Three Ways to “Design” Your Career: Jasmine Chin
Employee spotlight—a Q&A with
Jasmine Chin
Park Designer/3D Illustrator
Where did you grow up and where did you go to school?
I grew up in a small city in rural Alberta called Camrose. Gravel roads and wheat fields stretch as far as the eye can see there. Growing up, I couldn’t wait to leave and was so excited to move to Vancouver for university. I went to Emily Carr and studied Industrial Design.
You have worn many hats at WhiteWater. How did you progress to each of them?
It’s been quite the journey; Oct 16 marks my 15th anniversary. Crazy! I originally applied to work at WhiteWater but ended up getting a call back from Prime Play, a former subsidiary company that created soft contained playgrounds. I started at Prime Play as a thematic detailer and worked my way into theme management and eventually conceptual design. Since Prime Play was a small team, WhiteWater’s marketing department took care of the majority of the company’s marketing. As no one in-house contributed to Prime Play’s marketing, I saw an opportunity to apply my design skills to brochures and eventually trade shows and beyond. One thing led to another and soon I was bouncing back and forth between theming and marketing. Through the transition of Prime Play to WhiteWater Attractions, I was moved full time into the WhiteWater Marketing Team, where my focus continued to be creating marketing and tradeshow materials with the addition of branding and management.
After spending a number of years in Marketing, an opportunity came up to join WhiteWater’s Architecture Team as a designer and illustrator, building on my conceptual design skills while learning more about park planning.
Looking back, I didn’t know where my career was headed, but I found the gaps where my skillset could add value and ran with it.
What has been some of your favorite projects at WhiteWater?
There have been many projects that have been fun to work on over the years. I’ve really enjoyed working with major brands and IP holders such as HIT Entertainment, LEGOLAND®, Disney, Paw Patrol, and more. Projects I’ve worked on that I can see built, in person, are also special.
On the marketing side, putting together what we called the all-in-one teaser brochure was memorable. I was able to really push the layout and format of our previous brochures. Designing tradeshow booths and attending tradeshows has also been a highlight. Before we started working with an exhibit house, it was all DIY. Ask me how many crates our booth packed into the last year we went the DIY route…haha!
What do you like about your job?
We work in a fun industry and there can be a lot of room for creativity.
What motivated you to join WhiteWater’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team?
Over the years I’ve had many experiences that span the spectrum. My goal is to help others have better experiences and move the needle towards a more inclusive and equitable workplace for everyone. Since starting with the DEI Team, I’ve embarked on a more deliberate journey to learn about this space. As I learn, I realize just how much more there is to understand!
What are some of your activities outside of work?
Admittedly I used to participate in many more volunteer activities than I do now, helping TEDxEastVan with design and a non-profit focused on building community spaces in Sri Lanka. Both of those have been relatively inactive the last few years, so I guess it’s time to look for some new ways to volunteer! These days I enjoy getting out to Edmonton to see my two little nephews whenever possible, reading non-fiction, and a bit of gardening. I’ve also been learning how to play golf and have gradually become more of a morning person, waking up before work to hit some splat points at Orange Theory.
Tell us about one of your proudest moments.
While it was a challenging time for the Marketing Team and for me personally, the iheartwaterparks campaign celebrating our 35th anniversary was a huge success during the IAAPA and WWA tradeshows. Our booth felt like the hub of each show, turning heads and drawing attention. The number of conversations, connections, and stories it inspired was nothing short of thrilling—you could feel the passion people have for our industry and what we do. Over the years since this campaign, many people have come up to me to tell me about clients still wearing the shirts or hats we made, coming across other bits of swag and reminiscing about the campaign. We were a little crazy to buy and display a 1978 Dodge Aspen, using it as a throwback to family road trips in the early era of water parks. It’s left me with some unbelievable memories!
