🐓 diligent stardew valley farmer
🌱 accessibility advocate!
🎨 my parents' favorite designer (I think)
A Vietnamese designer's journey to accessibility
Growing up between Vietnam and the United States gave me a specific lens: good design has to account for people whose experiences the designer hasn't lived.
Where I'm from (Ho Chi Minh City), food delivery riders mount a small umbrella near their handlebars, shielding their phones from the tropical sun and the six-month rainy season. The little umbrella is design born from deep empathy and understanding of real human needs. It's whimsical, simple, and shows genuine care for the Vietnamese working class.
The little umbrella design philosophy led me to UW HCDE program, where I focused on accessibility, human-AI interaction, and the places where technology meets people who weren't the assumed user.
The xe om umbrella that inspired my design philosophy
/ my journey
From graphic design to human-centered systems,
January – june 2026
Product Designer, Industry Capstone
Microsoft × University of Washington
Led UX research and design for agentic AI systems — exploring trust calibration, uncertainty awareness, and human verification in autonomous meeting tools, in partnership with Microsoft XSD.
June – August 2025
UX Design Intern
Amergis Healthcare Staffing
Designed an inline document viewer that eliminated workflow disruptions for healthcare hiring managers. Conducted WCAG 2.2 Level AA audits across 14 core components, identifying 36 accessibility violations.
January – March 2025
Accessibility UX Researcher
Sony Electronics × University of Washington
Led a 10-week accessibility evaluation of Sony LinkBuds Open packaging and onboarding. Conducted 6 moderated usability sessions, recruited through 30+ advocacy organizations, and improved QR scan success from 0% to feasible for visually impaired users.
2024 – 2026
MS in Human Centered Design & Engineering
University of Washington
Focused on accessibility, human-AI interaction, and emerging technology design.
2022 – 2024
Lead Web Designer & Graphic Designer
MOST Consulting Group
Led design strategy for clients across diverse industries. Delivered responsive websites and UX-driven IA restructuring — one client saw 620% growth in search impressions within 4 months.
2018 – 2022
BS in Graphic Design
Drexel University, Philadelphia
Foundation in visual systems, typography, and communication design — the lens through which I first learned to think about how design shapes experience.