Hi, I'm

Yizhen Jia

Information Science @ UIUC · Exploring UX & Product

I am an Information Science student at UIUC, passionate about leveraging design thinking and technology to create meaningful human-centered solutions. Currently exploring the intersection of UX research, product strategy, and AI-assisted development.

View My Work Download Resume

About

I'm a student and aspiring product professional who believes the best solutions start with empathy. My background combines design thinking, human-centered leadership, and a growing passion for UX research and product management — I care deeply about understanding people and building things that actually serve them.

As an Information Science major at UIUC, I've explored everything from founding a mental health organization on campus to competing in design challenges and interning in product UX. These experiences have taught me that great outcomes come from asking the right questions, listening carefully, and iterating with purpose.

Location Champaign, IL

School UIUC

Minor Psychology

Email yizhenj4@illinois.edu

Skills & Tools

Figma Wireframing Information Architecture High-Fidelity Prototyping Python AI-Assisted Development

Experience

Xi'an Guanwei Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Product & UX Design Intern

Summer 2026 Xi'an, China

Authored software copyright application packages and user operation manuals for the company's forestry monitoring platform, producing filing-ready design specifications and illustrated step-by-step guides. Documentation

Copyright Application Package

Forest Survey System

Reimbursement System Test
Conducted preliminary market and policy research across wildfire prevention, wildlife protection, and carbon sink monitoring, synthesizing findings into reports that informed early-stage project planning. Research

Carbon Sink Monitoring

Forest Fire Prevention

Wildlife Protection
Designed and built a personal website from scratch, owning the full process from page structure and visual design to front-end implementation. Web Development
During the company's reimbursement system optimization, I collaborated with engineers on business process testing. We simulated real user scenarios — I initiated reimbursement requests while engineers operated through the approval workflow. Across multiple testing rounds, we identified interaction issues such as poorly placed buttons and missing invoice information on key pages. We documented feedback, coordinated with engineers on adjustments, and through iterative testing and validation, gradually improved the system's operational flow and user experience. UX Testing Process Optimization

Expense Invoice Writeoff

Approval Process Design
Identified a gap in Google's ecosystem — no dedicated audiobook listening interface exists — and designed a full prototype from concept to high-fidelity mockup in Figma. View prototype → UX Research Prototyping

Education

UIUC

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

B.S. in Information Science

Expected July 2028 Champaign, IL GPA: 3.68 / 4.0

Leadership

1st Prize

UIUC Illinois Design Challenge

Core Team Member · Oct 2025

We identified a common pain point: during exercise, people often misplace their phones, forget where they put them, or struggle to record their workouts hands-free. To solve this, we designed a sports cup with an integrated phone holder — letting users securely store their phone while staying active, or easily record workout videos in a stable, accessible position. Led UI/UX design for the concept, including information architecture, visual interface design, and high-fidelity interactive prototyping in Figma. Our design was awarded 1st Prize among numerous competing teams.

Founder

"Sunshine Mood" Mental Health Society

Founder & President · Apr 2023 – Jun 2024

Founded the school's first student-led mental health organization, filling unmet campus support needs. Supported 7 students through periods of significant emotional distress.

Volunteer

Youth Public Welfare Leadership Camp

Project Volunteer & Planner · Jul – Aug 2023

Coordinated immersive activities between students and peers with autism. Post-program feedback showed participants gained significantly deeper understanding and empathy.