# Ella Xu > Product Design @ TikTok | Design System & Strategy Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/ellaxu I design and build experiences. With over 9 years in the design industry and 6+ years in digital product design and design systems, I have built a wide scope of product and industry experiences ranging from B2B SaaS, B2C, financial services, and e-commerce, to health & wellness. Trained as an architect, I bring a holistic view of interconnected systems while solving complex design problems. Don't be a stranger. Say hi at ella.yini.xu@gmail.com ;) ## Work Experience ### Staff Product Designer, Design System @ TikTok Jan 2026 – Present ### Senior Product Designer, Design System @ TikTok Jan 2024 – Jan 2026 | San Jose, California, United States Driving the evolution, scalability, and adoption of design systems at TikTok Monetization team. Empowering a large team of product designers across multiple verticals and platforms. Focused on delivering cohesive, efficient, and impactful design solutions that enhance user experience, foster consistency, and streamline operations across products. ### Senior Interaction Designer @ propelland Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area As project lead, I led cross-functional teams and delivered end-to-end design projects that combined breakthrough strategies, user-centered experiences, and innovative products to drive business growth and elevate customer engagement. Leveraged expertise across UX strategy, user research, design system strategy and implementation, concept design, and brand refreshes. Collaborated with prominent clients across diverse industries, ranging from B2B/B2C SaaS, financial services, and e-commerce to health and wellness, etc. ### Interaction Designer @ propelland Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area ### Guest Critic @ Pratt Institute Jan 2024 – Jan 2024 | Brooklyn, New York, United States Served as a guest critic for the Hybrid Interfaces class, providing expert feedback on projects integrating physical products with UX design. ### Guest Critic @ Parsons School of Design - The New School Jan 2024 – Jan 2024 | New York, United States Served as guest respondent for the Business Model and Entrepreneurial Studies class. Shared insights from our global customer-centric projects and provided feedback on student pitch decks for new ventures. ### Design Lead @ Wanr Space Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 | New York City Metropolitan Area Co-founded an experimental digital design studio with Weijie Fu. ### Designer @ Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects Jan 2017 – Jan 2021 | Greater New York City Area Started off my career in New York City as a designer focusing on spatial experience, I developed a strong foundation in user-centric design, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration through numerous design projects ranging from interior design, single-family houses, and educational buildings to master plans for NYC infrastructure and facilities. These experience has provided me with a deep understanding of design principles and the ability to create seamless “phyigital” experiences that prioritize usability and accessibility. ### Teaching Associate @ Columbia University in the City of New York Jan 2017 – Jan 2017 | Greater New York City Area Co-taught Columbia GSAPP summer design studio with Prof. Mark Rakatansky. Joined Prof. Mariana Ibañez as a guest critic at the summer design studio final review. ### Design Intern @ Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | Shanghai City, China Worked on high-profile design competitions including Shenzhen Waste-to-Energy Plant, Student Activity Center and Library for Wenzhou-Kean University, etc. ## Education ### M.S. Advanced Architectural Design Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation ### Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) Shanghai Jiao Tong University - School of Design ### Bachelor of Arts in English Literature Shanghai Jiao Tong University ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ella-xu - Portfolio: https://yinixu.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/ellaxu JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/ellaxu/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13