From the moment I could hold a crayon, the world around me transformed into a vibrant canvas. As a child, every wall in our home bore witness to my early experiments with color and form. My parents often found that each corner of our house became a silent testimony to moments of inspiration and emotion, capturing my unbounded creativity. This early love affair with beauty was a profound expression of my inner world.

As I matured, my curiosity naturally evolved toward understanding human behavior and emotions. This led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in psychology, seeking to decode the intricacies of human minds. During one of my lectures, a professor mentioned, "Design is not just an exhibition of art, but a practice of psychology." This statement resonated deeply with me, igniting a passion to blend the art of design with the science of psychology.

My journey into User Experience (UX) Design began serendipitously during my junior year of college when I attended a lecture on the impact of design on user behavior. The concept that design could profoundly influence how people interact with technology struck a chord with me. It felt as if all my interests had converged into a single, clear path forward—creating designs that not only look beautiful but also resonate emotionally with users.

This epiphany led me to Cornell University for a Master’s degree in Information Science, specializing in UX. There, I immersed myself in learning design theories and practical skills while engaging in projects that bridged technology and human needs. One notable project involved developing an augmented reality app to aid children in learning math—an endeavor that not only validated my design approach but also garnered multiple accolades, fueling my passion further.

Now, as a User Experience Designer at Google, I'm driven by the challenge of integrating psychological insights into my designs daily. My aim is to craft experiences that are not just visually appealing and functional but also profoundly impactful, making a real difference in users’ lives.

In the future, I aspire to push the boundaries of design and psychology even further. My dream is to establish a design studio dedicated to fostering the next generation of designers, sharing my passion for creating meaningful and emotionally engaging user experiences. Through this, I hope to inspire a new wave of creative thinkers who appreciate the delicate interplay between aesthetics and the human psyche.

From a young age, I was inherently curious about the world around me. Whenever I observed the subtle changes of light and shadow on different objects, or how colors flowed and transformed freely in nature, my heart filled with wonder and joy.

This natural love for beauty drew me irresistibly towards the art of painting. I remember once coming across a painting in a magazine where the characters had such rich and vivid expressions; in that moment, I felt as if I could understand their emotions and stories, and I was utterly captivated.

This passion for painting seamlessly translated into an exploration of human behavior and psychology. I began to realize that art was not only a medium to express beauty but also a bridge for understanding and communicating human emotions. This insight made me choose psychology as my major in college without hesitation—I wanted to delve deeper into the inner workings and behavioral patterns of people.

During my university years, I was introduced to user experience design, a field that perfectly melded my two passions: art and psychology. I discovered that through design, I could translate my understanding of human behavior into tangible product designs that were not only aesthetically pleasing but also functionally met users’ deeper needs. This revelation clearly defined my career path going forward.

My natural affinity for beauty, my persistent pursuit of painting, and my thorough exploration of human behavior together shaped my decision to become a designer. Throughout my design career, I have consistently strived to create work that not only touches people’s hearts but is also practical and efficient, hoping to make the world a better place through my designs.

In my career as a user experience designer, I am responsible for leading design projects that ensure our solutions are both aesthetically pleasing and practical while optimizing the user experience. Beyond my day-to-day work, I also serve as the design lead for my personal project, MindMender, a platform focused on mental health that combines advanced AI technology with deep user experience insights to provide innovative mental health support and solutions.

As the design lead, my role involves guiding our design team through every step from conceptualization to product realization. Our goal is to create an intuitive and engaging platform that allows users easy access to a variety of mental health tools. This includes AI-driven psychological analyses, AI-assisted journaling tools, and a smart recommendation system that suggests the most suitable therapists and mental health programs based on specific user needs.

Additionally, I collaborate closely with the technical team to ensure our design solutions integrate seamlessly into the existing technological architecture. By integrating with devices like the Apple Watch, we utilize biometric data to further personalize the user experience, providing more accurate mental health support.

Through the MindMender project, I am able to apply my design expertise to a truly meaningful area, driving innovation and accessibility in mental health services and helping more people maintain and enhance their mental well-being in an effective and affordable way. This project reflects my professional ethos and commitment to societal contribution, aiming to improve people's quality of life through the power of design.

To me, “design” is more than just creating aesthetically pleasing objects or interfaces; it’s a method of problem-solving, a means of communication, and a way to impact the world. Design permeates every aspect of our lives, from simple household products to complex services and systems. At its core, design is about meeting user needs and enhancing user experiences.

