Growing up in Carmel Indiana, I’ve always loved everything related to art and design. As a kid, I constantly drew fanart for my favorite media and doodled on my homework. I was also a shy kid who grew up on my computer, fascinated by how online communities form and come together across the world. When it came time to apply for college, I wasn’t exactly sure of what my interests in art, technology, and psychology meant for me career-wise as they were seemingly disparate. But I eventually found the UX Design major at Purdue, which seemed like the perfect intersection of all of my passions. I wasn’t exactly sure what “user experience” entailed, but it seemed cool enough!

Since graduating from the program in 2024, I’ve grown so much as a person and in my passion for digital design. I love how the field focuses on critical engagement with community. I love being able to create beautiful, intuitive, accessible designs based on feedback from real people. While pushing pixels to create art is fun on its own, I aspire to create change and make a difference with my designs, too. Post-graduation, I interned at CICP, an Indy nonprofit, as a UI/UX designer; I enjoyed the feeling of contributing to a greater purpose so much that my career goal moving forward became to either work for a nonprofit or a design agency that partners with nonprofits.

Meeting 1909 

In my search for a full-time job, I was fortunate to come across Brittney’s LinkedIn post hiring for the role of “Digital Design Specialist.” This position seemed perfect for my skill set after a discouraging few months, although I hadn’t heard of 1909 nor did I understand the significance of the year in the agency name. When I checked out 1909 DIGITAL’s website and story, I learned something new about Indy: its historical commitment to being a “No Mean” and inclusive city. 1909 DIGITAL was a marketing agency aligning with my values and working with nonprofits, so I felt my designs would be right at home and have a greater purpose.

Now that I’m one month into working with 1909, I can confidently say my feeling was right! Working at an agency feels fun and just the right amount of fast-paced, and I feel supported by everyone on the team. I’m so excited to continue learning and growing as a designer here.

Outside of Work

Even after graduating, I consider myself an eternal student. I love polishing my UX/UI design skills and learning from the real people who use my designs. When I’m not working, my favorite creative outlets are creating digital illustrations and painting. I also love gaming, reading, and most things nerd-related.

Fun facts

• I’m Chinese-American, still trying my best to learn Mandarin!
• My favorite games right now are Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cult of the Lamb
• My MBTI is INFP
• I went to the UK for a study abroad UX digital civics program, and my favorite thing was seeing a fluffy highland cow!