Working in UX Design

Meet Johnny, a seasoned designer with over two decades of experience spanning various industries, including comics, automobiles, mobile apps, and secondhand goods. He is driven by the belief that exceptional design should seamlessly blend into our lives, offering intuitive experiences that feel like second nature. Johnny's mission is to simplify our increasingly complex world through the creation of digital interfaces that are not only visually appealing but also user-friendly, making information readily accessible. With a wealth of expertise in product design and a track record of shaping UI/UX strategies for tech companies in Malaysia, Johnny is deeply passionate about all facets of design. And, by the way, he's also an avid coffee enthusiast! Hear us cover: - Johnny's UX career working for startups like Carsome and Mudah.my (part of Carousell Group) and with larger organisations - What leaders need to know about the Malaysia tech ecosystem concerning product talent - Johnny's career conversion journey from Art Director to UX Designer - Why build a community of design leaders through an event like Design Leadership Kuala Lumpur?

With over 13 years of experience spanning digital agencies, e-commerce (11street - a joint venture between SK Planet and Celcom Axiata), and telecommunications (Digi in Malaysia and Smartfren in Indonesia), Faidzal strongly advocates for a research-first approach. He emphasises the importance of data-driven decisions and continuous design experimentation. Currently, Faidzal is the UX Design Lead for Global Commerce at LINE in Bangkok, Thailand. He focuses primarily on building and strengthening the 3Ps: - People: Uplifting the team's research-driven mindset and building a data-driven culture. - Product: Strategising a UX approach that fits the company's direction. - Practice: Setting up a core framework for UX design practices. Join us to hear us cover: - Working overseas in Indonesia and Thailand as a Malaysian - Thinking deeper about user experience and its subconscious impact - Negotiating salaries and getting jobs overseas as a UXer

Ruby has spent her career making organisations more customer-centric. In Singapore, her experience includes working as a Lead UX Researcher at Grab and Strategic Designer at Boston Consulting Group. Previously she worked as a management consultant at Nous Group in Australia. Ruby's career has focused on using Human Centred Design techniques in diverse contexts across the public, private and non-profit sectors to provide advice on product and service design, strategy and policy. Ruby has spoken at multiple international conferences and regularly shares design thought leadership on LinkedIn. Join us to hear us cover: - How do we quantify the business impact of UX design or research - The role of a strategic designer - What most organisations get wrong in digital strategy and design strategy

Daryl is a Digital Product Designer with over a decade of experience working in various agencies, start-ups, and SMEs. He is creatively curious, and enjoys crafting meaningful experiences by leveraging on the latest data, processes, and technology. In his previous roles and experiences, he led successful teams in delivering high-value projects, implemented processes and systems while collaborating across various business, research, product and engineering units locally and internationally to drive product and service to successful delivery. His motivations are to continue to discover, learn and innovate through the understanding and application of new concepts and methodologies to endeavours both personally and professionally. He enjoys engaging with people from all backgrounds Join us to hear us cover: - How does working for an agency or startup feels like as a UX-er - Coaching junior UX colleagues at work - Managing burnout and stress in between change and projects

Chenmu Wu graduated from university with a degree in Architecture and proceeded to work at Shopee for four years as a UIUX designer. In 2019, he played a pivotal role in initiating the migration of the design team from Sketch to Figma. This transition sparked his enthusiasm for Figma, leading him to embark on developing Figma plugins as side projects. During his time at Shopee, Chenmu served as the primary contributor and manager of the Shopee Design System. Additionally, he took charge of the UIUX design for Bill payments and the Shopee international platform. In his current position as the Lead UI/UX Designer at Daraz - Alibaba, Chenmu holds the responsibility of overseeing a team of five designers from both Pakistan and Singapore. They are dedicated to driving innovation and fostering user-centric design solutions within the organization. Join us to hear us cover: - How and why Chenmu’s Figma plug-in the generates wireframes using ChatGPT went viral - How can progressive designers work with AI - Implication of AI in the product development process

