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I am a UX designer with a background in social science research and business development. I advocate humanizing user interface to achieve both user goals and business goals.
In my previous life, I was an anthropologist, perpetually asking "naïve" questions in an attempt to understand human interactions in their socio-cultural context. These days I am in the field of digital world and asking probing questions to understand user needs and pains in their own course of actions.
Exiting academia, I spent years working in customer facing front - from barista to visual merchandising, operations management to membership services and development - and is where I learned how inefficient, poorly-designed user flow and interface could cost the business and productivity. I found myself advocating for better understanding of the users and coming up with creative solutions to save time, money and headache. I was "accidentally" pushed into user-centered design, aka, UX.
I'm based in Alberta, Canada, but originally from Wuhan, a city known for its heat and breakfast before the 2020 pandemic. Influenced by my art-loving parents, I was taught sketching and drawing, perspectives and the magic of light. I still find my sanctuary with a pen and paper these days, while Figma has become my new happy place.
I find UX design is a sweet spot where I can enjoy both the discipline of research and the creativity of design.
Patterns are the physical embodiment of the behaviors we’re trying to encourage or enable through the interface.
Kholmatova, Alla. Design Systems (Smashing eBooks) (p. 54). Smashing Media AG. Kindle Edition.