When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher, a pediatrician, a child psychologist, a dentist… so many things. I took lots of art and craft classes because I thought they were fun, I had no idea that’s where my life would take me. I loved biology classes but hated chemistry and eventually realized I wasn’t happy unless I was creating.

Janeen Jang

I got my bachelor of science degree in Art & Design from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1996. While I was there I took drawing, painting, photography, typesetting, color theory, art history and graphic design classes. It was a lot of work but I LOVED it. I worked for a small, new-agey, local newspaper in college. I had a summer internship for an annual report design firm in Palo Alto, which turned into a job after I graduated. Later I worked for women.com, which was an online women’s magazine during the dot-com boom. I started as a production artist and eventually became an art director. I loved working there; I loved the work, the people and the environment. But as we know, that dot-com bubble eventually burst and when the company was acquired by a competitor, all of us were laid off.

I was SO sad when it was all over, I didn’t realize it was just the beginning of something new. Because I had worked with so many people who all went off to new jobs and new companies, I got lots of fun freelance projects working with all of my friends. I was working with our former CEO, VPs, producers and web developers. That was the beginning of my business.  

What is eightize? My husband and I both wear glasses. (eight eyes!)  

Fun facts about me!

• I grew up in Palo Alto, California.
• My favorite color is blurple (blue + purple).
• I’m a cyclist and have ridden my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles TWICE. I created a website to document my first AIDS/LifeCycle ride in 2015, complete with daily mileage, photos and detailed descriptions: eightize.com/old/ALC/
• I have volunteered as a training ride leader for AIDS/LifeCycle for 3 years.
• I’m a knitter. I’ve knit lots of things, but I usually knit socks. One time I knit a long sleeved, winter cycling jersey, complete with pockets at the back. When out on rides, people would stop and ask me where they could buy my jersey. 🙂
• I like to sew. I made my own wedding dress.
• I live with my husband and two Siberian cats in San Francisco.
• Since 2007 we have been restoring a 100+ year old victorian house.
• I like to read, travel, and cook + eat vegan food. A perfect vacation involves all of these things.

Organizations I love and support
AIDS/LifeCycle
San Francisco Marin Food Bank
San Francisco SPCA