Part technologist and part psychologist, Gideon specialises in designing experiences with emerging technologies such as AI, IOT and Automation, and brings over 15 years of experience of working in Startups, Corporates and Consulting where he has worked on a wide variety of products and projects which range from Fintech, Insuretech to Media, Health, Telcos, E-Commerce and E-Learning. Synopsis: UX has come a long way, from a term only used in academia, making its way into the industry and becoming part of day-to-day language. At the same time, UX practitioners are constantly going through a roller coaster ride with changing role titles and terminologies, and the industry slowly calibrating the formulas to building products. And now, with AI and no-code platforms starting to look like they can conquer more chunks of the UX process, it just makes you wonder what's next for UX... Join us to hear us cover: - How UX started and matured as a practice - Existing trends we see today - What's the future of UX going to look like

Upasna started as a UX Researcher (Team of 1) in the fintech industry solving user problems related to finance needs specifically in the APAC region (think loans, insurances, investments etc) and then grew into a UXR leader growing research teams. Having worked for startups and corporates, Upasna knows what are the advantages and challenges that both environments bring and has been coaching researchers to align where they truly fit. All this only to realise that empathy and organisational culture stand at the core of what she believes in. Since then she has been trying to nurture and grow user research not only as a craft but also grow researchers in a way that is both nurturing and helps them demonstrate the value of what they deliver within the organisation effectively. With a background in human computer interaction and behavioural design she turned her systematic approach to problem solving into processes and framework that help her teams achieve the results they want without compromising on work life balance. Armed with time management and ruthless prioritisation she believe she truly can have it ALL! Join us to hear us cover: - Transitioning from UX Research to Management track - How to create a space for yourself to shine as a potential leader - Creating opportunities to start mentoring/coaching and establishing yourself as a referent - Prioritization and creating your portfolio - Finding work life balance

Kuei Tien Huang is a Product Design Manager with Rakuten Viki who manages and develops the product experience design team. Whether it’s solving a complex design problem, or just making people happy in the office, she aims for simple, intuitive solutions that will improve the lives of those around her. Kuei Tien has previously also worked as a Senior UX Designer at Rakuten Viki as well as a Product Designer at Carousell. She has also done UX and Visual Design work for Migme and Bread Of Life Christian Church. Join us to hear us cover: - How designing for the western market at Viki differs from designing for the Asia market at Carousell? - Lessons learnt from transitioning from a UX individual contributor to a manager - Tina's career journey: Finding a job in Singapore and transitioning from a Mathematics major - UX maturity in Taiwan

Yi Xin is a senior product designer specializing in UX and UI with over 13 years of experience of solving problems and crafting great user experience for businesses and consumers. Her experience in software engineering and frontend development knowledge to be able to work with product development teams seamlessly to translate vision into functional and delightful experiences. She was previously from Stripe and Amazon Web Services and had also led UX and Design in multiple projects at Open Government Products, GovTech such as Parking.sg. RedeemSG used for CDC Vouchers scheme and Vaccine Appointment System. Join us to hear us cover: - How proficiency in coding helps you design better? - Difference between designing for local vs global, for government vs business - Yi Xin's career journey: From a game artist to a product designer - Staying resilient during the tech layoffs - Side projects tinkering with code and design

Jared is an experienced product leader with over 15 years of experience in product management and digital innovation across various industries. He is a design-thinking practitioner who enjoys creating products that empower people. During this tenure leading the product and design team in CARRO, he found passion in coaching and mentorship, helping others in their growth. In his personal life, he is a proud fur-dad of 4 rescued dogs. Join us to hear us cover: - Scaling product and UX design teams, especially with resource constraints - UX strategy (including hiring a strategist) and how it plays a role in taking the team to the next level - Helping to keep Carro’s design language distinctive from competitors - What new design leaders should know in their first/second year of their job

Product Designer at SPH based in Singapore focusing on implementing user-centred, data-driven and business-oriented design. He has been involved in various stages of product delivery, from doing 0 to 1 work in Xendit (YC15) a hyper-growth unicorn startup to scaling up B2B, B2C and B2B2C products in an array of different industries across multiple platforms. His best work happens when he is crafting solutions and championing human experiences in a collaborative, ambitious and innovative team. Passionate about Design, he coaches and mentors early-stage designers or transitioners in the field of design by either helping them land their first design role or accelerate their growth as a designer. He has helped more than 50 mentees and was recognised multiple times as a super mentor (Top 1% recognition worldwide) on ADPlist - A design mentorship platform. Join us to hear us cover: - 1.5 years experience in a high-growth startup - What do Product Designers do vs UX Designers? - Product Thinking between PMs and Designers, where is the line drawn? - What does being a top 1% super mentor on ADPList mean? What have you noticed in portfolios?