I view design as a profound blend of art and science. As designers, we must consider not only the appearance and functionality of a product but also deeply understand and empathize with the feelings and needs of the users. This involves an intensive study and analysis of user behaviors and the psychological and emotional dynamics they experience when interacting with a product or service.

Furthermore, design is a responsibility to me. As creators, we have the opportunity to influence people’s daily lives and long-term well-being through our work. This demands that we maintain ethical and sustainable considerations in our design process, ensuring that our designs are not only effective and appealing but also socially and environmentally responsible.

In summary, design is a powerful tool that can inspire innovation, foster understanding, connect diverse people and ideas, and drive societal progress. This is why I love design and why it motivates me to strive for excellence as a designer.

My favorite kind of design is emotional design, which closely aligns with persuasive design. This approach to design emphasizes creating products that not only fulfill users' overt needs but also resonate with them on a deeper emotional level. Emotional design is about crafting experiences that elicit specific feelings and make meaningful connections with the user, ultimately influencing their perceptions and behaviors.

What draws me to emotional design is its ability to discover and address needs that users themselves may not have explicitly noticed. By understanding and influencing emotions, we can guide users toward behaviors that enhance their interaction with the product. For example, a well-designed app might not only simplify a task but also make the process enjoyable, thereby encouraging continued use and deeper engagement.

Furthermore, emotional design taps into the power of aesthetics to affect how users feel about a product from the first interaction. This type of design goes beyond functionality and usability; it creates an experience that users find inherently valuable and satisfying. This is especially crucial in today's market, where emotional connection can distinguish a brand and build lasting user loyalty.

In essence, emotional design intertwines the practical with the profound, making everyday interactions not just easier but also more rewarding. It’s this blend of function and feeling that makes emotional design not just effective but truly transformative.

To me, a “good” design primarily needs to be functional and practical, ensuring that users can interact with the product intuitively without encountering obstacles. However, functionality alone is not sufficient; an excellent design also needs to possess aesthetic value, appealing to users visually and resonating with them on an emotional level.

A “good” design should be user-centric, consistently prioritizing the needs and experiences of the users. This means that designers need to deeply understand their target audience, including their habits, needs, constraints, and motivations. Design solutions should be crafted based on these insights to optimize the user experience.

Additionally, a good design should be sustainable, considering its environmental impact. It should utilize sustainable materials and technologies to minimize ecological footprints. Simultaneously, good design should also be scalable, capable of adapting and evolving with market and technological advancements.

Lastly, a good design should be inclusive, serving a wide range of users, including those with different abilities, cultural backgrounds, and socio-economic conditions. This inclusive design approach helps create a more equitable and open societal environment.

In summary, a good design is not just visually attractive or technologically advanced; it is a comprehensive solution that enhances user experience while being practical, promotes environmental sustainability, and serves a broader societal demographic.

My design philosophy can be encapsulated by the mantra: “Simplify the complex; reveal the essential.” This approach to design is not just about stripping away the unnecessary—it’s about uncovering the elegance of simplicity through a meticulous alchemy of design. Here’s how my style manifests:

Elegance in Simplicity: I believe that true elegance in design comes from the ability to simplify without losing essence. My designs don’t shout; they whisper, offering a refined simplicity that speaks volumes about functionality and beauty intertwined.

Intuitive Connections: Every element in my designs is a verse in a larger narrative, crafted to guide the user effortlessly from one point to another. Like a well-written story, my designs lead users on a journey where each interaction feels natural and preordained.

Invisible Complexity: The art of my design lies in making the complex invisible. I spend countless hours orchestrating the intricate ballet behind the scenes so that the user interface presents a serene and uncomplicated façade. This hidden complexity ensures that simplicity reigns for the user.

Microscopic Attention to Detail: In my world, details are not just details; they are the heroes of the user experience. I dive deep into the micro-elements—textures, colors, typography—to ensure that every pixel plays its part in creating a harmonious whole.

User-Centric Innovation: My pursuit of simplicity is always grounded in the user’s reality. I innovate within the realms of their needs and desires, transforming traditional interactions into new, streamlined experiences that resonate on a personal level.

Functional Poetry: I view each design project as a piece of poetry—each line, each pause has a function, contributing to the overall impact of the poem. My design style seeks not just to solve problems but to do so with rhythm and harmony, turning everyday interactions into moments of delight.

This design philosophy isn’t just about making things easier to use; it’s about creating moments of clarity and joy in the mundane, elevating the everyday with designs that speak softly yet profoundly.

