I didn’t follow the default path.
I’m Amelia, a product designer with a background in architecture, education, and yoga. Having studied and worked in Hong Kong, the U.S., and Switzerland, I bring a global lens to inclusive, intentional design—and I believe diversity crafts richer design.
I took what Paul Millerd calls “The Pathless Path”¹: embracing uncertainty and discomfort before arriving at product design. My first leap was becoming a teacher in an integrated classroom, where top achievers, students with ADHD, and dyslexic learners were expected to learn from the same materials. With limited resources and no personalization, many struggled. That experience opened my eyes to how traditional systems fail diverse learners, and sparked my commitment to designing inclusive, flexible, human-centered solutions.
As an architectural designer, I saw how physical spaces go far beyond construction drawings. Accessibility isn’t just a turning radius on paper, it’s about how people actually move, feel, and experience the world. Imagine navigating a space in a wheelchair: a small slope, a heavy door, or a narrow turn can mean the difference between independence and exclusion. That perspective taught me to see design as something lived, not just planned.
As a yoga instructor, I embraced the philosophy of glows and grows, celebrating small wins while staying open to feedback. Across all these roles, I’ve learned to design iteratively, intentionally, and always with people at the center.
Now, in product design, I see these threads converge. I’m especially excited about the potential of AI-assisted tools to support creativity, learning, accessibility, and task efficiency. Generative AI can flatten learning curves, streamline workflows, and help people focus on what matters most—creating intuitive, empowering products that reflect the diversity of the world around us.