UX Researcher at Amazon, Monica Chan, is a Singaporean living and working in the United States. She recently graduated from Columbia University (Teachers College), where she completed her doctorate in Education Technology and focused on K-12 maker / STEAM education. Now at Amazon Alexa, she investigates interactive experiences between humans and voice assistants, in areas such as personalization, customization, and proactivity. She recently started mentoring at ADPList and Open Door Policy, an organization that helps refugees upskill to find remote jobs, as she is passionate about supporting upskilling/reskilling opportunities and career transitions for underserved populations. In her free time, Monica keeps up-to-date with edtech and emerging tech trends. Join us to hear us cover: - Do you need a PhD to work in UXR? - Projects and processes at Amazon Alexa - Reframing your experience and CV for UXR - Experience working for US Tech companies like Uber, Pinterest & Amazon

With over 20 years in experience design, the last 15 years have seen Homaxi Irani in roles providing leadership to build and elevate UX research and design maturity within organisations. She has worked in Australia and Asia in Group and APAC roles, in both corporate and consultancies. Homaxi’s motivation to share her experience and learn from others drives her to invest time in the design community as an educator, coach, and mentor. She is currently looking for global or regional opportunities to drive design maturity and customer centricity at an enterprise level. Homaxi enjoys collaboration with business partners that accelerates the product design partnership and results in richer customer experiences. Come down to hear us cover: - UX Design Research vs UX Strategic Research - How to be more strategic as a junior designer - Interview preparation for a UX Researcher role - Enterprise vs Startup UX

Khai Seng has been in the UX design field since 2004, focusing on design research and interaction design. He was formerly the Head of Singapore for Foolproof, a UK-based experience design agency. He is a firm believer in holistic experience design spanning digital, spatial, product and service domains. However, he also thinks that delivering great design for a client is only part of the equation – it is also key to help clients bring sustained impact and cultural change in the way they work. Learning and people development are in his blood. He has taught at Republic Polytechnic and helped developed the curriculum in anthropological studies, interaction design, experience design and design thinking. He has also spent time growing the UX community in Singapore through organising the UXSG conferences and monthly meet-ups. Throughout his career, Khai Seng has facilitated many workshops and training programmes with C-suite executives and working professionals to drive cultural change within organisations around design and innovation. Khai Seng is also certified as an Integral coach by New Ventures West – that involves helping clients to create and maintain habits of excellence that are self-generating and self-correcting. Come down to hear us cover: - Journey of leading a UX firm and subsequently a Dojo to help leaders and organisations - What leaders should know about the power of facilitation? - Why Studio Dojo organised design challenges for the community?

Wenshu is a senior product designer at Shopify with a background in industrial design. He helps reduce risk in product development and solves high-impact problems with elegant and thoughtful solutions. He works best in cross-functional teams and has 7 years of experience shipping successful B2C and B2B products and services. Beyond working with leading global technology companies, start-ups and government agencies, he tries to find time to give back to the local design community. Come down to hear us cover: - Growing from a junior to senior UX-er - Why designers should learn from non-designers - How networking and community participation helped Wenshu in his career transition - Designing for B2B vs B2C digital products

Chin Chin started out as a visual communication designer, with her role expanding towards strategic experience design. She is a person who is always looking to learn so she can acquire skills to help her career as well as her clients. Over the course of her work, Chin Chin has collected different experiences in design and product management. She has worked across multiple industries including consumer electronics, household appliances, computers, food and beverage and digital services. Since 2016, Chin Chin has been managing Somia Customer Experience, a consultancy specialising in Product Innovation and Strategic Design. Chin has honed her craft working in multinationals, new ventures, as well as her own start-up. With her experience, she helps businesses identify their business needs to rightly frame what is needed to generate thoughtful value propositions. Chin is also an animal lover at heart which led her to start and manage the brand and marketing of a social enterprise, GOOOD Pet Collars, in 2010. She also organised 9LivesShow, an art and design exhibition to bring awareness to care for community cats, as part of the Singapore Design Week 2017 and 2019. Join us to hear us cover: - Challenges & learnings running a boutique UX consultancy - Managing remote research/design teams - Working in UX field research in countries like Indonesia - How does coaching help you be a better UX-er?

