Lucy Chen
I lead with curiosity and empathy. By bringing together AI-powered technology, human-centered thinking, and high-performing teams, I transform complex business challenges into clear, impactful design innovations.
I have 15+ years of experience as a designer and leader in crafting delightful and meaningful products, building teams, and driving innovation such as AI-powered digital experiences.
I believe in empowering people, crafting user-centered products, simplifying complex processes, and building mission-aligned partnerships. I traverse between the micro (the minutiae bringing users delight) and the macro (the strategic approach and the vision) to translate deliverables into measurable business outcomes. I find fulfillment in seeing growth in individuals, the team, and the product as the team collectively creates synergy to transform complex problems into seamless, engaging, and impactful interactions for users.
The driving force of my work
Growth
Continuous learning enriches me.
From the moment I Googled “science, technology, creativity, and psychology”, I embarked on a journey as a UX Designer over a decade ago. Since then, I've spent countless hours learning the latest technologies, understanding the needs of my team, empathizing with users about their frustrations, and tinkering with ideas and ideating designs to bring visions to life. All to make me a better problem-solver and a better leader.
Synergy
Harmony grounds me.
There is nothing like the ‘sweet spot’ of a team working in harmony. When designers and developers sit side by side to ask about a design rationale or code limitations, it creates a space for true co-creation. When stakeholders and executives participate in user research and bridge the vision with user needs, it leads to meaningful and measurable impact. Building a synergetic team mirrors product iteration: first, learn to skate before moving forward collectively.
Impact
Making a difference motivates me.
At the heart of meaningful problem-solving is understanding the ‘why’ behind user challenges. My approach is rooted in user research, insights, and user empathy. Uncovering user struggles fuels me to craft purposeful, creative designs streamlining their daily workflows.
Featured Work
SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is the largest HR IT transformation in IBM’s history, shifting the enterprise from Workday to SAP. I led the design strategy and execution for this initiative.
282k+
Now live, the product serves 282k+ employees across the organization.
400+
400+ global team members successfully delivered IBM’s largest IT transformation.
30%
Consolidated HR tools and processes, resulting in 30% reduction in operational complexity.
4
Seamlessly integrated 4 vendor products and unified the end-to-end HR experience.
My Accomplishments:
- Shaped and implemented the design strategy and vision for the SAP SuccessFactors consolidation, unifying fragmented HR systems into a single integrated platform.
- Directed the reuse of the IBM Design System to promote design consistency, unify experiences, and reduce weeks of redundant effort.
- Collaborated with 400+ team members across 24 workstreams to simplify complex systems and optimize end-to-end interaction, transforming the employee experience.
“Lucy,
I'm writing to express my sincere gratitude for your exceptional leadership and design expertise throughout the SuccessFactors deployment project. Your contributions have been invaluable in shaping the product's success. Your dedication to crafting a superior user experience has been truly commendable. Your ability to understand our users' needs and translate them into intuitive and visually appealing designs has been instrumental. Your decision-making skills have been exemplary. Your ability to weigh different options, consider potential implications, and make informed decisions has been a great asset to the project. Your strong hold on your domain and your persuasive abilities have also been instrumental in driving the project forward. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.”
- Product Owner of SAP SuccessFactors
w3 Digital Assistant
w3 Digital Assistant is an AI-powered platform designed to answer employee questions, suggest related inquiries, and complete tasks on their behalf, serving as a smart colleague in the workplace. I led the design team on IBM’s first machine learning–driven initiative.
353k+
Expected to serve a global workforce of 353,000+ employees.
2
Implemented 2 data ingestion methods for language model training.
4
Developed 4 platforms to reduce workflow friction and improve employee productivity.
200+
Ideated and created over 200 icons and name concepts for brand exploration.
My Accomplishments:
- Led the creative vision and interaction design for IBM’s first AI-powered digital assistant, delivering intuitive, personalized support across multiple channels.
- Established baseline measurements and ongoing testing to reduce workflow friction and improve user satisfaction through data-driven insight.
- Implemented a conversation framework to train language models with nuanced, context-aware responses, reshaping user experience in the workplace.
- Scaled the design team by 4x and hired our department’s first conversation designer, expanding both capacity and discipline.
- Developed a scalable language training process for ML, from manual spreadsheets to a custom CMS, automating data ingestion and reducing manual effort.
- Created the Adopter Guidance and AI Playbook to standardize dataset creation, share conversation design best practices, and scale AI model training through crowdsourced data contribution across the enterprise.
“Lucy,
Thank you for being such a great leader with w3 Digital Assistant, you somehow remained calm and focused with a project that had many pressures and changing elements. Thank you for always pointing me and the rest of the team in the right direction and providing great leadership and design sense.”
- Visual Designer on w3DA
w3 Notifications
The w3 Notifications initiative emerged from Enterprise Design Thinking (EDT) workshops, uncovering user pain points and business gaps. I led this project alongside two others: a redesign of the employee directory and a new initiative focused on settings, driving all three efforts in parallel to improve internal tools and workflows across the enterprise.
200k+
Delivered over 200,000 email notifications to 300k+ employees.
2
Launched two new initiatives, Notifications and Settings.
My Accomplishments:
- Led three concurrent initiatives by identifying shared user needs and business gaps, delivering a cohesive and integrated experience.
- Designed and implemented company’s first modernized notifications system, enabling employees to receive personalized content.
- Mentored junior designers and strengthened collaboration with cross-functional partners to scale impact and drive adoption.
“Lucy,
Thank you for being such an outstanding mentor and leader. I wanted to recognize you for your amazing work on BluePages, Notifications, and Settings. You're juggling THREE high-pressure projects, managing a sizable team of UX professionals and you manage to do this with the calm and grace that comes with years and years of practice. You exhibit great tact and professionalism and are the epitome of what we aspire our designers to be. Thank you for all of your amazing, AMAZING efforts!”
- Design Manager, CIO Design
iOS Design, Apple + IBM Partnership
Apple and IBM formed an unprecedented partnership to bring beautifully crafted, user-centered interfaces to the enterprise while maintaining a strong focus on productivity and functionality for clients. As part of IBM’s MobileFirst for iOS initiative, I joined Apple-led design workshops and conducted on-site research in Cupertino at the start of each project.
40 hrs
Refined product design craft through a 40-hour Apple-led workshop.
100+
Created over 100 enterprise iOS apps across 15 industries.
My Accomplishments:
- Co-developed iOS applications merging Apple's design craft with IBM's Watson intelligence, delivering agile, user-centered products.
- Designed AI-powered visual recognition workflows for customs inspectors to identify risks and receive tailored mitigation suggestions.
- Built industry-specific iOS applications for healthcare, finance, and government, turning complex needs into delightful and scalable mobile products.
“It’s landmarked. It takes the best of Apple and the best of IBM and put those together...Reinventing the enterprise.”
- Tim Cook, Apple's CEO
