Bowen Shen is an expert currently working as a Product Designer in New York. With creative experience spanning multiple countries and various expertise, and a love for visual arts, Bowen Shen's career path shifted to digital design after discovering an interest in coding during her undergraduate years.
Hello, I’m Bowen Shen. I design, doodle, and code. Currently, I work as a Product Designer at an online banking product company in New York City.
My creative journey spans multiple disciplines and countries, having lived in China, Australia, and now the United States. Along the way, I've explored various roles—artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and creative developer—before finding my niche as a Product Designer.
In graduate school, I majored in "Interaction Design," which focuses on creating intuitive digital experiences. Currently, I apply these skills in a very practical way by designing interfaces for mobile apps and websites.
There's a lot of behind-the-scenes work beyond the visual aspects. Designers like me need to understand user needs, business goals, engineering limitations, and the product's historical performance, etc. We translate all these requirements and constraints into the final user experience through numerous iterations.
In the summer of 2020, I was randomly browsing online and came across an article about using AEDs in public places during emergencies.
I thought to myself, "This is something I should know! I've never seriously learned any type of first aid before." So I started reading, but I gave up halfway because it was too much reading and quite boring. I knew I would forget what I read in two days.
I felt guilty for not finishing it because first aid is a life-saving skill. I thought, "What if I encounter a situation that requires this knowledge tomorrow? I would regret not learning it now." But the fact remained that learning first aid was boring to me.
This led me to think that many others probably feel the same way. Is there a way to make first aid more accessible and engaging for beginners? That's what inspired me to pursue the project further.
I found inspiration from two main sources: first-aid resources and interactive educational tools.
For first-aid resources, I explored training programs, knowledge bases, awareness campaigns, real-time support systems, and physical products. This gave me a comprehensive understanding of what's typically covered in first-aid education and what's lacking. I also drew inspiration from existing design concepts focused on first aid.
I then looked at educational games and gamified learning tools, like Duolingo, Dumb Ways to Die, and even Plague Inc., because I wanted my design concept to be engaging and fun.
Absolutely. I’m originally from China, and the Chinese internet is largely separate from the West, creating a unique ecosystem where distinctive UX and UI patterns have emerged. These patterns are shaped by the specific behaviors and preferences of Chinese users. While some designs are tailored to the Chinese market, others have the potential to work globally.
This cultural and digital separation offers a rich source of inspiration for me. It encourages me to think about universal user patterns and reflect on region-specific user behaviors, integrating the best of both worlds into my design process.
To the Rescue is an interactive course that teaches fundamental first-aid skills through fun, gamified lessons. The learners can learn how to perform first aid in different emergency scenarios through various types of interactive lessons and even do hands-on practices at home. Rewards and achievements keep the learners motivated and also encourage them to access more advanced training resources.
To the Rescue helps raise awareness about first aid, spread the knowledge, and will ultimately save more lives.
I faced a few significant challenges during the design process. Firstly, I was an absolute beginner in first aid knowledge and knew that understanding the topic well was crucial for designing effectively. To overcome this, I researched how to get a First Aid Certification and completed the course.
Additionally, since I didn't receive my basic education in the US and first aid knowledge wasn't widely taught when I was in school, I was uncertain about what is considered common knowledge here and what needs to be taught. To address this, I interviewed many people not only from the States but also from other countries to understand what first aid skills are taught in schools globally.
1. Designers are generally fun and creative people to be around with.
2. Visualising ideas always excites people.
3. It keeps on evolving.
To the rescue - Learn life-saving skills through play | 2024 London Design Awards
To the rescue is an interactive course that teaches fundamental first-aid skills through fun, gamified lessons. The learners can learn how to perform first aid in different emergency scenarios through various types of interactive lessons, and... (read more here.)
Bowen Shen is an expert currently working as a Product Designer in New York. With creative experience spanning multiple countries and various expertise, and a love for visual arts, Bowen Shen's career path shifted to digital design after discovering an interest in coding during her undergraduate years.
Read about the interview with Tseng Min-Kang & Hsu Kuei-Wen | Experienced Designers from CHI-R Interior Design here.