Yixuan Song, a UX Designer at Google, integrates psychological insights into her designs to create meaningful user experiences. Jiahui Yu, a UX Designer with four years of experience across healthcare, education, e-commerce, and more, thrives on understanding diverse user needs. Together, they created MindMender, an AI-powered platform making mental health care more personalized, accessible, and stigma-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yixuan<\/strong>: From the moment I could hold a crayon, the world around me transformed into a vibrant canvas. As a child, every wall in our home bore witness to my early experiments with color and form. My parents often found that each corner of our house became a silent testimony to moments of inspiration and emotion, capturing my unbounded creativity. This early love affair with beauty was a profound expression of my inner world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I matured, my curiosity naturally evolved toward understanding human behavior and emotions. This led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in psychology, seeking to decode the intricacies of human minds. During one of my lectures, a professor mentioned, “Design is not just an exhibition of art, but a practice of psychology.” This statement resonated deeply with me, igniting a passion to blend the art of design with the science of psychology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My journey into User Experience (UX) Design began serendipitously during my junior year of college when I attended a lecture on the impact of design on user behavior. The concept that design could profoundly influence how people interact with technology struck a chord with me. It felt as if all my interests had converged into a single, clear path forward\u2014creating designs that not only look beautiful but also resonate emotionally with users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This epiphany led me to Cornell University for a Master\u2019s degree in Information Science, specializing in UX. There, I immersed myself in learning design theories and practical skills while engaging in projects that bridged technology and human needs. One notable project involved developing an augmented reality app to aid children in learning math\u2014an endeavor that not only validated my design approach but also garnered multiple accolades, fueling my passion further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, as a User Experience Designer at Google, I’m driven by the challenge of integrating psychological insights into my designs daily. My aim is to craft experiences that are not just visually appealing and functional but also profoundly impactful, making a real difference in users\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the future, I aspire to push the boundaries of design and psychology even further. My dream is to establish a design studio dedicated to fostering the next generation of designers, sharing my passion for creating meaningful and emotionally engaging user experiences. Through this, I hope to inspire a new wave of creative thinkers who appreciate the delicate interplay between aesthetics and the human psyche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuanfei<\/strong>: My name is Jiahui, and I\u2019m a UX Designer with four years of experience. I love exploring different industries, and I\u2019ve worked on projects ranging from healthcare and education to back-end management, live streaming, and e-commerce. Tackling diverse fields allows me to understand varied user needs and motivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m passionate about observing the details around me and delving into the \u2018why\u2019 behind them\u2014like why ketchup bottles are designed with caps on the bottom or why ticket stubs are necessary on public transport. This curiosity drives me to approach design from a critical, inquisitive perspective, always looking for deeper insights that enhance the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q2. What made you become\/why did you choose to become a product designer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yixuan<\/strong>: Ever since I was a child, I’ve been utterly captivated by the magical world of cartoons and comic books. They weren’t just stories or drawings to me\u2014they were windows into a universe where anything was possible, where colors spoke louder than words, and where the underdog could always save the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I spent countless hours sketching my favorite characters and inventing my own, trying to capture their heroic feats and hilarious escapades on paper. These early artistic adventures were my first steps into the realm of design and art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One particular afternoon stands out in my memory: I was about eight years old, sitting on the floor of my room surrounded by crayons, and I had just finished a drawing of my dog as a superhero\u2014complete with a cape and flying goggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My mom came in, saw the drawing, and laughed in sheer delight. She asked if she could hang it on the fridge for all to see. That moment of shared joy, that simple act of hanging my art on the fridge, ignited something in me\u2014a desire not just to create but to connect with others through my creations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I grew older, this desire only deepened. I started to see art and design not just as a way to express myself, but as a powerful tool for communication, a way to bring smiles, provoke thought, and even inspire action. The decision to become a designer was a natural progression for me; it felt like the calling that had been whispering to me through all those years of doodling and dreaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, in a way, you could say that I chose to become a designer because of a superhero dog and a refrigerator door that served as my first gallery. It was there, in those playful sketches, that I found my passion for design\u2014a passion to create work that touches hearts, sparks imagination, and brings a bit of magic into the everyday. And honestly, who wouldn’t want to spend their life doing just that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jiahui<\/strong>: I chose to become a digital designer because I\u2019m passionate about connecting with people through thoughtful design and addressing real-world issues. With a natural curiosity about the world, I\u2019m drawn to the challenge of understanding users on a deeper level and finding creative solutions that truly resonate with their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve always believed that design is a powerful tool to simplify complex problems and improve lives in meaningful ways. The opportunity to work across various fields and explore diverse perspectives keeps me motivated, as each project lets me question assumptions, learn, and create tangible impact that contributes to a better world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q3, Tell us more about your business \/ company \/ job profile and what you do.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yixuan<\/strong>: In my career as a user experience designer, I am responsible for leading design projects that ensure our solutions are both aesthetically pleasing and practical while optimizing the user experience. Beyond my day-to-day work, I also serve as the design lead for my personal project, MindMender, a platform focused on mental health that combines advanced AI technology with deep user experience insights to provide innovative mental health support and solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the design lead, my role involves guiding our design team through every step from conceptualization to product realization. Our goal is to create an intuitive and engaging platform that allows users easy access to a variety of mental health tools. This includes AI-driven psychological analyses, AI-assisted journaling tools, and a smart recommendation system that suggests the most suitable therapists and mental health programs based on specific user needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, I collaborate closely with the technical team to ensure our design solutions integrate seamlessly into the existing technological architecture. By integrating with devices like the Apple Watch, we utilize biometric data to further personalize the user experience, providing more accurate mental health support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the MindMender project, I am able to apply my design expertise to a truly meaningful area, driving innovation and accessibility in mental health services and helping more people maintain and enhance their mental well-being in an effective and affordable way. This project reflects my professional ethos and commitment to societal contribution, aiming to improve people’s quality of life through the power of design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jiahui<\/strong>: As a UX Designer at Advantage Solutions, I work on solving a range of practical, real-world challenges. My role involves addressing specific user needs and refining experiences to make our solutions as effective and accessible as possible. Beyond my daily work, I\u2019m deeply passionate about social issues and often look for ways that design can positively impact society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe that good design can help address complex social topics, from mental health to inclusivity, and my goal is to create solutions that not only solve problems but also contribute to a broader understanding and empathy for diverse user needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n