Josephine Li
I design for clarity, guided by structure, curiosity, and an appreciation for the small things that shape the bigger picture.
Between Cultures and Curiosity
I grew up between cultures, languages, and ways of seeing the world. Born in Baltimore, Maryland to a Taiwanese family, my early years were shaped by movement between places, people, and perspectives. Creativity was always a part of how I learned and expressed myself, from sketching and music to the small things I made just for fun. After moving back to Taiwan at eight, that curiosity stayed with me. Growing up between Mandarin and English also taught me how meaning shifts with context, tone, and perspective, a lesson that would quietly stay with me.
In university, my path was anything but linear. I began in medical chemistry before transferring into literature, where I immersed myself in language, storytelling, and interpretation. Along the way, I continued creating by exploring visual design, editing videos, writing, and experimenting with whatever tools I could get my hands on.
Not a Sudden Pivot
My first glimpse into digital product thinking came unexpectedly. In 2016, I took an app design elective where I built a simple nutrition app and designed my first set of icons. Later, working in bilingual roles, I experienced multiple internal system migrations where I collaborated with engineers and designers to improve tools we relied on every day. I still remember giving feedback on a message review interface that made text hard to read and seeing it changed. That was the moment I realized I was drawn not just to using systems, but to improving them.
Life eventually brought me back to the U.S., where a mix of reflection, relocation, and new beginnings led me to formally pursue UX and product design. Looking back, it wasn’t a sudden pivot, it was a gradual alignment of everything I had always been doing: observing people, understanding context, and shaping clarity from complexity.
Learning Curve & More
Today, I carry that multicultural, multidisciplinary background into the way I see the world, with curiosity, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for how small details shape the bigger picture.
Discover where I was in the last couple years
Off the Interface
I’m someone who likes to slow down and notice things. Ideas come from the ordinary, so I make a habit of paying attention: to textures, flavors, how something is made, why something feels right. That curiosity takes me outside, into new food spots, trails, and quiet corners of wherever I am. It also pulls me back indoors to make something with my hands.
