As a user experience designer with over six years of experience, I am currently employed by a tech company that specializes in e-commerce solutions. My main focus is on solving intricate human problems by utilizing skills from various domains in order to create user experiences that are accessible, usable, and enjoyable. My decision to pursue a career in UX design was influenced by my passion for design and problem-solving, as well as my desire to assist others. I remain committed to this field because the seamless integration of technology and design enables me to make positive changes in the world and find tremendous satisfaction.
With expertise in engineering, linguistics, law, psychology, and design, I possess a versatile skillset that allows me to be a creative UX professional. In order to enhance the interaction between humans and technology as it continues to evolve, I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in HCI at Carnegie Mellon University.
At Focus Tech, a multinational Internet company, I advanced from being a User Research Intern to becoming a full-time Interaction Designer. Throughout my journey, I worked on notable projects and primarily focused on conducting comprehensive qualitative research for various user research initiatives.
My responsibilities included closely observing, studying, and analyzing the behaviors exhibited by buyers and sellers using our B2B platform worldwide. Subsequently, I transformed these valuable research insights into user experiences that could be universally applied.
In my research, I contributed to multiple product lines in the organization and identified significant problems that had an impact on key metrics related to business goals. Specifically, I observed how our Russian users completed task flows on our website using high-fidelity prototypes. By conducting usability tests and analyzing metrics such as click-through rate, NPS score, and bounce rate, I identified several usability issues. I then redesigned the website to improve user experiences and align with business goals. The research also revealed an information hierarchy issue, prompting the entire product team to reconsider the prioritization of elements on the webpage. To find the optimal solution, I collaborated with developers and conducted A/B tests during the redesign process.
As an experience designer, my adoption of an empathetic mindset successfully bridged the gap between target users, business requirements, and product implementation. This accomplishment resulted in a significant boost in the conversion rate, leading to a tenfold increase in revenues for sellers on the platform.
During my time at Baozun, a leading e-commerce company, I served as the team lead for a core SaaS project. Baozun specializes in providing omnichannel digital solutions for clients both domestically and internationally. As the UX design lead, I was involved in developing marketing plugins for Casaba, a web application that helps millions of small and mid-sized business owners operate e-shops on social media. My experience at Citrix Systems also contributed to my ability to create effective UX designs for complex enterprise-focused applications, particularly in the mobile workspace sector where virtualization and cloud technology were utilized. In addition to these responsibilities, I provided guidance and mentorship to several junior designers working on user interfaces for consumer-focused applications.
I was responsible for a business intelligence project that provided essential tools for our main brand clients to analyze data and create strategies. I developed interactive real-time data visualizations based on raw data by gathering requirements, conducting inquiry, and creating maps. The most challenging part of this process was making compromises due to tight deadlines, as we had an increase in users and constant feedback during the launch of a new product. However, by focusing on goals and user experiences, I effectively prioritized tasks and iterated designs within an agile environment.
Despite my efforts in this innovative project, there are several unanswered questions that need to be addressed for e-commerce. The rapid growth requires more features to support business analysis in complex scenarios. I am interested in researching these problems and similar ones during my graduate study. How can we intelligently organize and integrate information and data into one hub? How can we efficiently analyze and display them for users with different task flows through interactive design? What usability features and goals do we desire, and how much technical complexity is required to provide them?
My consulting experience with several global brands demonstrates my ability to solve complex problems. I have successfully led the UX design on impactful projects for clients in various industries. One example is my work with Gucci, an Italian luxury brand aiming to expand its market share and increase revenues in China. I provided design advice for multiple products with a large user base, focusing on improving the user experience for localization in the new market.
To achieve this, I redefined the registration and transaction flow for Gucci’s responsive website. This redesign resulted in significant improvements in key metrics. The bounce rate on registration decreased by 60%, and the conversion rate on checkout increased by 76%.
Furthermore, I also investigated several innovative products that incorporated “AR tryout” to explore novel strategies for promoting mobile applications. This presented a challenge in balancing technical complexity with user experience. I conducted a comprehensive evaluation of competing products and collaborated closely with the development team to shape design choices. To validate these designs, usability tests and A/B tests were performed. Contributing to the achievement of clients’ business objectives, optimizing interaction design, and resolving user pain points consistently inspires me to create improved user experiences and pursue personal growth.
Although I am immersed in the ever-changing business world and bound by rules in the technology field, my goal is to find a balance between myself and my surroundings. I navigate between Human-Centered Design and Conversion Centered Design, always mindful of my role as a design evangelist – improving people’s lives and enhancing their happiness by creating powerful tools for a more inclusive future. For instance, when designing web-based products, I devote extra effort to address accessibility issues such as low contrast ratio, missing alt-text on images, and unclear form controls for screen readers or other assistive devices. This ensures that my designs can reach a wider audience. Accessible experiences are not only crucial for some, but also beneficial for all individuals.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Chinese citizens must present a Health Code on their smartphones to determine if they should undergo quarantine or access public spaces. This presents a particular difficulty for older individuals who lack familiarity with technology. As an advocate for accessibility, I am enthusiastic about investigating how design and technology can improve the lives of more individuals and ensure equitable information access.
I have a strong belief in constant improvement and living a balanced life filled with enthusiasm. With time, my passion and dedication to design have grown as I’ve gained experience in user research, user experience design, and the necessary technical skills for developing software products on various platforms. Alongside my role as a UX designer, I’ve also conducted workshops to advocate for specific design choices and shared my knowledge with my team. Being a quick learner, I actively engage in the design community to stay up-to-date on current trends and acquire new technical skills that will prepare me for future technological advancements.
While my main focus is front-end development, I also take online courses to explore other technical possibilities like Unity. This helps me understand the different uses of interactive design in various fields.
In today’s fast-changing technology landscape, I frequently face challenges that need immediate attention. Because of this, I am excited to investigate how human-computer interaction, psychology, computing, and potentially other disciplines intersect to improve user experiences.
To achieve this goal, I am fully committed to pursuing a comprehensive education through a formal graduate program. Doing so will allow me to update my mindset and skills while gaining global perspectives and expanding my professional network in the design and technology industry.
In addition, I intend to enhance my professional growth and get ready for a managerial position by pursuing a master’s degree. This will allow me to extend the impact of design within the organization and its surroundings, all while staying committed to my aspirations and purpose as a designer.
I am interested in the Master of Human-Computer Interaction (MHCI) program at Carnegie Mellon University because it incorporates engineering, linguistics, and user experience design. I have high expectations for this program and trust that it will exceed them. Furthermore, I value the university’s proficiency in computer science and user-centered design.
The works of the faculty at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute have deeply impressed me. Specifically, John Zimmerman’s research on Interaction with Intelligent Systems, Jeffrey Bigham’s focus on Accessibility Design, Jodi Forlizzi’s expertise in Educational Games, and Jessica Hammer’s work on the Psychology of Games are truly remarkable. I strongly believe that this program will greatly assist me in pursuing my future goals and open up paths that I might not have otherwise discovered.
Having the opportunity to study at one of the world’s most prestigious universities alongside experts who share similar interests would be an immense honor for me.
