Forever a beginner in life, I am driven by continuous learning and building relationships along the way.

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Workshops I’ve conducted

IxDF Hong Kong - Vibe Coding Workshop

As an IxDF Local Lead for Hong Kong, I co-hosted our community’s first Vibe Coding Workshop where we urged our presenters to show their WIPs and share their learnings while soliciting feedback from our audience. Read about it here.

Figma for Non-Designers, ELC

I noticed a gap between Design and all the other teams - Development, Product Management, QA and Stakeholders. I conducted a survey to understand the appetite and soon after conducted a series of Design Thinking Workshops across the entire APAC team.

UX Discovery, ELC

As part of elevating the design workflow in RHD, I injected a UX Discovery Phase with our clients not only to truly understand their needs, but to enable the team to produce designs that solve the right issues.

MS LiveTiles, Synergy

It was a “bite off more than you can chew and figure it out later” kind of situation. Our team was the early adapter of LiveTiles from traditional SharePoint sites and I volunteered to showcase my designs to the global team.

Design Thinking, ELC

As part of the Capabilities team, we were responsible for creating solutions that weren’t out of the box. Design Thinking enabled the team to follow a workflow that were agile enough to produce outcomes that moved the needle.

The stories that have shaped my soft skills

Anna Wintour on Creativity and Leadership 
Creativity & Leadership

Anna Wintour

The one that made me subscribe to Masterclass in the first place, and the one I’ve rewatched the most. Learned about refined taste and quick decision-making to lead the team towards meaningful progress.

values-driven leadership

Coach K

I am flabbergasted [borderline disappointed] each time I ask an athletic friend and they don’t know who Coach K is. 

sales & persuasion

Daniel Pink

I learned how to discern voices in big rooms - find the one that talks little but speaks volumes, that’s your stakeholder. Saved myself and my team $$$ in communication cost since.

business strategy & leadership

Bob Iger

I learned how to build a strategy to manage myself in the corporate world with empathy.

the art of negotiation

Chris Voss

As a designer, I always have to negotiate with PMs, Engineers, QAs and Business Stakeholders. Understanding the fine line between negotiating and manipulation and ensuring I never cross that line is an artform I learned from this class.

And that has resulted into these:

  • “Isabel’s deep design expertise, combined with her ability to build strong cross-functional relationships and clearly communicate user-centered design principles, helped us overcome roadblocks and accelerate the project’s success.”

    Kim Le
    Regional Omnichannel Manager, Estée Lauder Companies

  • “Her attention to detail is remarkable, ensuring that every task is completed with precision and care. Beyond her technical skills, she consistently creates a positive and supportive work environment, making collaboration effortless.”

    Florencia D'Amico
    Lead UX Designer, Estée Lauder Companies

  • " I experienced first hand how she creates space for others’ voices, builds alignment in complex situations, and brings a calm confidence that makes people want to follow her lead. She's highly sought after as a collaborator because she makes every project sharper, every discussion more constructive, and every team stronger."

    Jack Mawhinney
    UX Design Manager, PepsiCo

  • "It was an absolute pleasure working with Isabel during her time as the Design Lead at Rush Hour. We worked together on multiple projects for HKUST where she was responsible for leading the ideation and implementation of a new design system. She was also an excellent communicator, effectively translating product requirements through design and collaboration, leading to strong cohesion between design and development teams."

    Mo Shafiq
    Front-end Engineer, Rush Hour Digital

  • “Isabel’s standout strength is her exceptional communication skills, which made complex UX/UI concepts accessible to everyone, from engineers to executives.”

    Daniel Li
    Product Manager, Estée Lauder Companies

Mentorship

  • “Isabel is a mentor that strives to truly understand, help, and better her mentees. She strives as a mentor in three ways.

    First, is her patience for her mentees. Second, she is a great communicator and does well to explain UX/UI concepts to her mentees in a simplified and concrete way. Finally, she has great empathy. I realize in the UX world the E-word (empathy) is thrown around a lot and easily. However, the way Isabel approaches her mentees with her calm and caring demeanour and extra care she takes for her mentees, truly exemplifies a mentor with empathy that tries to really understand her mentees.”

    Ahnjin Y., Korea
    UI Design

  • “My mentor has been truly amazing. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from her.

    She shared so much valuable knowledge and provided insightful feedback that greatly enhanced my experience in the UX Academy. Her patience, encouragement, and expertise have been instrumental in my growth as a designer. I deeply appreciate her dedication and the positive impact she has had on my journey. She is truly an inspiring mentor!”

    Jasmine W., Taipei
    UX Academy

  • “I'm so grateful Isabel made the effort to give constructive feedback during every single mentor session. She was attentive to detail while also able to keep the bigger picture of a project in mind.

    Rather than spoon-feeding easy answers, Isabel guided me through the design process to practice problem-solving for a more valuable learning experience since it's better to learn from mistakes first-hand. Isabel was very understanding of my circumstance and encouraged me to use my strengths to build my foundation. In areas I lacked, she provided resources to continue referring back to in the future.”

    Annie C., Los Angeles, CA
    UX Academy

  • “Isabel is a fantastic mentor that provides insightful feedback while also giving great support to her mentees.

    She applies her extensive knowledge of UX design well in both providing feedback and in explaining challenging concepts. It is very easy to connect with her, she is always listening intently and empathizes with her mentees struggles. Knowing the right time to provide constructive feedback or to give support and encouragement is one of Isabel's greatest skills as a mentor. I highly recommend Isabel as a mentor!”

    Emily S., New Jersey
    UX Academy

  • “It is really fortunate to have Isabel Luna as my mentor during the course. She is kind, patient, and highly talented. She always gives instructive feedback and shares insightful resources.


    She’s not only a mentor of the course but also my mentor of career. She encourages me to pursue my passion. For me, she’s also a good friend! I am very happy to connect with her and would recommend Isabel to all the future students.”

    Chofi C., Taipei
    UI Design

  • “The one-on-one mentoring sessions with Isabel were certainly the highlight of my DesignLab experience.

    Isabel is so generous and honest with her feedback and insight, giving me a greater understanding of UI/UX as a career through her own experiences. I cannot recommend Isabel enough!”

    Brooke H., Australia
    UX Academy Foundations

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