Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chen Huang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Chen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Schoolcraft was one of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on—not just as a designer, but as a leader. It pushed me to stretch creatively, collaborate across disciplines, and explore my own leadership style in real-time.

When I kicked off, the challenges felt huge. I planned to build a gamified experience for MBA students—an audience I thought not exactly known for embracing gaming. They prefer professional, polished environments, not playful ones. On top of that, it was my first time designing for a game. I wasn’t sure how UX and visual design could enhance gameplay, but I leaned in with a “let’s see how far we can go” mindset.

With my team, I dove deep into gaming mechanics, visuals, and storytelling—exploring what makes games fun and engaging. Through rapid prototyping, testing mid- and high-fidelity designs, we iterated fast. When I shared it with a small group of MBA students for testing, something incredible happened—they loved it. Our playful, even hilarious, approach broke down barriers. What started as a risky experiment ended up being voted Most Creative Project at MIT Sloan’s design showcase.

As a design lead, I’m proud of how I navigated the full process—user research, UX/UI, visual design, and content strategy. I also grew as a leader. Rather than micromanage, I empowered my team with space to learn, offering crash courses and daily check-ins to keep communication open and healthy. It worked. Not only did we ship the product on time, but our team vibe thrived—we’re still close, and I’ve seen my leadership style ripple into how they lead now.

The game itself? Think The Sims for MBA students—a simulation where they make tough choices and experience the ups and downs of business life. We layered in mockumentary elements and satirical storytelling, turning the onboarding process (often filled with friction) into something fun, relatable, and deeply engaging. It helped students feel seen, and it made a real impact.

Personally, this project sharpened my hard skills and taught me a lot about storytelling—how to tailor the narrative for different audiences, whether pitching to the Dean or engaging students at a launch event. I also learned to treat my team like users: understanding their learning styles, collaborating more humanistically, and creating space for growth.

In the end, Schoolcraft taught me to be braver as a designer—to try what feels impossible, to trust the process, and to embrace that unknown space where creativity thrives. That flow-state mindset? It’s something I’ll carry with me for a long time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Chen (preferably, Sean) Huang—a visual designer turned UX and product designer, working at the crossroads of graphic design, UI/UX and product innovation. I hold a Master’s Degree in Design Engineering & Management from MIT. I lead end-to-end design strategies across industries like healthcare, education, and the public sector, always focusing on one goal: connecting users deeply with products.

Rather than obsessing over pixel-perfection, I leverage my background in visual design and product strategy to craft experiences that resonate. Whether it’s a branding message, an intuitive user flow, or small details like tooltips, I ensure every touchpoint feels purposeful and engaging—reflecting the personality and DNA of the product, not just its aesthetics.

At the heart of my journey is a lifelong passion for understanding human nature, physically and spiritually. Since childhood, I’ve loved observing people, translating their various personalities into vibrant characters in my comics & illustrations. That curiosity led me to my first design role as a medical illustrator, creating detailed surgical illustrations for publications on The New England Journal of Medicine and JSR.

A pivotal moment came when I worked on a gamified e-commerce campaign for a Hong Kong brand—think Pokémon Go meets Halloween shopping. I noticed safety risks in the physical store setup and proposed shifting the entire experience online. This change cut client costs in setup, tripled user sign-ups on launch day, and significantly boosted engagement. It was the first time I saw how design decisions could directly drive business impact, sparking my transition into UX and product design.

Since then, I’ve combined visual storytelling with systems thinking, focusing on human-centered design powered by evolving technologies. My approach blends deep user research—understanding both industry-specific needs and universal human behaviors—with the agility of tech innovation. I’m always exploring how we, as designers, can collaborate with new tech to create faster, smarter, and more meaningful experiences.

In my spare time, I return to my roots—creating comics and illustrations that reflect on human nature. Whether lighthearted or thought-provoking, these pieces help me (and others) make sense of a world increasingly shaped by technological disruption, economic shifts, and uncertainty. It’s my way of encouraging reflection on how we lead ourselves through complexity.