As a UX Designer, Ning believes strongly that products can be and should be designed ethnically and with inclusivity in mind. Previously, Ning has worked in both big and small organisations such as OCBC, HReasily, Silot and Chope in both Product and Marketing Design roles. Her experience in the tech sector has grown vastly over the years and she now finds herself involved in a variety of scopes including market and user research, design ops, and service design. Ning considers herself a mini advocate for diversity and inclusivity. She was the co-lead for Proud Spaces, a career fair that showcased inclusive workplaces especially in the local sectors in 2018. She says it was one of the proudest moments of her career as she was able to secure sponsorships, rope in brands like Airbnb, 99.co, and The Lo and Behold Group, and pulled off the half-day event with great success on a relatively tight budget. Come down to hear us cover: Thoughts on being a UX Designer in Singapore - Working in different types of organisations: Start-ups vs MNC - Working in different design teams: Embedded vs Centralised Inclusive Design - Ning's interest in inclusivity and what it means to be inclusive in tech - Notable Projects e.g. Proud Spaces, a career fair to showcase inclusivity at workplaces Growing in UX - Designing with data: Why it's important and why it's also not - What to prepare for as a UX Designer grows his/her career in their 2nd/3rd year

Jingxiu is a UX Designer who strives to make a positive impact on society through human-centred design. He is currently working as a User Experience Architect at Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), where he designs user-centred technologies that contribute to the defence and security of Singapore. Prior to his current role, Jingxiu spent the last four years pursuing his studies in London, where he graduated with a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction and a Bachelor’s in Psychology. During this time, Jingxiu had also taken up a range of UX internships across different industries, solving design problems for both start-ups and larger companies in Singapore and the UK. Jingxiu likes to spend his free time volunteering with non-profit organisations that focus on helping those who struggle with physical disabilities or mental health issues. He’s also an avid traveller who enjoys the outdoors and exploring new countries when he can. Hear us cover: - UX Internships in Singapore and London - Should you take a Master's degree in HCI? - Breaking into a competitive UX industry during the pandemic with remote interviews - Why does our military defence organisation need UX?

Ajmal Afif Jamal is a Malaysian design executive living in Singapore. He is currently working as a Lead Product Designer at Grab. He shares a vast work experience of more than 8 years in the digital design industry as a Product Designer. Previously started his career as a Digital Marketer and Frontend Developer in different startups in Kuala Lumpur. Ajmal is always in search of opportunities to put his knowledge into practice, and he believes the best way to learn is by doing – and also by sharing with others. Come down to hear us cover: -Switching from frontend development to product design -Working in Singapore Tech Scene as a Malaysian expatriate -Gaining experience and levelling up as a UX designer in Aviva and Grab -Learning and practising Behavioural Design in UX

Cheryl Wong is currently a UX/Service Designer & ResearchOps at GovTech, Government Digital Services (GDS) Singapore. She has over 11 years of diverse design experiences working as a Team Lead at a veteran design studio that made it to Singapore’s design history books, startup, consultancy and digital experience agency spanning various sectors: Fintech, Banking, Hospitality, Social Impact etc. She is passionate about shaping organisational culture, using design to improve the lives of users & teams while meeting business goals. Based in Singapore, she has worked on projects around the world: Australia, Bangladesh, East Africa (Serengeti), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Principality of Liechtenstein, Seychelles, South Africa (Johannesburg), Timor-Leste and UK. She has organised, facilitated, presented at several tech public events such as Elephants in the room: Shitstorms in UX, CuriousCore’s Leaning Into Change - Experience and Service Design; STACK2020 Conference. She has supported the global UX community as Design Mentor at GDS & ADPList and served as Industry Guest Reviewer at Singapore Polytechnic Grad Show and General Assembly. She is a contributor for a Gluework article and was featured in TEDx’s Storytime revamping reading environments in India and will be organising an upcoming Learning Circles: Operationalising ResearchOps at Scale. In recognition for her design & impact on society, she has been featured on Google’s Women TechMakers’ International Women’s Day, alongside numerous accolades. Here us talk about: - Service design at GovTech - Scaling user research for GoBusiness - Generic Stakeholder Management tips - Applying to be a UX Designer at GovTech - Bootcamp portfolios vs professional portfolios