Asana design system
Jan 2023 - Present
Evolving core system and driving direct ui change and migrations via Claude and GitHub in the Asana design system to accelerate development velocity for 600+ engineers and 70+ designers
Creating design
systems at Asana
From constructionto design systems
Living in Seoul for 26 years, working on construction site, as a truck driver, a call center agent, and even a soldier, and then spending over 10 years in the US evolving from a graphic designer to a design system designer, has exposed me to people from all walks of life. These diverse experiences taught me to understand and respect different values and beliefs. This journey not only broadened my perspective on people but also gave me the courage to embrace new challenges.
How did you get into design?
I earned a science degree in Safety and Health from Eulji University, South Korea. However, I cast a doubt on my career choice. “Is this my ideal job?” “I want something I really enjoy.” I have been a big fan of a wide range of visual arts and films. After a diverse range of early jobs, I made a career pivot to design in my mid-20s, moving to the U.S. to earn my BFA in Advertising & Graphic Design at the Columbus College of Art and Design.
What made you want to leave the agency side for tech?
After graduation, I worked at a small mortgage company and an advertising agency in Columbus. While working with various clients at the ad agency, I learned a lot about the marketing side of digital product designs, but I grew eager to get directly involved in the product development process. Seeing the growing opportunities in the tech industry, I took my first step into product design with the Google Maps Live View team in Mountain View. There, aligning the design systems between Street View and Live View and creating real-world-anchored UI patterns truly ignited my passion for design systems. This journey led me to join Asana’s design system team in 2023, where I’ve been honing my craft to build sustainable, scalable design components and patterns to increase development velocity for 600+ engineers and 70+ designers.
How has your role evolved since you started working on design systems?
This year has been transformative. With Claude and Codex, the traditional design workflow has completely shifted. We no longer have to wait for engineering capacity to push UI changes in products. Now, I can open VS Code, create a new branch, spin up a sandbox in the terminal, and immediately execute direct codebase changes, component migrations, live prototypes, and some engineering chores, then pass linting and tests with back up by AI. This is a massive evolution for our role. In FY27 Q3 alone, I merged over 50 PRs. It is incredibly exciting to be part of this transition, where the designer’s role is rapidly expanding into a hybrid, design-engineering discipline. This is a massive evolution for our role.
What do you do in your free time?
I make clothes. I select the threads, buttons, and fabrics from the market, and work with actual K-pop idol costume tailors to produce samples of shirts and long sleeves, which I then wear myself. While I don’t physically sew the garments, I am deeply involved in directing the overall style and experience, focusing heavily on construction details and the final silhouette.
Get in Touch
I’m looking for new opportunities at this moment. If you are interested in my work, I would love to find a time and chat on Zoom or Linkedin!