I’m Siyuan and I’m a UX designer based in Seattle. I have a diverse background in Human-Computer Interaction, industrial design, and product engineering, and my work has spanned the tech industry, automotive sector, and product manufacturing.

I particularly excel in solving complex design challenges and crafting desirable user experiences that leverage advanced technologies.

Throughout my career, I have been fascinated by how technology has profoundly altered our society. Products powered by cutting-edge technologies shape our everyday lives in ways we couldn't have predicted.

Being a designer and working at the forefront of the tech industry has granted me opportunities to influence those technologies and products while advocating for human-centered values to build a future that inspires hope and anticipation.

I’m currently working as a Senior UX Designer at Amazon Alexa, leading the creation of cutting-edge AI-powered audio entertainment experiences for hundreds of millions of Alexa users worldwide. With the rapid advancement of AI technologies and tools, customer expectations have evolved, demanding more intelligent and personalized interaction with AI assistants.

As a UX designer, my job is to harness the power of AI and deliver the best-in-class audio entertainment experience that is delightful to engage with and drives Alexa’s business growth as a service to ensure its continued success.

To me, design is an art of craftsmanship that seamlessly blend aesthetics and functionalities. At its core, it’s about deeply understanding human needs, emotions, behaviors, and values, and design takes an experimental, iterative, and creative process to create outcomes that shape people and drive positive changes.

My favorite kinds of design are those that provide an extremely intuitive experience and become “invisible”. When design is done well, it allows users to achieve their goals so easily and friction-free, that they don’t notice it has been designed.

A good design is simple. It eliminates unnecessary complexity, making it intuitive to engage with. A good design is accessible, it ensures that everyone, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities, can use the product or service effectively and enjoyably. A good design should also be sustainable with consideration for its long-term social, economic, and environmental impact.

My design process begins with setting the context by answering key questions: Who are we designing for? What problems are we addressing? What existing solutions are available, and where do the gaps and opportunities lie?

Once the problem space is clearly defined, I customize my own process to suit the specific resources and objectives of the project, as each one is unique. Although my approach is flexible, I consistently follow an iterative process that allows for continuous improvement and evolution of solutions based on real-time feedback.

Winning the 2024 MUSE Design Awards is both an honor and a validation of my design work. It means that the values I advocate—innovation, user-centric, and meaningful impact—are resonating with the panel.

This recognition motivates me to continue pushing boundaries and refining my skills as a designer to create desirable experiences that close the gap between technology and humans. It's a reminder of the responsibility I carry as a designer to contribute meaningfully to the industry.

Axel is an exploratory project designed to empower passengers in privately owned Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous vehicles (AVs). Research shows that widespread distrust and misunderstanding of autonomous driving technology largely from a lack of transparency and concerns about ceding control to machines.

Axel tackles these issues by utilizing image recognition AI to gather and communicate real-time traffic information. Additionally, it provides interactive touchpoints tailored to various driving scenarios, enabling passengers to influence the vehicle's behavior and maintain a sense of control during their journey.

One of the biggest challenges with this project is conducting research and predicting precisely the behavior of private AV owners for those users don’t yet exist.

Therefore, current vehicle owners were studied as analogous research audiences. To understand how vehicle owners currently exert control, we investigated situations where they take a ride of their vehicle driven by another driver, and then fill the gap between the human driver and autonomous driving.

Sense of community: The design industry has fostered a sense of community and shared purpose because we as designers are all advocators for great user experiences.

Innovation and impact: Design allows us to express creative ideas, and push the boundaries of product services, and experiences that shape the future of our society.

Learn and be curious: The design industry is always evolving, with new trends, tools, and technologies emerging regularly. Designers are encouraged to keep learning, adapt, and grow their skills.

As AI tools and services rapidly expand, designers will be freed from repetitive, hands-on tasks, allowing them to take on a more strategic role in product development. This change will bring closer collaboration between design, business, and technology than ever before.

At the same time, as technology becomes more integrated into the design offerings, design will play a key role in the best practice of AI. Ensuring that algorithms are fair, transparent, unbiased, and respectful of user privacy will become a key priority.

I know that many new designers entering the industry are facing a major career change, and may feel overwhelmed by their limited design skills and experience.

However, I want to encourage them to embrace their diverse backgrounds—whether in business, engineering, or art—because it's those unique perspectives that set designers apart. These experiences not only add value but can also become key strengths that propel their careers forward in the long run.

Nature has always been one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Spending time in natural surroundings and observing how plants and animals adapt and thrive in diverse environments brings me a sense of mindfulness and peace.

As designers, we frequently collaborate with cross-functional teams, and I believe that building strong relationships with stakeholders and earning their trust is key to ensuring a project’s success. This process often requires viewing problems from multiple perspectives and possessing strong communication skills—both visual and verbal.