To me, UX design is inherently multidisciplinary. But at its core, my work is always grounded in human-centered understanding. When it meets visual design, I focus on pixel-perfect execution to craft engaging visual elements to engage the audience. When it meets technology, I explore new paradigms—experimenting with how users interact with emerging tools, imagining possibilities, and pushing the boundaries of what’s next, and helping people imagine what they haven’t yet considered. Design, to me, is about sparking connection and driving change.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

This is such a timely topic, especially with the rapid rise of AI and other disruptive technologies we’re only beginning to imagine. From my perspective, the best way society can support artists and creatives right now is to truly value and preserve human-made traditions and human-centered creation.

Even as someone working at the forefront of AI integration—leveraging these tools to enhance products—I often wrestle with the same questions many creatives face: Is AI here to empower us, or could it erode the essence of human creativity? At times, it feels both exhilarating and unsettling.

I deeply resonate with artists struggling to make a living. Historically, the arts have been undervalued, seen as non-essential to human progress—which I believe is a profound misunderstanding. The more we use AI, the more we recognize its limits. AI can replicate and enhance, but it lacks true originality. We still need artists and creatives to bring forth new ideas, authentic stories, and fresh perspectives—the kind of work that AI can only build upon, not originate.

I’ve also noticed encouraging trends—more grants and funding programs focused on supporting human originality and creativity. We need more of this. Expanding financial support for artists and creators is critical to ensure they can continue contributing meaningfully without constant financial struggle.

Beyond financial backing, there’s a pressing need for clear, practical guidelines around how AI is used in creative fields. Ongoing debates—like whether AI-generated content built on existing works should be considered original—highlight how murky this space still is. We need specific, enforceable standards to define, categorize, and value creative outputs in the age of AI. This clarity is not only fair, but imperative to protect intellectual property and ensure human creators are respected and compensated.

In the end, technology should uplift creativity, not replace it. By valuing human-centered creation, supporting artists financially, and establishing thoughtful regulations, we can ensure a future where both AI and human creativity thrive—together.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Most people don’t know I started my career as a tax consultant at Deloitte after undergrad. It was an incredible bootcamp where I learned the fundamentals of work ethic, structure, and teamwork—everything a “salary person” should know. But deep down, I felt a growing disconnect. I found myself far more engaged crafting slide decks and visualizing white papers than reviewing balance sheets or tax docs. The creative side lit me up—the numbers never did.

That internal struggle led me to a side gig in graphic design and illustration while still working full-time. It quickly became clear: I needed to follow what excited me, not just chase a paycheck. So, I took the riskiest leap of my life—I left consulting to become a full-time designer and illustrator.

It wasn’t easy. Almost everyone around me warned me off, painting a picture of a less stable, undervalued path. And for the first two years, they weren’t wrong—it was financially tough. But here’s the thing: when you dive into what you love, motivation kicks in and unlocks opportunities others might never see. I grew faster, honed my hard skills, and became sharper at recognizing storytelling touchpoints in design.

Fast forward to today—another pivotal moment during the tech recession. UX design, once an emerging, exciting field, now feels uncertain. Many peers are pivoting to data science, product management, or dev. roles. Honestly? I felt lost too. But drawing on my earlier experience, I knew I had to stick with what I love: design. The path isn’t clear, but I’ve found a direction that excites me again—motion design. It blends my visual roots, UX understanding, coding, and storytelling. It’s given me that flow state again, even in the middle of this tech uncertainty.

The biggest lesson from these two career pivots? Uncertainty is inevitable—especially for creatives and artists. We all face it at some point. The key is embracing ambiguity and staying grounded in what truly drives us. That inner constant becomes our compass, guiding us through change toward our real calling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chenseanhuang.framer.ai
• Instagram: sean_ch.visual
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenhuang777/