When I first started the Graphic Design Program at San Jose State University, I was convinced I'd pursue a career in branding. However as the industry evolved, I paid more attention to another side of design that involved startups and products.  

We had one interaction design class at school that introduced me to UEX. Reading about product design, going to talks and conferences in San Francisco, and getting my internship at SAP AppHaus (now the d-studio at SAP) switched on a light in my head.  

Even though graphic design and product design sound different, they require similar skill sets. I put the skills I developed at school to immediate use- visual hierarchy, typography, user experience, and so on. These skills apply to product execution. More importantly, the design process I practiced during school is valuable when doing product work in the real world – including research, ideation, usability testing, and prototyping. 

Branding is a fascinating area and I love the way it can change perceptions and perspective. There are strong similarities between branding and product design. They both focus on someone's experience of something at the intersection of people and product. Exploring how product design makes peoples' lives easier is particularly exciting, and I wanted to be part of that.

I gained a lot of practical, real world skills at SAP as a UEX intern, including learning the process of launching a product from ideation to execution. This helped me transition to a full time UEX designer position at SAP. It was pretty amazing taking on more responsibility and to see how my role fit into such a large company. It widened my perspective on what product designers can achieve.

I was lucky to hear from a recruiter at Facebook. The transition was an adventure! I believe in Facebook's mission to make the world more open and connected. It means a lot that I am part of a community that helps people connect with each other. At the beginning of my career at Facebook, everything was new and moving very fast. Facebook is the kind of place where you can help solve an enormous and diverse range of interesting problems, so you get the opportunity to learn new things every day. The people and the culture at Facebook made the transition very easy. There are tons of resources for new employees, and people are universally friendly and willing to help out.

I was excited to have the opportunity to move to London. It reminded me of my move to the United States from Macau, China when I was in high school. Leaving family and friends is tough, but the experience enriches your life and perspective, which is difficult to get staying in the same place. 

Being at Facebook London and working on a different team allows me to practice my skills in a different product area. More importantly, I am able to see a world that is so different than the San Francisco Bay Area, which enables me to explore a new set of problems. I'd say move internationally to work if you have the opportunity. The world is so big and there's nothing to lose!

At Facebook, designers are not pigeonholed into strict roles, we are encouraged to move around and work on different products so we can continue to learn and grow. Product designers are expected to influence product strategy end-to-end, working alongside product managers and engineers from the very beginning stages of a product to shipping. Within the process, we participate in product ideation, research, wireframes, interaction and visual design, prototyping, etc.  

Facebook also invests in building and teaching designers the best tools for the job so we're up to date on trends and tools in the industry. I think always being curious and adventurous is important to seek answers to new problems and try out new skills. 

In design, we deal with a common challenge — the experience. Understanding what you are designing and figuring out the best experience for that product is paramount, whether it's a book, a logo, a car, or an app. I don't think there's such a thing as the "best" design but you can find the right design that is most relevant.

It comes down to having great problem solving skills. What are you trying to solve? What's the best solution for it? Alongside this, being a great team player and having excellent communication skills is important in design, as designers don't work alone. It's also critical to be able to tell the story behind a design.

The biggest challenge is creating a simple design solution. Coming up with ideas is easy but nailing down the simplest form and best experience is not. Being a product designer and working with a team, there are a lot of ideas and conversations going on about a product. There are constraints and limitations, and a lot of different goals we want to accomplish. Good design comes down to the simplest and most seamless solution and getting to that takes time and experience. I am constantly working on that and always aiming for the simplest design solution.

Having a schedule and finding time to do the things I enjoy definitely helps me with stress and keeping a balance. There's always work to be done, but if you keep a tight schedule and know how to prioritize, you will have time for other things.  

The first thing I do when I get to work is write down a to-do list for the day and tackle tasks based on priority. What's left is to focus and do the work. I get distracted sometimes, but I use tactics like listening to music or working in one of Facebook's quiet spaces away from my desk.  

During time off, I try not to use my laptop and go out and experience nature, or create something with my hands such as hand-lettering work or cooking. It's a great way to get the creative juices flowing as well!

At Facebook, we value diversity and support women in the industry. We regularly hold women in tech conferences and host influential female speakers. Working at Facebook not only helps improve my design skills but also provides the opportunity to meet many great talented women inside and outside of the Facebook community. I was fortunate to be able to contribute design work to one of the women in tech conferences. I am grateful to be part of the Facebook design community, creating impactful work that influences the lives of 1.4 billion people all over the world.

One of the most fun parts about working at Facebook is the culture and the open community. EVERYONE is so friendly and eager to help out. Within the design community, designers are encouraged to meet new people on the team, which makes collaboration and communication so much easier.  

Facebook also invests in design and innovation. The office environment was designed for creative work, and we invite designers from other industries onsite to share their inspiring stories. Did I mention that we have a spa and a rooftop garden? Anything can happen here!

I look forward to creating meaningful products that connect and open the world. I believe that good designs are deeply connected to people and I strive to give more of that connection and control of that connection back to people. One of my other goals is to bring more women into the industry, and whatever else I can do to help grow the community.