Silicon Valley, May 20, 2024 – Renowned product designer Yang Cheng has rejoined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Digital Studio, bringing her expertise in UI/UX design to spearhead several transformative projects. Known for her innovative approach and commitment to leveraging technology for social good, Cheng’s work at UNDP underscores her dedication to enhancing digital tools for global development.
Cheng’s initial tenure at UNDP from January 2020 to December 2022 was marked by significant achievements. Collaborating with Amazon Web Services, she delivered cutting-edge design solutions for AIDA, a powerful AI tool aimed at increasing user engagement and supporting supervised machine learning capabilities. Her contributions were instrumental in the successful launch of AIDA in February 2022, marking a significant milestone in AI-driven development tools.
In addition to her work on AIDA, Cheng redesigned the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office’s (IEO) website, creating a comprehensive design system that included colors, fonts, and component guidelines. This redesign improved the site’s usability and accessibility, making it a more effective resource for stakeholders.
In 2024, Cheng rejoined UNDP, taking on a pivotal role as a UI/UX Designer within the Digital Studio. Her recent projects showcase her versatility and forward-thinking design strategies:
- UNDP Water & Ocean Team Tool: Cheng designed a generative AI tool to automate the categorization of water projects based on UNDP’s established categories. This innovation has significantly enhanced the scalability and analytical capabilities of the Water & Ocean team, facilitating more efficient project management and strategic planning.
- Digital Development Compass Platform: Cheng developed a comprehensive platform that provides an in-depth analysis of national digital development using publicly available datasets. This tool offers valuable insights into digital progress and gaps, aiding policymakers and stakeholders in making informed decisions to drive national digital strategies.
- Thailand Policy Lab’s Virtual Policy Platform (VPP): In collaboration with governmental partners, Cheng created the VPP to foster public participation in the policy-making process. This platform bridges the gap between policymakers and citizens, enabling more inclusive and responsive governance through digital engagement.
- Interactive Web Page for the Spectrum of Harm and Good Guide: Cheng crafted an interactive web page to assist UNDP country office staff and government partners in evaluating the impacts of new technologies. This guide helps stakeholders anticipate and manage the potential effects of technological innovations, ensuring that decisions are informed and risks are mitigated effectively.
Cheng’s diverse experience extends beyond her time at UNDP. Her work with UNICEF from December 2022 to February 2024 involved optimizing and redesigning the tag-based search pages to improve information hierarchy, reducing bounce and exit rates by 24.3% and 22.6%, respectively. Working in an agile team with other product designers, engineers, PMs, and content producers, she improved mobile and web experiences for UNICEF.org, successfully shipping over 15 features that led to higher engagement and improved user retention. She also revamped and modernized the design system utilized by all UNICEF interface products, transitioning it from Sketch to Figma.
At OpusClip, a generative AI video tool, Cheng worked as a product designer from September 2023 to December 2023. She optimized the brand template flow to streamline the video editing process, maintain video consistency, and enhance brand identity. Her redesign of the overall layout and optimization of interaction flows resulted in improved manual editing efficiency.
Her contributions to Ark7, a real-estate investment platform, further highlight her expertise in FinTech. As a product designer from May 2022 to August 2022, Cheng led the design of the 0-1 rewards and learning features based on extensive user research. These features boosted user engagement and increased the app’s overall value, leading to a 42% increase in conversion rate and a 24% increase in user engagement. Cheng also performed fast prototype iterations and A/B testing with end users and added new design components to Ark7’s design system.
Cheng’s academic background includes a Master’s Degree in User Experience Design from Pratt Institute (January 2022 – December 2023) and a Master’s Degree in Adult Learning and Education from the University of British Columbia (September 2017 – May 2019). Her dedication to excellence has been recognized through numerous awards, including Reddit Design Award, European Product Design Awards, International Design Awards, etc.
Yang Cheng’s journey as a product designer has been marked by her ability to simplify complex concepts and create user-friendly experiences through exceptional storytelling skills. Her portfolio showcases her extensive experience in EdTech, FinTech, and Generative AI, demonstrating her adaptability and innovation across various domains.
As Cheng continues to push the boundaries of design innovation, her commitment to creating meaningful, impactful user experiences remains unwavering. With a portfolio that spans industries and continents, Cheng’s impact on the world of design is sure to endure for years to come, inspiring future generations to strive for excellence and reimagine the possibilities of technology.
Editor: Victoria Lund
Published by: Martin De Juan
