Internship Projects
Consumer innovation and industrial design
Two early-career projects where I worked across user research, product thinking, visual design, industrial design and interface design.
- Role
- Design Internships
- Timeline
- 2020–2023
- Impact
01 / Industrial Design
Good Matter Design Studio × FOTILE
Where Cool Air Meets Cooking Heat
Research, product concept and interface design for FOTILE's A1.i Integrated Cooling Range Hood.
- Role
- UI/UX Design Intern
- Timeline
- Jan 2020 — Sep 2020
- Location
- Shanghai
- Scope
- Contextual Research · Product Concept · 3D Form Studies · Interface Design
Introduction
Rethinking comfort in the Chinese kitchen
FOTILE is China's leading kitchen appliance brand. The Good Matter design team developed a cooling range hood that combines smoke extraction, cooling and easier cleaning for Chinese stir-fry cooking.
I designed the “Skyline” UI, with a horizon-like glow that changes in size and brightness with the airflow. Launched as the FOTILE A1.i, the product received a 2022 iF Design Award and Gold at the 2022 China Excellent Industrial Design Award.
01 — Contextual Research
Understanding the real kitchen
The GoodMatter design team visited target users in their homes and conducted focus groups and qualitative research.
We observed how people cooked, cleaned and used limited kitchen space. The research showed that heat, oil smoke, difficult cleaning and lack of space were closely connected problems.
02 — Design Development
From Insight to Product
Working with the GoodMatter design team, I supported the development of the product concept, physical form and touchscreen experience.
For the physical product, we focused on making the range hood easier to clean. The front was designed as a seamless black crystal glass panel that could be wiped clean, without the exposed oil filters found on traditional range hoods.
We also integrated an extra-long oil cup into the product form. With twice the capacity of a standard oil cup, it significantly reduced how often users needed to empty and clean it.
Designing the Skyline UI
I designed the “Skyline” touchscreen interface around the product's cooling and extraction system.
Blue light represented cool airflow descending from above, while warm orange light represented heat rising from the hob. The two colours met at the centre to form a clear horizon line. The brightness and spread of the glow changed with the airflow level, allowing users to understand changes in the hood's operation at a glance.
Outcome
From studio concept to commercial product
The project developed into FOTILE's commercially launched A1.i Integrated Cooling Range Hood, combining cooling airflow and smoke extraction within one appliance.
The Skyline metaphor was carried into the production interface, with its visual treatment refined for the final hidden-glass control panel.
2022
China Excellent Industrial Design Award
Gold
The FOTILE A1.i received Gold at the 2022 China Excellent Industrial Design Award, one of only ten Gold-winning projects that year.
2022
iF Design Award
Product Design Winner
The FOTILE A1.i also received a 2022 iF Design Award for its integrated cooling and smoke-extraction experience, ultra-thin form and responsive Skyline interface.
View iF awardI contributed to the project as a UI/UX Design Intern within the GoodMatter design team. The final product was developed collaboratively with FOTILE.
02 / Consumer Innovation
Illuminera × Suntory × TMIC
Suntory Qingxiang Oolong Tea
From consumer insight to a launched new tea product
- Role
- UI/UX Design Intern
- Timeline
- Jan 2023 — Jun 2023
- Location
- Shanghai
- Scope
- Brand Research · User Research · Packaging Design
Project Brief
Suntory, a Japanese beverage company, wanted to find new growth in China's increasingly competitive ready-to-drink tea market.
As a Design Intern in Illuminera's Consumer & Big Health (CBH) team, I worked with Suntory and TMIC (Tmall Innovation Center, Alibaba's consumer insight and product innovation platform) to research consumers, analyse the category and help develop and launch Qingxiang Oolong Tea.
The Challenge
Traditional tea products were often associated with older consumers and established tea-drinking habits. Meanwhile, the fast-growing sugar-free tea category was becoming crowded with similar health claims, flavours and packaging.
The challenge was to make tea relevant to a younger urban audience while retaining the quality and credibility associated with Suntory's tea heritage.
Target Audience
We focused on young urban professionals, particularly women who wanted drinks that felt refined, enjoyable and compatible with a health-conscious lifestyle.
Our target user, represented by the persona “Annie”, cared about reducing sugar but did not want to compromise on flavour or experience. She viewed tea as more than a traditional everyday drink: it could support work, social occasions and more experimental combinations with coffee or cocktails.
This led to a product direction centred on zero sugar, a light floral flavour and a more contemporary tea-drinking experience.
My Contribution
I contributed to brand and competitor research, user research and insight synthesis.
I helped define the target audience, identify the new-product opportunity and develop the product concept. I then translated this direction into the packaging design, including the visual hierarchy and the communication of Tieguanyin tea, orchid aroma, zero-sugar benefits and the product's light, contemporary character.
Impact
No.1 Suntory new product by GMV within six months
Suntory Qingxiang Oolong Tea was successfully launched and became Suntory's highest-performing new product by GMV within six months of launch.