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Open to Full-time Opportunities
Haohui (Howie) Gong
UX Designer | Previously at
Trip.com & BestFunc | MSc Human-Computer Interaction | University of Nottingham
UX Designer: From Bricks to Bits
Hi, I’m Haohui Gong, but you can call me Howie—I’d love that! I’m a UX designer from China, now based in the UK. Before transitioning to UX design, I was an architect. My journey from bricks to bits taught me that great design—whether it’s a skyscraper or a digital interface—comes from a harmonious balance of logic and intuition. I’m passionate about discovering that balance and creating designs that bring warmth and joy to every user.
Professional Experience
Before UX Design
I began my career as an architect, working at Nikken Sekkei (the second largest architectural practice in the world) as well as other architectural studios. While pursuing my Master’s in Architecture, I discovered a passion for UX design and started self-learning in my spare time.
Nikken & More
UX Design
This led me to roles as a UX Design Intern at BestFunc, an industrial AI SaaS startup, and Trip.com, one of the largest global travel platform. At BestFunc, I worked on designing an equipment fault monitoring system for industrial factory. Later, at Trip.com, I worked on design iterations for the app, web, and mobile platforms, as well as optimizing the internal CRM system.
Trip.com
BestFunc
Academic Background
UX Design
I hold a dual master’s degree in HCI and Architecture:
Human-Computer Interaction (MSc), University of Nottingham, graduated with distinction, 2023-2024
Architecture (M.Arch), Nanjing University, 2020-2023
In 2024, after graduating from the University of Nottingham, I made a bold decision to turn down the return offer from Trip.com, a position I had always wanted, and chose to stay in the UK to the life I truly desire. This is the biggest adventure of my life.
Nanjing
Nottingham
Core Skills
I have UX design and research experience in the following areas: Tourism OTA, Registration & Login Flows, Manufacturing SaaS Platform, CRM System, Generative AI, and more.
Why I Choose Design?
My journey into design began in high school when my artwork for my school art festival emblem was selected as the official logo. It was the most thrilling day of my life, and from that moment, I knew I wanted to pursue a career as a designer.
Despite my parents’ preference for conventional careers like teacher or doctor, I chose to study architecture in university. It was the first time I made a decision for myself, and it was transformative. I immersed myself in design, from sketching
and modeling to rendering, often spending sleepless nights perfecting my work. One of my professors even ended up nicknaming me the "design machine".
I shifted from architecture to game tech art, and finally to UX design in 2022. UX felt like the perfect fit — its shorter design cycles, balance of logic and aesthetics, and focus on user satisfaction resonate deeply with my goal of creating work that is universally appreciated.
What I Love Defines Me
I’m literally obsessed with pop music, and I'm a Little Monster.
Stream Mayhem right now! Paws up! Abracadabra!
Testimonials
Hear it from people I work with
"A highly skilled designer with a keen eye for detail and a strong commitment to excellence… "
"I had the pleasure of managing Howie during his internship at Trip.com. He made a significant impact on key areas of our platform. His contributions to improving the sign-in and registration rates for our website and app were…
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"Any product team would greatly benefit from his reliability and ability to navigate stress and uncertainty… "
"I worked closely with Howie on two projects during our MSc in HCI program. Howie consistently proved to be an exceptional teammate, demonstrating a strong work ethic and a high level of responsibility. He is not only a skilled designer…
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Leonard Cheong
Senior Product Manager @Amazon