I like understanding how other people see the world.
That's what keeps me interested in product design: asking questions, understanding someone else's experience, and imagining what could make it better. I started my career in user experience design, and I still enjoy the detective work. What's really happening here? What are we assuming? What haven't we understood yet?
Being gay and part of a minority has shaped that perspective. It has taught me that my experience isn't everyone else's, and that something familiar to one person can feel very different to another. I bring that awareness into my work. Before deciding what someone needs, I want to understand how they see the situation.
My mom gave me another influence. She acted in movies as a child, and she's a wonderful storyteller. She can make the most ordinary moment funny, surprising, and worth listening to. I think some of that rubbed off on me: an appreciation for an interesting angle, a little humor, and the power of a story to help someone see something differently.
Design brings those interests together. Research gives me a way to understand people. Storytelling helps me share what I've learned and make a possible future tangible to a team. Then comes the part I also love: working together to turn that possibility into something people can use.
I care about the communities I'm part of.
Outside work, my curiosity has found a home in Café Philo @ Bay Area, where I've hosted public conversations about ideas and issues that matter to our Taiwanese American community. I enjoy hearing how people with different experiences approach the same question. A conversation often becomes more interesting when someone sees it differently.
Making room for people also matters to me beyond conversation. Through Taiwanese Americans for Equality, I helped organize a San Francisco rally supporting marriage equality in Taiwan, bringing together more than 600 participants. I also organized our participation in San Francisco Pride.
That care extends to Mountain View, where I live. I attended the Mountain View Leadership Academy because I wanted to understand how local government works. It helped me see how I could participate as a resident: get involved in committees, speak at meetings, and contribute my perspective to decisions affecting our community.
Curiosity follows me away from the screen.
I play piano, love to cook, and enjoy pickleball and climbing. I'm always up for a good conversation, especially one that takes an unexpected turn. With friends, that might mean going from everyday life to debating how we define existence.
