Picture of Wanting

Hi, I'm Wanting :)

I’m curious about how people think, make decisions, and interact with the systems around them and how design can make those systems feel clearer and more intuitive.

I studied Interactive Media Arts at NYU, where I was exposed to a range of things: creative coding, interactive art, and experimental digital work. Product design was the space I kept coming back to. My minors in psychology and business helped shape how I approach it, especially in understanding user behavior and what makes ideas actually work in the real world.

Since then, I’ve worked across a mix of products, from clinical tools at Johnson & Johnson MedTech to a crypto gaming platform, and more recently AI-assisted learning experiences with Microsoft Copilot.

I’m currently pursuing my master’s in Human-Computer Interaction at Georgia Tech, where I’ve been focusing more deeply on designing within complex systems, especially ones involving data, uncertainty, and AI.

What I keep coming back to is how to take something complicated and make it feel simple, usable, and worth trusting. Lets

Skills

UX Design

UI Design

User Research

Basic CSS/HTML/JS

Product Design

Wireframes & Prototyping

Data Visualization

Interaction Design

UX Writing

Design Systems

Agile Development

Information Architecture

Usability Testing

Project Management

Graphic Design

+ More

In my free time…

I love to read (more so listen to audiobooks). These are some of my favorites!

Recent memories

  • strolling the Manhattan Bridge at sunrise

  • visiting the New York Public Library— so COLD

  • summer (zoo themed) picnic at prospect park

  • a very cute squirrel

  • graduation photos in Washington Square Park

  • snacking away

  • yummy latte + cafe hopping

  • a tiny survivor in a world of melted snow

wantinggmao@gmail.com

2025

Wanting Mao