Hi, I'm Winnie

I like to describe myself as interdisciplinary—someone who bridges the analytical and the emotional, the technical and the creative.

I hold a BS in Applied and Computational Mathematical Sciences (Discrete Math and Algorithms) and a minor in Dance from the University of Washington. This unusual combination reflects my belief for rigorous investigation and visceral emotional expression as complementary ways of understanding the world.

My perspective is also shaped by UX research and marketing, through both academic projects and internships. I am a strong advocate for user-centered design, striving to understand user needs and behaviors through qualitative research, and to devise and execute plans for interacting with them from an outreach or promotional standpoint.

Currently, I'm a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, where I'm honing my skills in researching, designing, and developing applications for novel interactive experiences, through all my skills in programming and UX research, as well as leading and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to bring these projects to life.

I am also learning game design, hoping to create impactful experiences through transformational games.

What Drives Me

I'm especially drawn to creative R&D projects for novel platforms or interactive storytelling.

I am also extremely passionate about adaptive sound design, developer tools, and transformational games.

What excites me most is the research phase where we're gaining perspectives from various fields of study like psychology, HCI, healthcare, etc, and constantly prototyping and playtesting to find the right solutions. I bring open-minded synthesis and collaborative communication to every team, helping bridge the gap between technical implementation and creative vision.

Beyond Work

When I'm not designing experiences, writing code, reading research papers, planning playtests, or writing devblogs, you can find me:

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Curating Spotify Playlists

Crafting playlists based on instrumentation and emotional narrative, or for a particular friend or a specific activity.

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Singing

I sing musical, bel canto, and contemporary styles. I care about healthy vocal technique, clear diction, and emotional expression.

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Dance

The dance minor from UW taught me about embodied movement as living art form and field of study. I try to explore different styles, but I'm most drawn to contemporary and ballet. I also enjoy improvisation and collaborating with others to create movement pieces.

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Reading

Reading was a huge part of my life growing up, and I still love getting lost in fiction and non-fiction alike. See my reading list →