Chiwon Lee

Specialized in Software Design.

Chiwon Lee

About Chiwon Lee

Chiwon Lee is a Product Designer that specializes in user research, user experience design, user interface design for emerging technology with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) user experience interaction design. Chiwon's design and research work has been awarded the Red Dot Design Award and her research work has been published at CHI, the most prestigious academic conference for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Chiwon graduated early from MIT with a full scholarship based on merit. During her time at MIT, she served as the Research Assistant for the MIT Media Lab's Futures Committee and was the recipient of the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund for her design practice.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Software Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Software
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Interview with Chiwon Lee

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I graduated from MIT in Cambridge, MA with a Master of Science degree in Engineering and Management as an Integrated Design and Management Fellow. During my time at MIT, I also worked at the MIT Media Lab on full scholarship to work on initiatives related to AI and more. Before entering MIT, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information and Interaction Design from Yonsei University. I used to study Computer Science at Columbia University, but I realized that I wanted to become a designer when I learned that there would be opportunities to be closer to the users after learning about UX design and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Ever since, I have been a UX Designer and couldn’t have been happier about my choice.
What is "design" for you?
Design is about creating features that would improve or enhance the experience for the end user. I believe good design is the perfect marriage between logic and empathy as you need logic to make the design functional, and empathy to ensure that the functional specifications of the design are addressing an issue that could be solved.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I particularly enjoy designing software, with an emphasis on emerging technology such as AI. Because I used to study Computer Science before pursuing design full time, I believe that I can contribute the most to providing design for complex and technical designs in the field of emerging technology.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
My favorite technology is AI at the moment. AI is a tool and there are numerous ways as to how it could revolutionize the lives of people for the better. It’s my passion to ensure that AI is used in a way that has a positive social impact for the end users.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I try to ensure a design solves a problem, and I strive to make a design structured. I fell in love with design as I learned how design could solve the problems of many and the scalable impact it can have. I also try to make my designs structured as the problem of today’s society with the sea of data that we swim in is that much of the data out there is unstructured and difficult to navigate. I try to make sure meaningful data is structured well in the software design I contribute to.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
I feel content when I design. I feel content as I believe that I am doing my best to contribute to this society through a medium that I am in love with. I believe the feeling of contributing to society while doing something you love is difficult to achieve, and I feel blessed to be able to do this.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
Curiosity is the biggest emotion I have when a design is realized. I try to create designs based on data, research, and logic; however, the design at the end of the day will be evaluated as the end user, and it is difficult to gauge all scenarios of how the user would use the product you create. Therefore, curiosity of how the users will interact with my design is the biggest emotion I have whenever my design is published.
What makes a design successful?
If a design is useful to the user, and if the design even provides the user pleasure through the aesthetics of the design, I believe the design is successful. I believe usefulness is the default requirement for a design to be successful, and I also believe that providing pleasure to the user by creating an aesthetic and minimalist design is also important to contributing to the success of a design.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
I believe it is the responsibility of the designer to be mindful of what social impact and environmental impact a design can have while designing, and actively communicate this with team members and stakeholders to make the best decision in the given situation. Even software products can have environmental impact given the amount of electricity software products consume; therefore, keeping up to date on such factors are an ethical responsibility of designers in my perspective.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
AI companionship is emerging in the field of design in a way that designers are utilizing AI to brainstorm ideas and generate images for the features that they create. There are concerns related to copyright, and there are issues related to AI hallucination; however, I believe that AI has proven to be an interesting tool to utilize for designers when designing, and I believe the future of design will lie in how designers use AI to their benefit.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
I try to define the problem first with stakeholders, and then I create a research plan that would contain a mixture of methodologies relevant to the project whether that be competitive analysis or user research. Then, I create an Information Architecture (IA) and user journey to communicate with stakeholders to align on the product direction before going into designing wireframes. After alignment on the IA and user journey or scenario, I try to obtain focus time to be heads down on iterating and communicating design decisions with stakeholders to ensure the fast and efficient delivery of the end product to be tested with the users.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Designing full time means that you will be spending a significant part of your life designing. Before committing to a lifelong career in design, I would recommend working at a startup, a school club, or friends, or by yourself on a design project end-to-end, and see if you enjoy it. If you do, I would then recommend experiencing a variety of industries to find the industry of your liking as various industries approach design in a different manner.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
I believe the golden rule in design is communication. The evaluation of design lies in the hands of the user and the stakeholders. Does it solve the stakeholders’ and users’ needs and wishes? In order to achieve this, you have to communicate with stakeholders, and communicate with users. Communication is key.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
My go to tool right now is Figma. It’s a great tool to use to design efficiently and collaborate with fellow designers, product managers, and engineers. I also enjoy the regular updates that improve the experience as well as the variety of plug-ins available to facilitate the design process.
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
I work as a team and lead the team when it comes to most of my designs that are passion projects. I closely work with Lauren, Minjung, Seongbin, Seowon, and James when it comes to the passion projects that I do. I find the collaboration key in accomplishing good design.

