the identity feel too decorative, balancing restraint with a quiet sense of movement.
Credit: Nightjar Studio
Sam Thies
Brand + Website
Sam Thies is a Brisbane based photographer. His website was designed as a quiet archive for his work and the journeys behind it. Rather than making a standard portfolio, the idea was to create a place where each project could unfold like its own chapter.
Challenges: The challenge was to keep the design quiet without making it feel empty. Sam’s photography already carries a strong sense of place so the website needed to give the work room to breathe.
Personal note: I enjoyed this project because it was about creating a quiet canvas for the artist’s work. The photo grid, full bleed images, simple typography and subtle page transitions were all designed to let the photography feel considered without getting in the way. The aim was to make the website feel like a gallery: calm, spacious and focused on the work.
Credit: Carl Beaverson (Dev)
FolkTale
Brand + Website
Folktale is a design led estate agency brand built around homes with character. The idea was to move away from the usual property language and create something more human, where each home could be understood through its story rather than just its features.
Challenges: The brand needed to feel soulful and story driven, but still clear enough to work as a real estate platform.
Personal note: The project was about noticing the small things that make a place feel like home. The visual direction leaned into lived in details, editorial layouts and a tone of voice that felt warm without becoming sentimental.
Veil Obscura
Brand + Website
Veil Obscura documents one of Australia’s most extraordinary natural events. The project was designed to let the work breathe, allowing the story to unfold with clarity, atmosphere and a quiet sense of wonder.
Challenges: The challenge was to create a design system that supported the story without overpowering it. With a subject so visually rich, the design needed to be restrained, giving space to the imagery, pacing and details of the event.
Personal notes: I enjoyed this project because it reminded me that design does not always need to be loud to be memorable. Sometimes the role of design is to step back, create space and let the story reveal itself slowly.
Credit: Carl Beaverson (Dev)
James Street
Brand + Website
James Street is one of Brisbane’s most recognised lifestyle precincts. While at Groundcrew, I worked on the website refresh to help create a clearer digital home for the precinct. The project focused on improving the user experience, supporting a large tenant directory and giving the website a stronger sense of energy that matched James Street in real life.
Challenges: The challenge was to make the website easier to use without losing the character of James Street. With so many stores, restaurants and events to bring together, the design needed to feel organised but still lively. For the store directory, a slide out information panel allowed people to move between shops easily, while each store still kept its own direct URL.
Personal note: I liked this project because James Street already carries so much culture and personality. From artist collaborations to well known events, there was a real responsibility to translate that energy into a simple and useful digital experience, while letting its beautifully refined assets speak for themselves.
Credit: Groundcrew
Background
After completing my degree in Visual Communication, I started my career in a small design & print studio. It was a hands on beginning that taught me how much craft lives in the details: the finish, the colour and the way a design feels once it becomes something physical.
That foundation still shapes the way I work. Today, my work moves across brand, digital and motion. I often imagine websites like editorial design books, where rhythm, pacing and visual moments help shape the way a story unfolds.
Design Philosophy
Keep your curiosity
The design industry can feel overwhelming, especially with new tools appearing all the time. But curiosity keeps the work alive. Sometimes, even a short tutorial can open up a new direction. You do not need to know everything. You just need to stay open enough to keep learning.
Find the north star
Before designing, I ask questions, look for what really needs to be solved and try to understand the project from the client’s point of view. Once that becomes clear, the design direction feels less like decoration and more like a response to something real.
Care about the work
I believe designers should care deeply about the work they make because even a small piece of design can shape how someone feels or understands something. That care should also extend to the people around us, whether it is sharing what we learn, giving honest feedback or supporting other creatives in small ways.
Good design is rarely made alone
Design is never really a solo act. Behind every good project, there are conversations and people pushing the work from different angles. The best ideas usually become stronger when they are shared, challenged and shaped together.
Tools & techniques
- Photoshop
- Figma
- After Effects
- Cinema 4D
- Cavalry
Future Goals
I would love to keep working with artists who are passionate about their craft. Their stories are always fascinating to me, and I enjoy helping those stories become something people can see and feel.
Outside of design, I want to enjoy more time with my family and my three year old son. Maybe that will become a story I share one day too. 🙂
Final thoughts
Thank you to the Codrop team for giving me the opportunity to share my creative process and journey. It means a lot to be able to reflect on the work, the people behind it and the small stories that continue to shape the way I design.
Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
Let’s stay connected.
