Hi, I'm Yan

šŸ‘‹ I use design to solve problems and to bring delights to users.

I am a multi-disciplinary designer with 5+ years of experience building and launching digital products, specializing in SaaS products and UI/UX for emerging technologies: Web3, Blockchain, and AI-Powered products. My diverse portfolio also spans on the industry of AR/VR, E-commerce, Education, Finance, and Data analytics, highlighting my adaptability as a design generalist.

In my role as the first design hire and subsequent design lead in various startups, I established the design direction and led teams to build compelling user experiences from the ground up, setting the tone for future design endeavors. As a visionary with lots of ideas, I have a full stack ability to transform concepts into reality. My strength lies in transforming complex concepts into simple resonate designs and offering cross-disciplinary solutions.

Employment

Senior Product Designer

Validation Cloud, Full-time, Remote

June 2023 - Present

First hire in design role and lead to build first UI/UX of all products across platforms.

Product Designer

Shulex VOC.AI, Contract, Remote

April 2023 - June 2023

Core designer for website and UX foundation.

Product Designer

RECUR, Full-time, Remote

June 2022 - May 2023

First and lead designer for RECUR Builder.

Freelance Projects

Product Designer

Singularity Lab, CITIC Press Group, Contract, 2021

Solo Designer responsible for the design of the tablet and mobile app experience for the Visual Dictionary of Chinese Cultural Icons.

Product Designer

Visualpathy, Contract, 2017

Sole Designer for VR Art Exhibition Room.

Designer-Founder

100DAS, Self-employee, 2015-2018

Found the digital experience spanning design, business development, and marketing.

Education

Rhode Island School of Design

2012 - 2014

MS, Landscape Architecture

Central Academy of Fine Arts

2007-2012

BA, Architecture

A little more about me :)

I started my career in the architecture industry (see my architectural portfolio). In 2016, I volunteered with Perkins Eastmanā€™s innovative lab project Greenlineā€”a plan to convert Broadway into a linear park from 19th Street to 23rd Streetā€”and we presented the plan to the public using VR technology. This experience sparked my shift into product design.
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Outside of work, Iā€™m a sci-fi fan who loves hiking, playing video games, and exploring new restaurants. Growing up in a subtropical region in China where it never snowed, I now love living in places with distinct seasons šŸŒøā„ļøšŸ. I speak Mandarin, English, and Hakka (an endangered language), and during vacations, youā€™ll find me traveling to try new cuisines, or exploring galleries and museums.

Skills + Tools

A generalistā€™s palette: bridging business, design and development

Product Design

UIUX Design, Prototyping, Wireframes, Usability Test, User Research, Interview & Survey, Information Architecture, Design System

Website Design and Development

Figma, Webflow, Framer, Squarespace, WordPress

Coding

HTML, CSS

Design Research

Benchmark Analytics, A/B Testing, Cognitive Mapping, Design Charettes, Experience Prototyping, Participatory Design, Persona Building, Storyboarding, User Journey Mapping.

Visual Design

Branding + Identity, AIGC, Illustration

BD and Marketing Materials

Pitch Decks, Slides, Email Templates, Brochures, Social Medial Graphics and Ads

Let's Talk

Interested in what you see? Shoot me an email.