Hey there!
I'm a Service Designer who spent 10+ years in healthcare and optical care before discovering that UX design was just... everything I'd already been doing.
Me and my pup, Bubbles
Hey there!
I'm Gaozong.
I create the conditions I wish existed. If I need it, someone else probably does too. And if I can build it, I should. This belief has driven me to donate a kidney, redesign broken systems, start culture clubs, and advocate for people who can't advocate for themselves.
I spent a decade in optical care before anyone called what I was doing "UX." I was the optician who rebuilt trust after prescription errors. The team member who created troubleshooting systems from scratch. The person who asked "why are we doing it this way?" until something better emerged.
Now I design systems people trust, especially when they break.
Guiding Philosophy
Design for both sides of the system.
Customers need products that work. Teams need processes they can trust. The best solutions serve both. I've learned that when you only optimize for one side, beautiful user flows that are impossible to support, or efficient internal processes that frustrate customers, the system eventually breaks. Sustainable design considers everyone it touches.
Think generationally, not transactionally
Early in my career, I spent a year renovating a college study space knowing I'd graduate before benefiting from it. Years later at XP Health, I built troubleshooting systems with that same mindset, designing for whoever came next. The best design work isn't about leaving your mark, it's about building infrastructure that serves people. Real impact is measured by what still works after you leave.
Clinical expertise isn't overhead, it's the product
In health tech, the human insight an expert brings can't be automated away. I learned this as an optician: customers don't just need glasses, they need someone who understands what's wrong and can guide them through it. That expertise isn't something to automate away, it's what makes the experience worth trusting.
Guiding Philosophy
Design for both sides of the system.
Customers need products that work. Teams need processes they can trust. The best solutions serve both. I've learned that when you only optimize for one side, beautiful user flows that are impossible to support, or efficient internal processes that frustrate customers, the system eventually breaks. Sustainable design considers everyone it touches.
Recognition
Status Quo Shaker Award - XP Health (2024)
For challenging the status quo and driving transformative change.
Within six months of joining XP Health, I was awarded "Status Quo Shaker" for challenging the way things were and building the way things should be. I asked the hard questions in strategy meetings. I spoke up when something didn't serve our members. I stood firm in my expertise, even as one of the few women in rooms full of tech and corporate leadership.
I didn't wait for permission to fix what was broken. From rebuilding our troubleshooting system to hosting our Series B party games that brought teams together, I shaped XP's path as a company that leads with both innovation and humanity.
What I'm Looking for
I'm looking for teams that value
Systems thinking over pixel-pushing.
Collaborative problem-solving where diverse voices shape solutions.
Mission-driven work where design can genuinely improve people's lives.
How life informs design
Outside of design
When you realize nothing's ever perfect, you just keep showing up
Becoming a wife and mom taught me there's no perfect execution, only continuous iteration. It's about showing up, adjusting, and trusting the process.
When Bubbles taught me about real connection
My pandemic pup Bubbles taught me what putting someone else first actually looks like. She came to work with me and turned into the best icebreaker I've ever had. She showed me that real connection happens when you care about more than just the work itself.
Where function meets fashion
Eyewear is the perfect design problem: it has to work flawlessly and reveals who you are. Reading those details is how I connect with people.
When the why outweighs everything else.
In 2021, I donated my kidney to my mom. It was the hardest and most meaningful thing I've ever done, and it changed how I see everything, including the work I do.
Celebrating Hmong New Year 2025.
I don't just design interfaces, I redesign how organizations serve people. If you're ready to transform broken processes into experiences that feel human, let's talk!
Let's work together.
Let's work together.