Ya Zhang · Senior UX / Product Designer

I turn complexity into clarity.

Six years in, I've worked across health wearables, conversational AI, and cars — usually on the products where the hard part isn't making it pretty, it's making something genuinely complex feel obvious.

I do my best work in the ambiguous middle — regulated spaces, half-formed problems, the things nobody's scoped yet.

The complex problems are the ones worth designing for. That's the part I actually enjoy.

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The grind

8AMand still iterating, most nights
0therapies after lower back pain
hours at the desk with Prince asleep beside me

What I bring

I've taken vague early ideas all the way to shipped features, built design systems from scratch, and spent a lot of hours in rooms with engineers and clinicians figuring out what's actually possible. My CS background means I don't hand off designs and hope — I understand what I'm asking engineers to build, and I'd rather solve the constraint with them than around them.

Craft

  • Information Architecture
  • Interaction Design
  • Design Systems
  • Multi-Platform Design
  • Wireframing & Prototyping
  • User Research
  • Usability & A/B Testing
  • Data Visualization
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • 0→1 Product Design
  • Accessibility (WCAG)

Impact

  • 42% lower user abandonment
  • Scaled across 12+ hospitals
  • +316% chatbot conversion
  • 95% intent-recognition precision

FDA-compliant design — built for regulated medical-device environments

Building with AI

AI doesn't design for me — it clears the path. Woven through the whole cycle, it turns messy technical requirements into something real and testable much faster. The judgment stays mine.

  1. 1

    Problem Definition & Early Ideation

    Draft PRDs, explore edge cases, critique concepts.

    AIStructure thoughts & spot missing edge cases.

  2. 2

    User Research

    Synthesize notes, extract insights, competitor research.

    AIAccelerate research synthesis & trend mapping.

  3. 3

    Design & Prototype Cycle

    Information architecture, UX writing, rapid wireframing.

    AIFast-track layout exploration & iterative validation.

  4. 4

    Handoff & Iteration

    Deliver via Claude Code branch + Figma component specs.

    AIGenerate interactive prototypes, debug & streamline eng handoff.

Gemini

Brainstorming, structuring thoughts, UX writing, and documentation.

Claude Code

Generating UI / code, interactive prototyping, and GitHub branch workflows.

Figma Agent

One-click design-system updates; references DS components to rapidly generate wireframe iterations.

What they say

I've worked with four or five different design leads in half a year, and no one else is like Ya — genuinely strong at the craft herself, clear and direct with direction, great at actually solving problems, and someone who truly helped me grow. The best leader I've had, and probably the youngest.
Dia · Design Intern, mentored by Ya
Ya is an outstanding UX Designer. Her exceptional design skills, attention to detail, and collaborative approach make her an asset to the team. She consistently produces visually stunning designs that meet user needs and exceed client expectations.
Sanjaya Dassanayake · Software Engineering Leader
Ya has a solid foundation in AI and NLP and strong professional skills. Leading the design of a shopping chatbot for Chow Tai Fook, she kept the team focused on what customers actually wanted, and consistently offered sharp insights that moved the product forward. Creative, diligent, and responsible — she was highly regarded by colleagues across the team.
Juncheng Zheng · COO, AbitAI Technology
Ya brought not only strong expertise in UX design but also a deep understanding of how to align user experience with marketing goals. She's the kind of person who makes cross-team work easy — always open to feedback, super reliable, and genuinely fun to work with. Anyone would be lucky to have Ya on their team!
Ruhan Hou · Implementation & Customer Success Manager
Words can't express the joy in achieving this for Ya. She deserves every bit of it for all the hard work she's pouring in for OxiWear.
Shavini Fernando · Founder & CEO, OxiWear

The dream

Beyond client work, I build things just because I want them to exist — small tools that solve my own problems, visuals and interactions I've only imagined, now made real with AI.

Illusion mode

This part of my work isn't meant to be read — it's meant to be felt. Cross the glass and take in the concept for yourself.

Inspired by aespa (nævis, Black Mamba, KWANGYA) · Apple Vision Pro

Step into Illusion