Kaia Guan

I started by learning how people make meaning.

Before I designed digital products, I studied how people communicate, behave, and make sense of stories. The medium changed, but the core practice stayed the same.

  1. Listen

    Clip · 00:30

    Media production, from start to finish

    I worked on a range of media production projects. One example was a profile documentary about a Villanova student. I planned and conducted the interview, filmed both the conversation and scenes from his daily life, and edited the footage into the final story. The video is a 30-second clip.

  2. Observe

    People sharing tables and moving through the crowded Reading Terminal MarketKaia's handwritten field notes from her first Reading Terminal Market observation

    Field observation

    One of my studies took place at Reading Terminal Market, where I used participant observation, photography, and field notes to study how people moved through a shared space, made choices, and navigated proximity with strangers.

  3. Synthesize

    Kaia's annotated quantitative methods coursework with probability exercises and an Excel chart

    Mixed-method synthesis

    I combined surveys and SPSS analysis with interviews and ethnographic observation, then compared patterns across communication, audience behavior, and cultural contexts.

  4. Design

    Students working together during a hands-on creative workshop in the summer program

    Real-world experience design

    These images show an international summer cultural program I designed for Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida. I shaped activities and experiences around how students would explore, participate, and connect across cultures.

That same practice now shapes the products I design.

  1. Digital Product Design

    I moved from physical and program-based experiences into information architecture, prototyping, and interface design.

  2. Research & Interaction Design

    I focused more deeply on user research and interaction design across different industries, product types, and platforms.

  3. Enterprise Product Design

    At Paycom, I designed and shipped complex HR workflows with product and engineering from discovery through delivery.

Outside work

The things that keep me moving, making, and trying something new.

Kaia completing a trap bar deadlift at the gym

Move

Most days, you'll find me lifting. I also enjoy playing basketball, pickleball, or table tennis with friends and teammates.

A hand-painted stone and wire holder made for an air plant
A sunflower handmade from yellow crepe paper
A personalized purple resin coaster made for a friend

Make

I experiment with resin, paper, wire, and found objects, often shaping each piece around a person or a small idea.

Homemade green and white mochi mooncakes arranged on a tray

Taste

I like making mochi mooncakes, egg tarts, and whatever dessert I'm curious enough to try next.

Let's connect

Let's talk about thoughtful products and complex problems.

If you're building something complex or see a way we could work together, I'd be glad to hear from you.

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