Today we’d like to introduce you to Shibo Li.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been passionate about design since I was a child. Everyone loves beautiful objects or moments in time; building something aesthetic and functional has been an obsession of mine. Growing up in a small town, I didn’t have many opportunities to be exposed to the art world. Like other students, I had to choose an “easy-job-hunting” major for my bachelor’s degree – software engineering. I didn’t have a chance to pursue my love for design. While I was at college in China, not only did I study engineering, but also I explored my interests within the engineering world. This was how I stumbled upon interactive design even before ‘user experience’ became a trend.
I’d like to thank my parents, they supported me in pursuing my dreams. Last year, I got my master’s degree in “interactive design” from Savannah College of Art & Design. I currently work for a Fortune 500 company as a UX/UI designer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As an international student or interviewee here, my life has not always been easy sailing. Culture shock, language barrier, and dysfunctional relationship dynamics made things difficult for me and none of these were things I ever experienced before. On a positive note, challenges make you a better person. Immersing oneself in a different culture expands one’s experience spectrum and it helped me see the world through a different lens.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, I am a UX/UI designer at CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2021 revenue). I am contributing to a cross-functional product team for enterprise software within CBRE’s technology portfolio of occupier tools. Under this atmosphere, being organized and open strengthens my design work and ability to communicate.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
As a designer, the core of my job is design. I am proficient in Figma and designing responsive websites and progressive web apps for iOS and Android.
I collaborate closely with back-end and front-end developers, designers, product teams, and QAs. I work closely with mid and senior-level designers by completing delegated tasks throughout the user experience at various stages of the design process through wireframes, flow diagrams, low-fidelity designs, and high-fidelity prototypes.
Lastly, I utilize the design thinking process to balance the user experience with client and technical requirements and help the team map out the user journey and user flow to support the product manager with ongoing product features that align with the stated business strategy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shiboliver.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiboliver
