About Me

Born in Taiwan. Grew up in China. Educated in Sweden. Never quite from one place, which turned out to be the most defining thing about me.

Hiking in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China

At consultancies like China Youthology, ReD Associates, and Metis, I learned how to move between conference rooms and living rooms - translating what real people think and feel into something organizations could actually use. 

During my years at IDEO, I deepened that practice as a lead design researcher: working across cross-disciplinary teams, serving clients like Google, Nike, Volvo, and IKEA and Chinese listed companies, and always acting as the thought partner at the intersection of human insight, business strategy, and innovation.

My craft is rooted in design research, but it's been shaped by working alongside product and industrial design, communication design, service design, interaction (UI/UX) design, and business design - and by sitting inside client teams across Innovation, Design, Product, Brand & Marketing, and Engineering. That range is what lets me bridge deep human-centered design research with the strategic execution that complex business problems actually require.

The business problems I've helped solve tend to be moments of transition - when organizations need to see their customers differently, define a new business direction, or build confidence in a vision they can't yet fully articulate.

I've helped a global car manufacturer define a long-term "in China, for China" product vision through futuring and concept testing; bridged traditional philosophy with future trends for a Chinese energy company to secure CEO buy-in; and translated China -specific outdoor trends into a new brand value proposition for a listed outdoor brand - changing not just their brand and product strategy, but their internal ways of working.

One conviction never left me throughout: 
the people I spoke with were never just "users", "data points” or “numbers”. They were contradictory, full of feelings, fully alive human beings.

After more than a decade in consulting, I found myself drawn to a different kind of conversation. The moments that felt most alive weren't the strategy decks or client presentations, but the one-on-one exchanges where something shifted in the person across from me. A flash of recognition. The hesitation before a breakthrough. That feeling of seeing someone - and being seen in return. I realized I didn't just want to empower organizations. I wanted to empower individuals. So I stepped onto the path of coaching, integrating Human Design with an ICF-accredited coaching framework, working with professionals navigating career crossroads and life transitions.

→ Learn more at yurongcoaching.com