Lyn Zheng

My path to design began at a sewing table, where I first learned the value of details. Stitches define a garment, just as mechanisms define a product. This sensitivity led me from fashion into industrial design, where I discovered a passion for shaping how people experience daily life.

That perspective deepened during my PawPort project, where I explored how a digital platform could help foster families stay emotionally connected to the dogs they care for. I learned that empathy gives design its true power—transforming technology from function into connection. This insight feels even more urgent in an era shaped by AI, where design must balance rapid technological change with enduring human needs.

Today, as a student in Northwestern’s Engineering Design Innovation program, I practice interaction design to bridge physical and digital experiences. Looking ahead, I see my work continuing at the intersection of industrial and interaction design—creating integrated product experiences that make technology more humane, an invisible but meaningful part of daily life.