Mindset is excited to welcome Mike Fu to our UX team. In this conversation with Vince Sonson he shares a little about himself.
Tell us about your career to date, Mike FU!
I’ve worn many hats over the years. My first love and passion was teaching, and I spent four exhilarating (and exhausting) years as a middle school teacher. I went back to graduate school to learn research methods to further inform my curriculum design. Due mostly to practical reasons, I made the hard decision to leave this profession and go into project management. I had the privilege of working for a wide range of companies, from established, large tech companies to a small e-commerce startup. However, I wanted to return to a career field that spoke to my passion for working with people and helping them through research and design to achieve their goals. To my own surprise, I found that intersection in the field of UX Design. After going through professional school, I worked in the Fintech space for the last 3 years as a UX Designer. I personally love this profession and my only regret is that I didn’t switch to it sooner!
Tell us about your personal life
I’m the son of immigrants from Taiwan, with strong ties to both my Taiwanese and American heritage. I’ve lived almost my entire life in California, from the Bay, the Inland Empire, to West LA for the last 8 years. Both of my adorable daughters (ages 5 and 2) were born here. When I’m not working, I love being a father, running, reading, hanging out with my friends, and following the NBA and European Soccer (aka football). I’ve been happily married for almost 10 years now and my wife and I actively serve in our college ministry at UCLA. But, I’ll always be loyal to my alma mater, Berkeley. Go Bears!
What attracted you to Mindset that made you want to join the team?
What attracted me to Mindset was its clear prioritizing of design thinking and UX transformation among its services. That and its history of working with a wide range of clients beyond Fintech appealed very much to me. When I discovered that there was the opportunity to work within a relatively larger design team that could potentially help me grow in my design thinking, I was very eager to join Mindset.
What are you most looking forward to learning/developing to grow your career?
I am looking forward to growing my research skills. I loved the research aspect of my graduate education and teaching profession, and am always eager to learn from people. Research never gets old, the tools are evolving, and the results and gains can be so abundant!
What is a quote that captures your spirit?
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
