Here's a bit about me!

Here's a bit about me!

Here's a bit about me!

Here's a bit about me!

Here's a bit about me!

Here's a bit about me!

I started off my career in healthcare, where I spent 6 rewarding years in a clinical setting fulfilling my goal of creating a positive experience for all of my patients. Building empathetic connections is not the only skill that I carry over into design, I'm also well versed in cross-functional collaboration with diverse teams and managing various responsibilities to get the job done.


As a designer, I strive to create designs that are guided by an understanding of what the user needs, research driven ideas, and creative problem-solving. My design process is guided by curiosity and the willingness to follow where the research and data take me, while being mindful of business goals. I’ve dabbled in e-commerce for various B2C companies, I also have experience with redesigning websites or creating apps, and I have an interest in exploring ways to enhance and automate processes using AI.

I started off my career in healthcare, where I spent 6 rewarding years in a clinical setting fulfilling my goal of creating a positive experience for all of my patients. Building empathetic connections is not the only skill that I carry over into design, I'm also well versed in cross-functional collaboration with diverse teams and managing various responsibilities to get the job done.


As a designer, I strive to create designs that are guided by an understanding of what the user needs, research driven ideas, and creative problem-solving. My design process is guided by curiosity and the willingness to follow where the research and data take me, while being mindful of business goals. I’ve dabbled in e-commerce for various B2C companies, I also have experience with redesigning websites or creating apps, and I have an interest in exploring ways to enhance and automate processes using AI.

Professional Insights

Strengths

Communication, initiative, curiosity, driven

How I fit into a team

I take ownership of my work and value collaboration over ego. I'm open to exploring all ideas and welcome constructive feedback to pursue growth.

Design approach

Always ask "Why?"

Open communication.

Follow the user research and data.

Keep the business goals in mind.

Seek feedback and be open to criticism.

Design for users, not for perfection.

Personal Insights

Why did I switch into UX design?

I've always been interested in research and letting data guide my problem solving process. Coming from a background in healthcare, this was the key to ensuring safe and informed practices. However, I found myself yearning for some creativity in my career. With UX design I get to combine my love for research-guided problem solving with the freedom to be creative - all with the added bonus of making a tangible impact!

What I do for fun

When I'm not designing, I'm a sucker for really good hikes, playing volleyball, perfecting my gnocchi making techniques, and getting demolished in board games (😞).

Services

End-to-end product design

User research

User experience design

Product strategy

Rapid prototyping

Branding, visual identity design

Tools

Figma

Framer

Notion

Slack

ChatGPT

Visual Studio Code

Work Experience

April 2024 – Present

Essay

UX/UI Designer

  • Currently working on adding new features to the Essay workspace!

Feb 2024 - Present

Effinity

UX/UI Designer

  • Currently in the process of creating a platform to make financial literacy a fun, gamified, and engaging experience for everyone.

Nov 2023 – Feb 2024

Loop (Co.Lab)

Product Designer, Co-creator

  • Assisted in leading the product development and direction of a daily planner mobile application using insights from user interviews and surveys.

  • Worked closely with the product manager and developers to determine the feasibility of the minimum viable product features within a turnaround time of 8 weeks.

  • Responsible for building Loop’s design system and visual branding across the mobile application as well as the upcoming website.

June - July 2023

Over the Luna

UX/UI Designer

  • Owned the entire process of creating a 0-1 mobile app for Over the Luna’s online classes and workshop service - providing the company with a scalable and efficient means of delivering content to students.

  • Conducted thorough analysis of customer reviews and existing AI products to inform the design process and create a unique digital solution that allowed the client to deliver feedback and improve the learning experience for existing and new customers. The first iteration of the prototype saw 100% task success rate.

May - June 2023

Move & Glo.

UX/UI Designer

  • Redesigned Move & Glo’s website to align the website with user needs and decrease bounce rate by 35%.

  • Leveraged insights from user feedback and market research to improve the responsiveness and information architecture of the website. The improvements in SEO led to a notable 25% increase in search engine traffic.

  • Initiated the development of Move & Glo’s design system, playing a pivotal role in establishing a brand identity while providing scalable options for the company’s future growth.

Education

McMaster University

Honours Bachelor of Medical Radiation Sciences

DesignLab

Certification in User Experience (UX) Design

Udemy

How to Design for Accessibility: for UX Designers (WCAG 2.2)

Udemy

Javascript, HTML and CSS | HTML CSS Javascript for Beginners

©2023 Joanna Lau

©2023 Joanna Lau

©2023 Joanna Lau

©2023 Joanna Lau

©2023 Joanna Lau