My design process is profoundly influenced by my background in psychology, placing a strong emphasis on conducting detailed user research at various stages:

Initial Insights: Before starting any project, I delve into comprehensive user research, including interviews, observations, and surveys, to deeply understand the behaviors, needs, and psychological states of users.

Ongoing User Research: Throughout each phase of the design, I continue to gather user data and feedback using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This ongoing research helps validate design assumptions and refine directions based on real user insights.

Rapid Prototyping and Testing: By creating quick prototypes, I test design concepts in real-user settings to collect immediate feedback and make iterative adjustments.

In-depth User Testing: As the design nears completion, more thorough user testing is conducted, including usability tests and emotional response evaluations, to ensure the design meets practical usability and emotional needs of the users.

Evaluation and Optimization: After the product launch, I continuously monitor and conduct follow-up user research to assess the effectiveness of the design and user satisfaction. This allows for further optimizations based on user acceptance and feedback.

By consistently integrating user research into the design process, I ensure that the final product not only meets functional expectations but also resonates emotionally with users, providing a truly meaningful user experience. This approach allows me to apply psychological principles effectively in real-world product design, making my work more forward-thinking and applicable.

This cultural background not only shapes my aesthetic views but also deeply impacts my design process:

Focus on Detail and Harmony: Chinese culture emphasizes balance and harmony, which inspires me to seek equilibrium in visual elements, color use, and layout in my designs, creating work that is both beautiful and functional.

Significance of Symbolism: In Chinese culture, many elements carry rich symbolic meanings. I often incorporate these culturally symbolic elements into my designs to enhance their cultural depth and emotional connection.

Narrative Quality: Traditional Chinese art excels at conveying emotions through storytelling. Similarly, I like to guide the user experience with stories, allowing users to feel the progression of a narrative and emotional shifts as they interact with the product.

Simplicity and Subtlety: Influenced by traditional Chinese aesthetics, I favor creating designs that are simple but not simplistic. This style emphasizes expressing complex meanings through minimalist lines and forms without excessive decoration.

In conclusion, China’s cultural heritage not only provides a wellspring of inspiration and creativity but also enables me to better integrate the aesthetic and emotional needs of Chinese users into my design practice, creating designs that resonate deeply with users.

Thank you! Winning the 2024 MUSE Design Awards is a tremendous honor that holds deep personal significance for me. This recognition is not just a validation of my skills and creativity as a designer but also a testament to the passion and dedication I pour into every project.

Receiving this award distinction reaffirms my commitment to blending aesthetic beauty with practical functionality in ways that resonate deeply with users. It serves as a powerful motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in design, exploring new ideas, and innovating within the field.

Moreover, this award is a milestone that encourages me to uphold the standards of excellence and continue to grow. It inspires me to further my exploration into how design can impact lives positively, integrating cultural insights and psychological understanding to create more meaningful and effective user experiences.

In essence, this recognition is both a tremendous honor and a reminder of the responsibility I have to contribute positively to the design community and to the users who interact with my work.

My award-winning project, "Mindmender," is a mental health platform with a strong focus on social impact, designed to improve mental health through the use of artificial intelligence.

Mindmender utilizes advanced AI algorithms to monitor users' emotional states and provide personalized mental health advice and support, aiming to reduce the social costs associated with mental health issues and increase public awareness and understanding of these matters.

I chose Mindmender as my entry for the MUSE Design Awards because it highlights both innovation in design and a sense of social responsibility within the mental health sector. The project is not only technologically innovative but also addresses a significant social issue—global mental health challenges.

In designing Mindmender, I conducted extensive user research to deeply understand the mental health needs of diverse user groups, integrating these insights into every aspect of the product.

Additionally, Mindmender is designed with a focus on usability and accessibility, ensuring that all users, regardless of age, background, or technical ability, can benefit from it. By providing such a platform, we hope to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and make seeking help a universally accepted and normalized action.

By participating, I aim to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and encourage further research and discussion in this field. Winning this award is a recognition of our efforts to innovate in design and make a social impact, as well as an affirmation of the potential societal value of the Mindmender project.

Addressing the broad spectrum of mental health conditions with a single platform like Mindmender posed a complex challenge. Each mental health condition, whether it’s depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, manifests differently across individuals and requires uniquely tailored approaches for effective management and support.

The difficulty lies in the intricate nature of mental health symptoms which are often subtle, highly variable, and deeply personal. For instance, the symptoms of depression can range from persistent sadness and fatigue to more severe manifestations like a complete lack of motivation or profound existential despair. Designing a platform that can accurately identify and differentiate these symptoms, then provide appropriate interventions, requires a sophisticated understanding of psychological diagnostics.

