A marketing strategy is nothing without great content. That’s where New Doors Content Specialist and Associate, Sandra Tan comes in. Sandra is a kindred spirit - an architecture and design nerd with a genuine passion for the built environment.

“I love having conversations with the fascinating creatives and people who shape our cities, gaining unexpected insights into totally diverse perspectives and ways of thinking. It’s like opening windows into different worlds,” Sandra enthuses. “And I will always find great satisfaction in being trusted with someone’s story, articulating it in the way they’ve always meant to tell it.”

Sandra is a writer, content strategist and storyteller. She started her career at Niche Media as the editor of Australian Design Review, a national architecture and design news platform. Honing her voice in the Australian design media, she then became Melbourne Editor at Large at Indesign Media Asia Pacific, before securing a pivotal role as the first editor of DENFAIR, Australia’s premier design exhibition. Here, she took on the herculean task of developing and presenting their 2019 Speaker Series, featuring 40 leading architects and designers from Australia and abroad.

Aside from New Doors, Sandra also works with a range of private clients, helping them to craft compelling content about their design practices and portfolios. While proud and happy with the independent career she’d made for herself, when we met, she was wondering what the next steps for her career might look like.

“Alicia first approached me with New Doors work during lockdown in Melbourne. Those early conversations were a bright spot in a year of pandemic solitude, and the warmth, security and camaraderie of collaboration greatly appealed to me”, Sandra explains.

“Having spent much of my career navigating male-dominated workplaces, joining New Doors as an Associate presents a rare opportunity to grow with and contribute to the culture of a female-led start up.I now work with a team of women I admire, my opinion is called upon and valued, and my autonomy is respected. Alicia is a generous mentor in both life and work, and offers more professional development than I could give myself alone.

There has been a lot to love about New Doors in such a short time, but perhaps more than anything, the fact we are encouraged to bring our whole selves to work, that we are empathetic, enthusiastic and curious about each other’s lives has been a real joy. I look forward to what we can achieve together.”

Sandra’s bright personality and enquiring nature is fulfilled by sparking thought in conversational form, with a series of public appearances under her belt including events and talks for Cebu Pacific, Schiavello, MPavilion and Collarts.

Outside of her design media career, Sandra is a proud Filipina and member of The Entree.Pinays, a Filipino food and cultural advocacy group based in Melbourne. Together they have done amazing things to put Filipino culture and food on the map in Australia, debuting to great critical acclaim at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) in 2019. While they have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not been discouraged, returning to MFWF in 2021 with a flavoursome Filipino feast. Check them out at entreepinays.com