I am an observant and sensitive individual. Art has taught me the importance of composition, balance, and storytelling—skills I integrate seamlessly into UX design. Both fields require a deep understanding of human emotion and behavior, whether evoking a response through art or designing intuitive, user-centered experiences.
As a UX designer, I find inspiration through books on UX design, marketing, and leadership. These fields overlap in fascinating ways, and I’ve discovered that insights from one often enrich my understanding of the others.
<Purple Cow> Seth Godin, <Start With Why> Simon Sinek, <Don't Make Me Think> Steve Krug, <Sprint> Jake Knapp
However, my greatest inspiration comes from fiction. Stories have a unique power to illuminate the depths of human behavior, helping me understand how people think, act, and respond to the world around them. Fiction teaches me about perspective—how characters see the world differently based on their motivations, challenges, and backgrounds.
<The Road> Cormac McCarthy, <Story of Your Life> Ted Chiang, <The Corrections> Jonathan Franzen, <The Sense of an Ending> Julian Barnes
I’m a designer with a diverse background, including an opportunity to run a small café in downtown San Jose several years ago. When I took over the business, it was losing money, but I successfully transformed it into a profitable venture.
From the moment I first visited the café as a guest, I noticed critical issues that were holding the business back. My natural curiosity and drive to improve things compelled me to take on the challenge. I was confident I could resolve the issues, and I did.
Looking back, that experience felt like a real-life version of fixing usability problems.
Music is another key source of my creativity. I play electric guitar and drums and have performed with a band at the School of Rock. Performing in a band also taught me the power of collaboration.
K-night 2024
I constantly seek opportunities to grow, learn, and connect with others—and volunteering has been a meaningful part of that journey. Participating in events like K-night 2024 with the Bay Area K-group, a network of high-tech Korean professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been particularly inspiring.
Engaging with professionals from diverse fields allows me to expand my perspective, exchange ideas, and uncover new inspirations that I bring into my design work.
