Spreading usability everywhere

November 12, 2025

Fang Ding standing in a field of flowersWorld Usability Day is November 13. Learn how Brandeis Online alumna Fang Ding is using her UX knowledge, artist background, and AI to spread usability everywhere.

As an interdisciplinary designer, publishing and media professional, adjunct professor, and now UX designer, Fang Ding MS'24’s career has not been linear. Still, her untraditional path has led her to success.

Since completing her degree in User-Centered Design with Brandeis Online, Fang has not only received an honorable mention in the 2024 World Usability Day Design Challenge, but has also presented at the HCI International Conference and earned herself a place on this year’s World Usability Day team.

These accomplishments would not have been possible without Fang’s unique design perspective — a perspective shaped by her visual arts training, decades of aesthetic and design experience, and education from Brandeis Online.

“The Brandeis degree taught me to see design through the lens of human needs, cross-cultural insight, and ethical responsibility, while equipping me with modern tools and frameworks to transform diverse experiences into practical solutions,” Fang told Brandeis Online. “It reinforced my philosophy that design is not just a visual or functional practice. It is a service to people.”

 

“Design is not just a visual or functional practice. It is a service to people.”

Fang Ding

Fang brought this perspective with her to the 2024 World Usability Design Challenge, where she expanded upon her graduate work to create FamilyPulse, a mobile application designed to help families manage their daily finances. Using iterative user research, creative artistry, and innovative AI tools, Fang was able to design a product that truly met her user’s needs.

“Over 90% of users reported significant improvements in managing family finances, a 40% reduction in time spent on monthly budgeting, and better family communication and trust,” Fang reported. Such success not only earned her an honorable mention at the WUD Design Challenge, but it also attracted the attention of potential collaborators and early-stage investors.

“This project taught me that those who can successfully enable efficient collaboration between humans and AI tools gain a significant commercial advantage,” Fang told Brandeis Online. “The honorable mention also allowed me to connect with talented global UX experts and outstanding peers, opening conversations about the project’s future and real-world impact."

 

 

“UX extends far beyond digital prototypes. It encompasses psychology, rapid learning, cultural fluency, and the ability to mobilize and align high-level talent.”

Fang Ding

One such conversation took place at the 2025 HCI International Conference, where Fang had the opportunity to share her work with FamilyPulse on an international stage.

“As a non-native English speaker, I was quite nervous,” Fang admitted to Brandeis Online. But using design thinking, Fang was able to translate her project’s complex methodology and outcomes into a language that a global audience could understand.

Now, she’s using her talent for international communication as China Event Coordinator for this year’s World Usability Day — an event founded by Brandeis Online instructor Elizabeth Rosenzweig. In this role, Fang has addressed complex cross-border compliance, coordination requirements, and resource challenges to organize China’s first officially recognized World Usability Day event: a four-day program of workshops and expert lectures sponsored by Tongji University in Shanghai.

“This experience significantly expanded my international project management experience and reinforced that UX extends far beyond digital prototypes,” Fang told Brandeis Online. “It encompasses psychology, rapid learning, cultural fluency, and the ability to mobilize and align high-level talent.”

 

“World Usability Day reinforces my belief that design is not just about aesthetics or functionality, but about empowering people.”

Fang Ding

Through this role and all of her future endeavors, Fang hopes to spread usability to people everywhere. “World Usability Day reinforces my belief that design is not just about aesthetics or functionality, but about empowering people,” Fang says. “Moving forward, I aim to bring human-centered design into broader real-world contexts, where inclusivity, ethics, and creativity intersect to improve how we live and connect.”

World Usability Day is on Thursday, November 14. For more information on how you can participate, visit the World Usability Day website.

To learn how you can join Fang’s mission to promote usability and accessibility for all, explore the User-Centered Design program at Brandeis Online.