Conversations with Rui Sun

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rui Sun. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Rui is a multi-talented product designer with a passion for integrating hardware and digital technologies to develop innovative solutions. She pursued a BA in Industrial Design at California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where she cultivated her interest in creating smart wearable products tailored to the needs of vulnerable groups in society. Throughout her studies, Rui developed a keen awareness of the significance of user experience and the profound emotional impact that technology can have on people’s lives.

After graduating, Rui acquired valuable experience in the user experience industry, refining her skills in designing products that not only enhance efficiency but also offer emotional support to users. This hands-on experience further strengthened her dedication to empathetic design and her commitment to crafting technology that genuinely enriches people’s lives. Her outstanding talent and unwavering dedication have distinguished her in the field, earning her recognition for her innovative approach and impactful designs.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey has been transformative, marked by pivotal shifts and challenges. While in school, I realized my strengths and interests leaned towards software interaction design over hardware design, prompting a pivot during my junior year. My graduation project centered on smart wearables, visualization, and app development, reflecting this shift.

After graduating, I encountered the challenge of transitioning to a field different from my academic background. Despite the obstacles, I secured a position as a product designer at a web3 company in Menlo Park. The onset of the pandemic forced me to return to China, where I persisted in pursuing UI/UX work, adapting to differences in product pages and user habits between China and the US.

I began anew by joining an IT company in China, eventually advancing to a role as a user experience analyst at Citibank. Through dedication and hard work, I have now become a mid-senior UX designer. While the journey was not without its challenges, each obstacle has contributed to my growth and development in the field of UI/UX design.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started my career in the UI/UX field at a tech company, where I immersed myself in every aspect of UI/UX practice, from ideation and prototyping to architecture and interface design. Despite starting at an entry-level position, I eagerly embraced each opportunity to learn and grow.

Over the past two years, I’ve played a pivotal role in launching crucial projects at Citi Private Bank, including the foreign currency exchange trading system and Margin Check Operating Dashboard for bankers, while also contributing to the rebuilding of FX derivative products. As the sole designer on these projects, I collaborated with global team members from London, India, Singapore, and China.

While the journey wasn’t without its share of stress and frustrations, the recognition and satisfaction of seeing my work come to fruition far outweighed the challenges. Working at Citi not only honed my design skills but also provided me with invaluable financial knowledge, gained through engaging with front office end users during meetings.

In summary, my experience at Citi emphasized the importance of possessing a cooperative skill set and articulate traits, alongside proficiency in bilingual communication. While tech companies demand massive weekly outputs on granular-level work, my adaptability, consistent delivery of valuable content, and strong bilingual communication skills position me competitively in the field.

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I generally tend to avoid risks proactively, but when I’m convinced that certain decisions necessitate risk-taking, I become determined and capable of turning those risks into rewards. There have been two significant risk-taking decisions in my career journey.

The first was when I transitioned from studying law for a year in China to pursuing industrial design in San Francisco. I realized that my strengths lay in art and design rather than purely rational law, so I took the leap to pursue a field aligned with my passion and skills.

The second major risk I took was during the pandemic. While studying online for a graduate program at a comprehensive university in Chicago, I returned to China and decided to take a leave of absence in 2020 to work directly. I foresaw that the post-pandemic job market would prioritize work experience over qualifications, especially by the time I was set to graduate in 2022. Therefore, I chose to accumulate work experience and seniority in advance.

These career turning points were life decisions made by taking risks, and I’m grateful for the courage I had to make them. They have proven to be instrumental in shaping my professional journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rsun67.wixsite.com/mysite
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raysundesign/