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I've driven design innovation across various sectors to connect and empower people, from developing educational games for social impact, to creating AI-enhanced products enabling more personal clinical interactions for millions.
4+
years of UX design experience
Ambiguity is a good thing
Reality is rarely simple. If a problem space seems ambiguous, that’s a sign that I’m in the right place for problem solving and innovating ideas. Not only is it a fun challenge to try to untangle the webs and make sense of things, it also feels meaningful and worthwhile knowing that I’m taking the brunt of the complexity and making things more approachable and human for the user.
Designers don’t design experiences, they design for experiences
People think of UX as a job for designing experiences (after all, it’s in the name), but that feels a bit presumptuous to me. Each person has their own unique lived experience. Every day, millions of people wake up and use products differently and under unique contexts. I don’t want to dictate the lives of people - I want whatever I make to be suited for improving their lives.
Usability isn't the only thing that matters.
Usability is obviously an extremely important metric for people to use something well and not be frustrated, but beyond that, I think that designers of digital interfaces are uniquely positioned to spark joy and delight in a person, and in some cases even foster a sense of growth and belonging. If video games can immerse people and get them to genuinely enjoy the process of something, why shouldn’t websites/apps be the same way?
I thrive in fast-paced, cross-functional teams with high potential for social impact. Embracing ambiguity and healthy constraints fuels my passion for innovation, cross-collaborating with others to break down siloes and drive unique design solutions. Design is not (and should not be) a linear path - I like getting messy with design experimentation and trying out new things, especially in the design of spaces that empower others.
How this belief shapes who I am as a designer...
UX, to me, goes beyond designing experiences; it's about respecting individual lived experiences which begin in the physical world and extend into the digital world. My experience with something will inevitably be different from someone else's. I aim to create digital applications and social spaces that pave the way for fostering convenience, connections, and personal growth, without imposing a one-size-fits-all approach.
How this belief shapes who I am as a designer...
Beyond usability, I believe product designers can uniquely spark delight, and even a sense of growth or belonging. If videos games can provide immersive joy that people seek out, why shouldn't other websites and apps? Drawing from applied social psychology principles for personal fulfillment that I studied extensively in grad school at Carnegie Mellon University, I strive to elevate the lived experiences of those I design for in exciting ways.
A social game & guide to motivate and empower students
I explored gamification as a means to motivate high school students, eventually designing an educational social game backed by learning science and compiling a digital design guide for educators.
2.15x
students setting mindful goals
12th International Educational Games Competition - Shortlisted
Improving patient care via the power of AI collaboration
At 3M, I led the end-to-end UX design and research for a family of multimodal AI applications used by hundreds of thousands of clinicians every day to facilitate accurate diagnoses capture.
I revamped and modernized the search page for ICPSR, the world's largest collection of social science data, enabling social science researchers to more efficiently find and discover key information.
Just a showcase of my personal hobby outside of design :]
More about me
What got me here
Data scientist turned designer
I started off with a data science background, studying ML and AI.
Third culture kid
Growing up, I never quite fully fit into either American or Chinese culture. I found a sense of belonging through online spaces.
Lifelong learner
In 2022, I decided to go back to school to further explore my interests at CMU's design program, despite already having a full time UX job.
Special interests
Persuasive design
Ethical use of AI
Creator economy
Breaking siloes
Gamification in design
Service design
Innovation & social impact
Design evangelism
Fun & hobbies
Cooking
Not to brag, but I can whip up some mean eggs benedict and hong shao rou pork belly.
VGM music
A nerd at heart, I love listening to video game soundtracks and replicating them on the piano.
Pixel art
As you can likely tell from this portfolio, I like drawing pixel art outside of work. Check out my work here!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your stay. If you're hopping off, have a great rest of your day, and it'd be awesome if our paths cross again.
Any feedback items or general thoughts you can provide about this portfolio are much appreciated!
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