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Hi, I'm Shining Cao, a passionate UI/UX designer and web developer with experience in creating user-centered, responsive digital experiences. I've had the opportunity to work on projects including The Emmys Awards website and grocery shopping apps, which have strengthened my skills in design, development, and collaboration within technical teams. I love combining creativity with technical skills to build interfaces that are both beautiful and functional. I enjoy conducting user research and usability testing to ensure that my designs meet real user needs, and I'm always learning new tools and technologies like Figma, React, and Python to stay ahead in the fast-evolving design and tech landscapes. When I'm not designing, you might find me leading photography events or mentoring international students at Penn State.…Hi, I'm Shining Cao, a passionate UI/UX designer and web developer with experience in creating user-centered, responsive digital experiences. I've had the opportunity to work on projects including The Emmys Awards website and grocery shopping apps, which have strengthened my skills in design, development, and collaboration within technical teams. I love combining creativity with technical skills to build interfaces that are both beautiful and functional. I enjoy conducting user research and usability testing to ensure that my designs meet real user needs, and I'm always learning new tools and technologies like Figma, React, and Python to stay ahead in the fast-evolving design and tech landscapes. When I'm not designing, you might find me leading photography events or mentoring international students at Penn State.

Shining Cao

UI Designer, UX Designer, Web Designer, +3

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Hi, I'm Shining Cao, a passionate UI/UX designer and web developer with experience in creating user-centered, responsive digital experiences. I've had the opportunity to work on projects including The Emmys Awards website and grocery shopping apps, which have strengthened my skills in design, development, and collaboration within technical teams. I love combining creativity with technical skills to build interfaces that are both beautiful and functional. I enjoy conducting user research and usability testing to ensure that my designs meet real user needs, and I'm always learning new tools and technologies like Figma, React, and Python to stay ahead in the fast-evolving design and tech landscapes. When I'm not designing, you might find me leading photography events or mentoring international students at Penn State.…Hi, I'm Shining Cao, a passionate UI/UX designer and web developer with experience in creating user-centered, responsive digital experiences. I've had the opportunity to work on projects including The Emmys Awards website and grocery shopping apps, which have strengthened my skills in design, development, and collaboration within technical teams. I love combining creativity with technical skills to build interfaces that are both beautiful and functional. I enjoy conducting user research and usability testing to ensure that my designs meet real user needs, and I'm always learning new tools and technologies like Figma, React, and Python to stay ahead in the fast-evolving design and tech landscapes. When I'm not designing, you might find me leading photography events or mentoring international students at Penn State.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Shining Cao, a passionate UI/UX designer and web developer with experience in creating user-centered, responsive digital experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects including The Emmys Awards website and grocery shopping apps, which have strengthened my skills in design, development, and collaboration within technical teams. I love combining creativity with technical skills to build interfaces that are both beautiful and functional.

I enjoy conducting user research and usability testing to ensure that my designs meet real user needs, and I’m always learning new tools and technologies like Figma, React, and Python to stay ahead in the fast-evolving design and tech landscapes. When I’m not designing, you might find me leading photography events or mentoring international students at Penn State.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

English

Advanced

Work Experience

Freelance Web UI Designer at The Emmy Awards Website

July 31, 2025 - July 27, 2025

Designed and implemented responsive, user-centered web UI for The Emmys Awards website. Collaborated with a small creative team to deliver high-fidelity designs aligned with brand guidelines and award ceremony aesthetics. Translated Figma prototypes into clean, maintainable HTML/CSS code and interactive JavaScript components. Focused on performance, accessibility (WCAG compliance), and cross-browser compatibility. Delivered pixel-perfect, responsive interfaces optimized for desktop and mobile users.

Freelance Web UI Designer at The Emmy Awards Website

June 1, 2025 - Present

Designed and implemented responsive, user-centered web UI for The Emmys Awards website. Collaborated with a small creative team to deliver high-fidelity designs aligned with brand guidelines and award ceremony aesthetics. Translated Figma prototypes into clean, maintainable HTML/CSS code and interactive JavaScript components. Focused on performance, accessibility (WCAG compliance), and cross-browser compatibility. Delivered pixel-perfect interfaces optimized for both desktop and mobile audiences.

Team Lead, UI/UX designer at Nittany Trade

December 31, 2024 - July 10, 2025

Led UI/UX for a Penn State student trading platform; conducted research and wireframing. Collaborated with developers to design API endpoints, backend logic, and database structures to support scalable full-stack implementation. Delivered accessible and responsive prototypes with strong branding alignment.

Research Internship in Financial Sentiment Analysis at Penn State University

August 31, 2024 - July 27, 2025

Conducted UX research and analysis to improve data visualization for financial sentiment insights. Designed interactive dashboards that improved data interpretation efficiency by 30%, leading to quicker financial insights for stakeholders. Developed and integrated Python-based sentiment analysis models (Vader, FinVader, FinBERT) with a focus on usability and accessibility. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless user experience across platforms.

Research Internship in Financial Sentiment Analysis at Penn State University

August 31, 2024 - July 10, 2025

Conducted UX research for financial data visualization tools, including personas and journey mapping. Integrated sentiment analysis engines (FinBERT, Vader) via REST APIs and optimized backend logic to support interactive financial dashboards. Prioritized accessibility and responsive usability across devices.

UI/UX Designer Intern at Comet Tech Inc.

June 30, 2023 - July 27, 2025

Designed and prototyped UI for a grocery shopping app with Figma. Conducted usability testing and market research to inform interface features. Collaborated on full-stack development, built and integrated front-end and back-end components using React, JavaScript, Node.js, and REST APIs, ensuring alignment between design and technical requirements. Reduced API response times by 40%, improving system performance and user retention.

UI/UX designer Internship at Comet Tech Inc.

June 30, 2023 - July 10, 2025

Designed and prototyped UI for a grocery shopping app with Figma. Conducted usability testing and market research to inform interface features. Built and integrated front-end and back-end components using React, JavaScript, Node.js, and REST APIs, ensuring alignment between design and technical requirements. Reduced API response times by 40%, improving system performance and user retention.