Where it all began
I grew up in China and later moved to the U.S. to study Environmental Sciences and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) at the University of Minnesota. Looking back, maps were my first experience designing complex, large-scale information into clear and intuitive visual representations.
The lightbulb moment
After graduation, I joined Esri—the leader in the GIS space—as a Product Engineer. Working closely with the team’s product designer introduced me to user experience design and sparked my growing interest in the field. This marked the beginning of my design journey. I began learning foundational product design skills, and the more I learned, the more passionate became about design.
Taking the leap
After our team at Esri lost the designer, I proactively stepped in to support design needs. As I led more initiatives end to end—from research and prototyping to testing and QA—I earned the team’s trust and eventually led the design of the cross-platform mobile map apps.
New territory
In 2022, I left Esri and joined Roofstock as a product designer, drawn by my interest in real estate. In the fast-paced startup environment, I led the end-to-end design of two core enterprise web app products for agents and investors, accelerating investment decision-making.
The intentional pause
Post-pandemic, the slowdown in the real estate market led to a company reorganization, and I was laid off from Roofstock.
Rather than rushing into the next role, I chose to slow down. I traveled, spent time with family in China, and earned my California real estate license—experiencing what it's like to be on the other side of the products I design.
During this time, I also immersed myself in AI, staying close to where design and technology are headed.
What's next
During my time away from design, I kept coming back to what I missed most: the craft, the collaboration, and watching a complex workflow finally click for users. That pull brought me back. Now I'm ready for the next chapter.
