I am a girl with consuming passion for design & technology. Fortunately, I am on the way.

Education

Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
(Double Degree with KTH Royal Institute of Technology):
‍2019 - Now: Human-Computer Interaction and Design, Master of Computer Science
Minor: Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Thesis grade: 4.0/5.0

‍Zhejiang University, China:
‍2015-2018: Master of LaAitecture (Postgraduate Recommendation)
2011-2015: Bachelor of Applied Sciences, Landscape Gardening (GPA: 3.95/4.0)

What makes me

Until the age of 4 I grew up with my grandparents in a neat, snug little village and where I spent nearly all of my school vacation. My grandfather is a wise and industrious person who always tries his best to help others. The biggest regret for him is that he did not receive an education. Therefore, he worked to create educational chances for my mother, uncle and aunt which made them different from their peers. Due to his generosity and integrity, all of the surrounding neighborhoods held him in high esteem. Even in scarcity, he would divide what he had into two parts, one for his family and another one for people in need. Although he had no chance to be educated, he always studies by himself, especially cultivation and meteorology. Thus, half of my childhood was spent in my grandfather’s garden where we sowed, irrigated, disinfection and decorated. Every year when the blossom season was coming, people from neighborhoods all around us would come to the garden to chat or drink. To this day, my grandfather guides me to respect and understand nature while also making me yearn for knowledge and aesthetics. Floriculture also makes it easier for me to accept getting pain but no gain, patiently waiting for my own ‘rose’.

After I moved to Hangzhou at around 6 years old, my father’s occupation inspired me to explore the magic of technology. He devotes all his time studying computer science. When I would wait for him in his office, I would read his magazine called “Computer Fans”. Through this, I learned to type and chat with others on the internet. I would play online games, watch videos and obsesses about Photoshop and Flash. In middle school, I gained some awards by building my own website using Frontpage. My father’s interest in music and art, including traditional Chinese, western classical music and painting, shaped my aesthetic structure. My mother helped me to study English when she found my talent for language at an early stage in my life. Studying English makes me embrace different cultures and enables me to communicate with people in a broader dimension, laying a solid foundation for me to study abroad.

The special meaning the Chinese have for land as a source of life, as well the integration of science and aesthetics pulled me into landscape architecture. However, after I enter this domain, I was stunned to find that people were reluctant to use technology in design. After communicating with professors and students who studied abroad, I realized how I could mix my hobby with my major: User Experience Design. Since then I set out to learn courses in psychology, social investigation, geography information and basic programming. Having an internship at the rideshare company Didi led me to become a participant in product design who no longer only concentrates on landscape. My experiences in investigation, analysis and design as well as my excellent abilities in communication and logical thinking have shaped me to think as a project manager. During my studies, I have spent a great deal of time being a volunteer, especially for education. I am no longer content to help people by decorating their life space, instead I desperately want to devote more to this society not only as a designer but also as an engineer. The experience of practical products kindles my passion for user experience and human computer interaction. With these tools I believe I will be able to help people understand the world, get more chances to study, and acquire a healthier mental status.

‍It is obvious that I cannot prolong human’s life as biologists, chemists and doctors do. I also cannot help people explore the past like historians and paleoanthropologists. However, as an technological designer, I could provide an enjoyable life in the moment “now” by optimizing the process of interaction and experience. After all, “now” is the only time we ever have.