Moreover, mental health needs can be influenced by a plethora of factors including age, cultural background, personal history, and even socioeconomic status. For example, the way mental health issues are perceived and expressed in one culture can be vastly different from another, necessitating a culturally sensitive approach in both the assessment tools and the therapeutic content provided by the platform.

To tackle these challenges, our team had to engage in extensive research, collaborating closely with psychologists, psychiatrists, and cultural experts. We developed a diverse set of user personas to simulate a wide range of mental health scenarios and conducted multiple rounds of user testing to ensure the platform’s algorithms were sensitive and adaptive to the nuances of different conditions.

Implementing AI to intelligently parse through this complex, nuanced data and making informed decisions about user care added another layer of complexity. The AI had to be trained on vast datasets that accurately reflect the global diversity of mental health conditions, ensuring it could provide personalized, culturally relevant support without bias.

Overall, crafting a platform capable of addressing such a wide array of mental health needs was not only a technical challenge but also a deeply human one, requiring a balance of empathy, scientific understanding, and innovative technological application.

Winning has had a significant impact on both my personal and professional development. Here are a few key ways it has helped to advance my practice and career:

Increased Visibility: Winning the award has significantly raised my profile in the design community and beyond. It has led to greater visibility of my work, attracting attention from potential clients, collaborators, and the media. This exposure is invaluable as it opens up new opportunities for partnerships and projects.

Validation of Skills and Creativity: The recognition from a prestigious award serves as a strong validation of my skills and creative approach to design. It confirms that my work is not only effective but also innovative and resonant on an international scale. This validation has boosted my confidence and encouraged me to pursue even more ambitious projects.

Motivation to Innovate: Winning the award has motivated me to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in design. It serves as an inspiration to keep innovating and improving my craft, ensuring that my future projects are even more impactful and successful.

Overall, winning the MUSE Design Award has been a pivotal moment in my career, providing numerous benefits that have propelled my professional growth and expanded the reach and impact of my work.

Endless Problem Solving: I love that in design, every day feels like a puzzle that’s missing half the pieces. You get to be both the detective and the artist, figuring out what’s missing, and then making it look amazing. It keeps you on your toes—one minute you’re a creative genius, the next you’re wondering why your pixel is misaligned by 0.001mm. But hey, that’s the thrill of it, right?

The Power to Make Life Easier (or just cooler): There’s something magical about the fact that as designers, we get to make things work and look cool at the same time.

Whether it's a sleek app that makes everyone feel like a tech wizard or a button so perfectly placed it deserves an award of its own, it’s satisfying to think, “I made that easier and cooler.” Sometimes I wonder if this is the closest thing to having superpowers—minus the cape, unfortunately.

The Creative Chaos: The design world is like living in a whirlwind of post-it notes, sketches, coffee cups, and Adobe error messages. But amidst all the chaos, there’s a wonderful community of people who somehow get it.

They understand the pain of kerning and celebrate the tiny victories, like when you find the perfect shade of blue. It’s a weird, wonderful tribe where everyone’s a perfectionist with a side of quirk—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

These are the things that keep me hooked—solving impossible puzzles, making things look effortlessly cool, and the crazy creative camaraderie. It’s never boring, that’s for sure!

As a Chinese designer working in the States, being part of a minority group has made me more attuned to diversity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity in design. Growing up with a rich cultural heritage and now working in a different environment, I’ve learned how important it is to design for a wide range of users, especially those who are often underrepresented.

China’s unique design traditions, which emphasize balance, harmony, and the importance of subtle details, have deeply influenced my approach. But working in the United States, I’ve had to merge this traditional mindset with the fast-paced, innovative, and often bold design culture here. This blend gives me a broader perspective when approaching design problems, allowing me to create solutions that are not only visually appealing but also culturally relevant and inclusive.

Being part of a minority group in the design industry has heightened my awareness of how different cultural backgrounds and experiences shape the way people interact with products. I’m more mindful of designing for all users, considering factors such as accessibility, cultural differences, and the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities. This perspective helps me create designs that not only look good but also serve diverse user needs in meaningful ways.

In short, my background as a Chinese designer working here allows me to bring a blend of traditional design values and modern innovation, while my experience as part of a minority group pushes me to always think about inclusivity and representation in my work. This, I believe, is what makes my design approach truly unique.

