Aijia Yan

MIMS 2013
Interaction Designer
Google

Life before the I School

I went to University of Washington, where I majored in human-centered design and engineering with a focus on human-computer interaction. I was actively involved in some research groups and had internships with Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson.

Why information

I cannot think of any time in the history of technology when the word “information” has been so pervasive and influential. We live in a world where information overflows. Learning how to mine gold out of that was one of my biggest goals. The I School program allowed me to take a wide range of classes in the discipline of information, with a special focus on information organization, information management, and information analysis.

Why the I School

The I School at UC Berkeley is one of the most desirable programs for people interested in information design, engineering, management, research, entrepreneurship, and business consulting. UC Berkeley is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, where technology industries, as well as markets, thrive and grow exponentially. The small size of the I School community creates an intimate environment that allows students and professors to become friends easily.

Area of interest

I’m interested in user interface design, big-data analysis, and project management.

Favorite things about the I School

There are so many interesting classes you can take at the I School as well as in other departments at UC Berkeley. And people establish close relationships through collaborating on class projects, socializing during free time, and organizing student events.

Summer Internship

I did an internship in software user interface design and development at EMC Corporation, in the Information Service Group. EMC leads in cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud computing. I worked with the engineers and product managers closely to design and redesign the user interface of one specific cloud-computing software product.