Meet Claire Li

We were lucky to catch up with Claire Li recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I built my confidence and self-esteem through continuous practice and learning from feedback. As a designer, trusting the process allowed me to explore ideas freely without feeling tied to a single solution. By iterating on my ideas and refining my approach, I gained clarity and confidence in my design decisions. Every challenge became an opportunity to grow, and as my skills evolved, so did my belief in my abilities. Over time, I realized that confidence isn’t about perfection but about trusting myself to adapt and improve.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Claire! Growing up in Taichung, Taiwan, my creative journey has been deeply shaped by my background in industrial design. Crafting physical prototypes taught me to uncover hidden details, refine ideas through iteration, and develop a deeper understanding of the creative process. This hands-on approach has influenced how I approach digital design, allowing me to appreciate the nuances that make a design not just functional, but truly memorable.

Now based in LA, I’m a product designer passionate about creating accessible technology and intentional designs that positively impact user experiences. I love solving design puzzles, iterating based on user insights, and creating purposeful experiences for diverse users.

Recently, I interned at Actian Corporation and Endless Health, where I gained hands-on experience in accessible UI/UX, vision strategy, and user-centered design while exploring future-forward concepts.

I’m currently completing my degree in Interaction Design at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, with a minor in Designmatters and social innovation. Moving forward, I’m excited to continue pushing the boundaries of design, blending my industrial and digital design backgrounds to create impactful and thoughtful user experiences.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey as a designer are curiosity, adaptability, and communication.

Curiosity has driven me to explore different ideas and ask the right questions, deepening my understanding of design problems. Adaptability has taught me to embrace iteration, take feedback constructively, and stay open to change. Communication has been essential in articulating my design decisions and collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.

I believe growth comes from continuous learning and iteration. For those starting out, I encourage staying curious, embracing feedback, and practicing sharing your work.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Over the past 12 months, my biggest area of growth has been confidence in sharing my work, design decisions, and presenting myself. Earlier in my journey, I often hesitated to present ideas that felt unfinished, fearing they weren’t “good enough.” However, through experience, I’ve learned that design is an iterative process, and sharing work early leads to valuable insights and stronger outcomes.

A pivotal moment in this growth was my recent visit to Europe, where I was deeply inspired by the culture’s appreciation for history and storytelling. I noticed how eager people were to share their stories, which made me reflect on the power of communication not just in design but in how I present myself. This experience helped me gain confidence in articulating my design process, decisions, and inspirations. I have learned to embrace storytelling as a way to communicate insights, express my creative vision, and present myself with clarity and confidence. This shift has not only improved my work but also strengthened my ability to collaborate, problem-solve, and engage with others more effectively.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://byclaireli.com/
• Instagram: cclairelee
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cclaireelii
• Other: Medium
  https://medium.com/@cclaireelii