Finding my place as a first-gen Asian American
Growing up in California, my family would travel back and forth between California and Taiwan to visit our extended family. This exposure expanded my worldview, igniting a desire to explore even more. In 2012, I packed my bags and flew across the country from California to Rhode Island to pursue studies in Industrial Design.
There, I experienced culture shock. However, this transformative experience motivated me to become a Cultural Programmer on campus, organizing events that brought diverse communities together – including an outdoor night market where students cooked and shared food from their hometowns.
My dual identity has cultivated a deep appreciation for people's differences. Through design, I've found a means to forge connections through empathy, filling a gap that existed during my upbringing.
Transitioning from Industrial to UX design
A few years after school, my interest in healthcare sparked. Experiencing some health issues—perhaps from pulling too many all-nighters—I became curious about improving the patient experience.
At the time, I came across a healthcare startup that was working on launching a digital product for patients to order at-home test kits and access their health reports online. This saved them around 2-3 hours of hospital trips.
Since then, I’ve continued to use design as a way to streamline outdated methods and humanize fast-growing technology.