My Design Philosophy
Design shapes every aspect of our lives. Therefore, I believe that designers should strive to be ethical, inclusive, and empathetic. We all have blind spots, unconscious biases, and unique viewpoints, so it’s crucial to remove the focus from ourselves and instead focus on understanding the user and the problem that requires a solution.
As a designer, I strive to mitigate biases by deeply understanding users' needs and experiences with a product. I believe in adapting our methods to fit each unique challenge rather than adhering to a rigid process for the sake of following procedure. Every problem demands a tailored approach, and a clear understanding of the problem is essential to delivering an effective solution.
My Product Design Journey
My career mission has always been to make a positive impact on people’s lives, which initially led me to major in education. Education is a deeply human-centered field that shares many principles essential for effective product design.
As a teacher, I honed my ability to critically assess how students engaged with and utilized the material. I used research and testing to guide my decisions, developed learning environments tailored to my students’ needs, and designed lessons and materials to support their unique requirements. My experience teaching across diverse environments in the US, China, and Korea broadened my perspective and prepared me for new challenges.
Product design, like teaching, is an iterative process with the potential for significant impact. With the world becoming increasingly digital, I was inspired to transition into product design, where my passion for creating can be applied in new and meaningful ways. As a designer, I strive to develop accessible, ethical, and inclusive products that provide both value and delight to users.
My Values
1. Be compassionate.
2. Cultivate self-awareness and self-discipline.
3. Be a lifelong learner.
4. Strive for continuous improvement.
5. Live life on your own terms.
6. Celebrate diversity and differences.
7. Seek first to understand.
8. Welcome failure and the lessons that come from it.
9. Make an effort to live a holistically healthy life.
10. Be kind to yourself and others.
11. Leave a positive impact.
12. Choose courage over fear.
13. Lift others up.
14. Be authentic.
15. Introspect instead of judging others.
16. Keep your commitments.
17. Learn from the past; live in the present; prepare for the future.
18. Truth is better than ignorance.
19. Invest in building and maintaining healthy relationships.
20. Enjoy life.
