Life

At eleven, I sketched a holographic video-call watch, long before I knew “interaction design” was a job. That curiosity never left; it only found better tools.

Born in Taiwan, I’ve spent the last twelve years in the United States. I came here alone with two suitcases, and along the way, I’ve had the chance to work alongside many wonderful people at companies of all sizes.

My path took me from a design consultancy into enterprise products, where I learned to translate complicated systems into interfaces that feel simple to use. Today, that curiosity comes to life in the apps I build with AI: Cha, a gongfu brewing timer that draws you a poem slip while the tea steeps; Dayleaf, a diary that makes it fun to build photo collages and document your day; and Horizons, a kanban board where columns are projects and rows represent how far away something is.

I’ve always loved making things by hand: woodworking, illustrations, packaging, jewelry, and murals. I still read on paper.

I enjoy live jazz, Broadway, dancing, and wandering through nature and cities, old and new. This year, I took up pottery and tennis. I’m also renovating an old Tudor house into a Taiwanese hobbit hole, at exactly the speed you would expect. I live in Berkeley with my husband and our two cats.

I’m always happy to connect via qiaohuangdesign at gmail.com.