Hi there, I am Cece Xi Liu, a design researcher and PhD candidate at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Situated within Design and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), my research focuses on the intersection of children's learning, family dynamics, and digital technology. I am particularly interested in how intelligent systems mediate learning and communication within the family ecosystem.

With over 15 years of multidisciplinary background across digital media, art, and HCI, I spent 6 years prior to my PhD as a creative technologist and entrepreneur, designing experiences that bridge digital and physical spaces for clients such as Alibaba and MasterCard. Today, I leverage this expertise to translate rigorous mixed-methods insights into tangible, human-centred design solutions. I am currently on the job market for teaching and research positions!

Education Background

 

2022 - Present The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, School of Design

PhD in Design

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) Awardee

2014 - 2016 New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

MPS in Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP)

2012 - 2013 National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, College of Design

Exchange Program in Industrial and Commercial Design

2010 - 2014 Sun Yat-Sen University, School of Journalism and Communication

BA in Digital Media Art

Work Experience

 

Project Associate (Part-time) 01/2026 – 06/2026

School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR

  • Prepared and revised research grant proposals.

  • Participated in research group meetings and documented project progress.

  • Synthesised discussion points and reported updates to the professor.

  • Served as a Teaching Assistant for the Doctor of Design programme.

Co-founder & Design Director    05/2018 – 08/2022

Sattva Lab, Hangzhou Youqing Culture & Arts Co., Ltd., China

  • Led client consultations to identify project needs and develop tailored design solutions.

  • Managed client relationships and negotiated project scopes and deliverables.

  • Led UX/UI design for 20+ commercial projects across finance, healthcare, sports, culture & tourism, and retail.

  • Served as a creative technologist for interactive installation projects.

UX Designer 06/2016 – 02/2018

Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd., China

  • Designed wireframes and high-fidelity mock-ups for the company website, mobile apps, and management consoles.

  • Designed internal platforms, including CRM, SEM, operations activity management, and instance setup tools.

Front-end Developer Intern 02/2016 – 05/2016

Culinary Agents, USA

  • Developed client websites using HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript, and jQuery.

  • Contributed to the iterative development of the company website and internal system built with Ruby on Rails.