Rita (Jianfei) Lyu is a New York based designer with 2 years of experience across Product, Graphics , and Communications Design. She's also a technologist, HCI researcher, and a photographer.

1.

Winter in my neighborhood

I grew up in a forestry research institute in Beijing, where my father works as a research scientist and my mother as an accountant. Living in the same apartment for 18 years, I was surrounded by lush greenery—a place of peace and comfort amid a bustling city. As a child, I spent hours at my desk by the window, gazing out at a pine tree while reading, drawing, writing, or simply daydreaming. The quiet safety of our modest three-person household gave me the freedom to be creative—to feel, observe, and express.

Dad and me, 2003

Travel photography

Magnolia in Suzhou Lion Grove Garden

Lamb herds in Inner Mongolia

2.

Lake Waban, Wellesley College

At 18, I moved to the United States to study at Wellesley College, an all-women’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts. There, I explored Art History, Photography, and Comparative Literature before finding my path in Media Arts and Sciences—an interdisciplinary program blending design and computer science. In my first HCI class, I was immediately drawn to the idea that design could be both creative and practical — a way to listen, understand, and build with empathy. I began to see design not just as problem-solving, but as a way to put people first, especially those whose voices are often overlooked.

I graduated!

Flight Attendant, Film Photography, Covid 2020

What Does It Mean to be Connected? Covid 2020

Tabletop within Tabletop - Wellesley Art Library

3.

Architectural Drawing, Bank of China Tower Hong Kong

After college, I moved to New York City to join PEI Architects, where I helped shape the firm’s rich design legacy and global portfolio through visual storytelling and marketing. Yet even as I built a career in graphic design, my curiosity kept expanding—toward how technology and data can deepen human understanding. Outside of work, I began designing Glowmode, a skincare app that reimagines how clients stay engaged with their routines, and co-created Credbot, a research project and interactive tool that uses AI to assess online credibility. These projects reminded me that design doesn’t end with aesthetics, it’s about clarity, trust, and impact. Balancing them alongside a full-time role reaffirmed what drives me most: using design as a bridge between creativity, technology, and purpose.

PEI Architects Firm Brochure

Magnolia in Suzhou Lion Grove Garden

4.

Driven by curiosity and purpose, I see my journey as a designer as one of continual growth: becoming more multifaceted, human-orientated, and guided by aesthetics. I want to stay grounded in everyday life while remaining inspired by a sense of purpose, continually honing my technical skills along the way. I believe that, in time, all these threads will come together in a full circle.

Thank you for reading through my design journey! You can find a full list of my projects under “My Work”. Let’s connect and chat!