Extended Interview with Chiwon Lee

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I graduated from MIT in Cambridge, MA with a Master of Science in Engineering & Management as an Integrated Design & Management fellow. During my time at MIT, I served as the Research Assistant for MIT Media Lab’s Futures Committee. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Information and Interaction Design from Yonsei University. Before graduation, I joined LG International as a UX Designer to work on emerging technology projects in the Digital Transformation Strategy Team and the New Business Team.
How did you become a designer?
I have always been mesmerized by design and the impact that good design has since I was young. I decided to become a designer when I was studying Computer Science at Columbia University. I wanted to work in the field of technology because of the innovation factor and the scalable impact technology has, but I learned that software engineering was not my calling. Albeit gaining good grades, I couldn’t envision myself coding for the rest of my life. As I still believed in tech, I attended many tech-related conferences, and fell in love with User Experience (UX) design and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) the moment I learned about it. UX design and HCI seemed like the perfect marriage between logic and empathy. After learning about UX design and HCI, I transferred to Yonsei University to study UX design as Columbia University didn’t offer a major in UX and HCI, and I couldn’t be happier about my choice.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
I chose to become a designer as I love the logic, creativity, innovation, and empathy that design holds.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I mainly design for AI software products as I enjoy solving complex and technical problems through design. I have been recently working on Generative AI features and I wish to do more of Generative AI software design as I believe there are many design challenges to address to ensure that Generative AI software benefits the end users.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
I believe a great designer designs for the society and mentors young or upcoming designers. I believe great design comes with collaboration, and it is always helpful to collaborate with young or upcoming designers.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
I believe a good design transcends functionality and aesthetics to create a seamless and meaningful user experience. It prioritizes the needs, behaviors, and emotions of users, delivering intuitive and innovative solutions that simplify their lives. Exceptional design also fosters an emotional connection, evokes positive emotions, and considers sustainability and ethical impacts, ensuring relevance and delight over time.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
The value of good design lies in its ability to enhance user experience, drive innovation, and differentiate products in a competitive market. Good design not only solves problems effectively but also creates emotional connections, fostering loyalty and trust. Investing in good design leads to better usability, increased customer satisfaction, and ultimately, greater business success by ensuring products and services are both functional and delightful to use.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
My secret recipe for success in design is a blend of empathy, continuous learning, and collaboration. The secret ingredient is empathy—truly understanding and connecting with users' needs, emotions, and behaviors. This deep understanding guides every design decision, ensuring that the final product is both functional and meaningful. Combined with a commitment to learning and working closely with a diverse team, empathy enables the creation of innovative and impactful designs.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
To become a better designer, people should cultivate empathy, embrace continuous learning, and actively seek diverse experiences. I focused on understanding users deeply by engaging with them and listening to their needs. I also stayed curious, keeping up with industry trends and constantly experimenting with new ideas and techniques. Collaborating with a wide range of professionals helped me gain different perspectives, fostering a holistic approach to design. By prioritizing these practices, anyone can enhance their design skills and create more impactful work.

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