Hi, I'm Yufei Xiao, a multidisciplinary artist and motion designer based in Los Angeles. I earned a BFA in Animation and Digital Arts at USC with Summa Cum Laude honors and hold a Google UX Certificate. I create storytelling-driven visuals for games, film, and brands, delivering polished assets that captivate audiences and elevate narratives. I thrive in cross-functional collaborations, coordinating external art teams and translating directors' visions into polished motion graphics, 2D animation, and UI art. My toolkit spans Unreal Engine, Unity, After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Blender, Figma, and more.…

Yufei Xiao

Hi, I'm Yufei Xiao, a multidisciplinary artist and motion designer based in Los Angeles. I earned a BFA in Animation and Digital Arts at USC with Summa Cum Laude honors and hold a Google UX Certificate. I create storytelling-driven visuals for games, film, and brands, delivering polished assets that captivate audiences and elevate narratives. I thrive in cross-functional collaborations, coordinating external art teams and translating directors' visions into polished motion graphics, 2D animation, and UI art. My toolkit spans Unreal Engine, Unity, After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Blender, Figma, and more.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Yufei Xiao, a multidisciplinary artist and motion designer based in Los Angeles. I earned a BFA in Animation and Digital Arts at USC with Summa Cum Laude honors and hold a Google UX Certificate. I create storytelling-driven visuals for games, film, and brands, delivering polished assets that captivate audiences and elevate narratives.

I thrive in cross-functional collaborations, coordinating external art teams and translating directors’ visions into polished motion graphics, 2D animation, and UI art. My toolkit spans Unreal Engine, Unity, After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Blender, Figma, and more.

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Language

English
Fluent
French
Advanced
Japanese
Advanced

Work Experience

Storyboard Artist (full-time) at Fantawild Animation
August 1, 2025 - August 1, 2025
Created storyboards and edited into animatics with After Effects for Boonie Bear feature film and an unannounced 3D TV show (with 998k followers on YouTube), incorporating director and producer feedback. Presented revisions, documented notes, and ensured alignment across creative stakeholders.
Storyboard Artist (full-time) at Fantawild Animation
March 1, 2025 - Present
Created storyboards from thumbnails to detailed animatics for Boonie Bear feature film and an unannounced 3D TV show; incorporated director and producer feedback; presented revisions, documented notes, and ensured alignment across creative stakeholders.
Motion Designer (full-time) at YeyeZ Mountain Studio
January 1, 2025 - January 1, 2025
Collaborated with directors to deliver assets (storyboards, layouts, and styleframes) made with Photoshop and Illustrator for clients including NetEase Games (Identity V) and Hoyoverse (Honkai: Star Rail), generating more than 1M views on YouTube. Translated director’s vision into polished 2D animation using TVPaint, After Effects, and Blender.
2D Designer (full-time) at YeyeZ Mountain Studio
January 1, 2025 - October 3, 2025
Collaborated with directors to deliver assets (storyboards, layouts, and styleframes) for clients including NetEase Games (Identity V) and Hoyoverse (Honkai: Star Rail), generating more than 1M views on YouTube; translated director’s vision into polished 2D animation with attention to pacing and design.
Animation/Design Internship at Open the Portal
August 1, 2024 - August 1, 2024
Designed storyboards, layouts, and styleframes with Procreate and After Effects for branded animated music video campaigns. Collaborated with directors and producers to refine concepts and ensure visual consistency across motion graphics assets.
Animation / Design Internship at Open the Portal
August 1, 2024 - October 3, 2025
Designed storyboards, layouts, and styleframes for branded animated music video campaigns; collaborated with directors and producers to refine concepts and ensure visual consistency across motion design assets.
Marketing and Concept Designer at USC Games
May 1, 2024 - May 1, 2024
Worked directly in Unreal Engine and Unity for testing, asset integration, and coordination with level design and visual scripting. Produced and implemented marketing assets, including illustrations, motion graphics, icons, graphics, and UI art with Rive, Photoshop and Blender for games like Echoes and Machine Heart.
Technical Artist at USC Games
May 1, 2024 - October 3, 2025
Worked directly in Unreal Engine and Unity for testing, asset integration, and coordination with level design and visual scripting. Produced and implemented marketing assets, including illustrations, icons, graphics, and UI art, for games like Echoes and Machine Heart.
Creative Designer Internship at Baidu, Inc.
August 1, 2021 - August 1, 2021
Produced viral short-form social content for IP characters, increasing followers activity by 20%. Scripted, storyboarded, animated motion graphics, and edited content with OpenToonz, Illustrator, After Effects, and CapCut. Balanced quick turnaround schedules while aligning with brand voices that reached 40K+ audience followers on TikTok.
Animation Designer Internship at Baidu, Inc.
August 1, 2021 - October 3, 2025
Researched trending topics and produced animated shorts for IP characters; scripted, storyboarded, animated, and edited content that reached 40K+ audience followers; balanced quick turnaround schedules while aligning with brand voice.
Founder / Motion Designer at Hedgehog Highway LLC
February 1, 2021 - October 29, 2025
Founded Hedgehog Highway LLC and produced animation, in-game animations, and UI motion graphics assets for clients including My Monthly Inc, Lil Ghost, Arc Fy, Times Trials (anime-style PC puzzle game), To the Bright Side (2D feature film in theaters), Chinese Bizarreries (Bilibili series with 25M+ views). Coordinated external art teams, reviewed deliverables, and maintained production quality through proactive communication.
Motion Designer / Animator at Hedgehog Highway LLC
February 1, 2021 - Present
Produced animation, in-game animations, UI motion graphics assets for My Monthly Inc, Lil Ghost, Arc Fy, Inc.’s Times Trials; To the Bright Side (2D feature film); Chinese Bizarreries (Bilibili series with 25M+ views). Coordinated external art teams, reviewed deliverables, and maintained production quality through email communication.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Animation and Digital Arts, Minor in Game Design at University of Southern California
January 1, 2020 - January 1, 2024
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Animation and Digital Arts, Minor in Game Design at University of Southern California
January 1, 2020 - January 1, 2024
Google UX Certificate at Google
January 1, 2025 - October 29, 2025

Qualifications

Google UX Certificate
January 11, 2030 - December 1, 2025
Official Selection, Annecy International Animation Film Festival (2023) - Chinese Bizarreries
January 1, 2023 - October 3, 2025
Best Dramatic Short, Los Angeles Animation Festival; Official Selection by CAAM Fest, NFFTY, the PFCAT, and more
January 1, 2024 - October 3, 2025
Google UX Certificate
January 1, 2025 - October 29, 2025

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Gaming, Software & Internet, Education, Professional Services