The curvy path that often got asked: Public health Design...Why?
I majored public health in undergrad at UW, my first grad school, and almost went on a academia path. But I knew something was not right:
It was a field where creativity was valued in theory, but in practice, there was little room to experiment.
Design gave me the space to do things I truly want: to move faster, think differently, make things with my hands, and actually see the impact. My obsession became impossible to ignore. So, I pivoted (the best decision I’ve ever made).
Looking back, it all connects. I grew up in a family doing furniture small business, and surrounded by well-designed furnitures, and felt the most excited with artsy and creative things. While majored in public health, I kept in touch with my creative sides through photography and courses such as graphic design, sculpture, architecture drawing, etc.
Things I can bring to design? System thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and trust building.
Experiences
Present
Creative Resilient Youth
Product Designer
May ‘24 Aug ‘24
JustworksProduct Design Intern
Mar ‘24 May ‘24
Back of House
Design Strategist
Sep ‘23 Jan ‘24
Spotivity
UX Design Consultant
Sep ‘23 Jan ‘24
Columbia University Irvine Medical CenterExperience Researcher
Jun ‘23 Nov ‘23
NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Creative Arts Innovation Researcher
More about me & joys in life
Where I seek for design inspiration
Besides YouTube, reports, posts on LinkedIn and whatnot, my design inspiration comes from my daily observation of the “grass roots” design (aka. the everyday things in our life “designed” by ordinary people) from diverse culture background.
For example, it comes from the sidewalk fish pond in Brooklyn that brings so much curiosity and joy to local community. It also comes from local architecture that reflects local history and migration of people, even though some look a bit “out of the place”.
Project got featured!
A mission-driven, community-centered project that explores AI as a powerful tool to overcome mental blockers in the creative process while leveraging creative arts to foster mental resilience and peer connection among youth. Learn more about this project or read full article.
My creative exploration beyond design
Just as I love crafting delightful experiences through design, I find joy in capturing meaningful moments with film photography. I share them with the community as their sources of visual inspiration to fuel creativity and bring visions to life.
Check out some photos below and on Unsplash
Let’s stay
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In/yilineileenfeng
eileenfengyl@gmail.com