Over the next 5-10 years, I see the design industry evolving in several exciting and impactful ways:

AI and Automation Integration: AI and automation will continue to play a larger role in the design process. From tools that assist in rapid prototyping to AI-driven user research and data analysis, designers will have more powerful resources at their fingertips.

However, the human touch—creativity and empathy—will remain irreplaceable, meaning designers will need to balance AI's efficiency with emotional intelligence and storytelling.

Hyper-Personalization: With more data available about users’ preferences and behaviors, the future of design will focus heavily on creating hyper-personalized experiences.

Designs will adapt to individual users in real-time, whether it’s through customizable interfaces, tailored content, or responsive user experiences that evolve with the user’s needs.

My biggest piece of advice for students or aspiring designers is embrace curiosity and never stop learning. The design industry is always evolving, so staying open to new trends, tools, and technologies is key. Don’t be afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of what’s possible, even if it feels outside of your comfort zone—that’s where the best ideas are often born.

Focus on solving real problems. Design isn’t just about making things look beautiful; it’s about creating solutions that improve people’s lives. Dive deep into understanding user needs, conduct thorough research, and be empathetic toward the challenges your users face. Great design always starts with understanding the people you’re designing for.

Develop a strong portfolio that showcases not just the finished product, but your thought process. Employers and award judges want to see how you approach problems and how you’ve arrived at your solutions. Document your journey from research and ideation to prototyping and testing, highlighting how your design choices reflect real insights and user feedback.

If I had to recommend two essential reads for anyone looking to improve their design skills, they would be:

"The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman – This book was one of my early inspirations and remains a must-read for anyone interested in human-centered design. It offers invaluable insights into understanding user behavior, and how to create intuitive, functional designs that truly serve the people interacting with them. It’s an excellent foundation for anyone looking to grasp the psychology behind effective design.

"Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug – This is another foundational book that shaped my approach to web usability and intuitive design. Krug’s simple, yet profound, advice on making things as easy as possible for users has become a guiding principle in my work.

This book is perfect for understanding the critical role usability plays in web and product design, ensuring that users can navigate without friction. These two books laid the groundwork for my understanding of design and are a fantastic starting point for anyone aiming to improve their skills in the design industry.

My pet cat has a unique way of teaching me something important about UX design. Most of the time, she’s a picture of calm—lounging in the sun, totally content.

But then, out of nowhere, she’ll launch into these sudden bursts of energy, sprinting through the house, leaping onto furniture, and darting around as if she’s on a mission. It’s chaotic and unpredictable, but that’s where I see an interesting lesson for UX design.

In UX, we often aim for consistency and predictability—users expect a smooth, reliable experience. But sometimes, those sudden bursts of creativity or unexpected moments are what truly engage users. Much like my cat’s unpredictable energy makes her more intriguing, adding small, surprising elements of delight in UX can turn a functional product into something memorable.

Think of the little animations, micro-interactions, or playful features that catch users off guard in a good way—those are the “crazy cat moments” in design that keep users engaged.

What I’ve also learned from my cat is the importance of balance. While those moments of delight are crucial, they need to be used sparingly. Just as my cat eventually returns to her calm, predictable state, UX design should primarily remain intuitive and easy to navigate, giving users a sense of control.

Too many surprises or bursts of creativity can overwhelm and frustrate users. So, just like with my cat, it’s about knowing when to inject that burst of energy to captivate users and when to return to simplicity and consistency to keep the experience smooth.

In short, my cat’s behavior has shown me that while consistency in UX is important, those well-timed moments of unexpected delight can elevate a design from good to unforgettable.

My key to success lies in curiosity and adaptability. I’ve always been driven by a sense of curiosity—constantly asking questions, exploring new ideas, and staying open to learning from every experience. Design, especially UX design, is about understanding people and the ever-changing world we live in. Staying curious keeps you in tune with users’ evolving needs and helps you anticipate where things are going.

But curiosity alone isn’t enough; it needs to be paired with adaptability. The design industry moves fast, with new tools, trends, and technologies emerging all the time. The ability to adapt and evolve—whether it’s learning a new skill, embracing a different perspective, or pivoting your approach—has been crucial for my growth as a designer. Flexibility is the key to navigating challenges and staying relevant.

As for parting words of wisdom: Don’t be afraid to fail. Some of my best ideas came after initial failures, and each setback taught me something valuable. In design, failure isn’t the end—it’s part of the creative process. Embrace the mistakes, learn from them, and use them to fuel your next iteration.

Lastly, always design with empathy. At the core of every successful design is a deep understanding of and connection to the user. Keep people at the center of your process, and your work will resonate on a much deeper level.