Yang Xing, PhD
Senior UX Researcher & Product Strategist
I study how people perceive and interact with the world, then apply those insights to build better products.
UX Research
Removing Forced Decisions Increased Engagement
2.6× more profile views • 2.1× more sessions • +22% chat conversion • +18% profile visits/session
An A/B test followed by 120-day telemetry validation showed that free browsing increased exploration and chat conversion while preserving connection-request activity.
METHODS | Interviews · A/B Testing · Bootstrap CIs · Post-Rollout Behavioral Analysis
Removing Forced Decisions Increased Engagement
2.6× more profile views • 2.1× more sessions • +22% chat conversion • +18% profile visits/session
An A/B test followed by 120-day telemetry validation showed that free browsing increased exploration and chat conversion while preserving connection-request activity.
METHODS | Interviews · A/B Testing · Bootstrap CIs · Post-Rollout Behavioral Analysis
Removing Forced Decisions Increased Engagement
2.6× more profile views • 2.1× more sessions • +22% chat conversion • +18% profile visits/session
An A/B test followed by 120-day telemetry validation showed that free browsing increased exploration and chat conversion while preserving connection-request activity.
METHODS | Interviews · A/B Testing · Bootstrap CIs · Post-Rollout Behavioral Analysis
Prioritizing Profile Features Using MaxDiff Tradeoff Modeling
16+ weeks of development saved • 115 participants • 1,035 best-worst evaluations • 12 profile attributes modeled
A controlled MaxDiff study quantified a stable feature hierarchy, showing that foundational identity signals consistently outperformed rich media profile features.
METHODS | MaxDiff Experiment · Survey Design · Chi-Square Validation · Bootstrap Analysis
Prioritizing Profile Features Using MaxDiff Tradeoff Modeling
16+ weeks of development saved • 115 participants • 1,035 best-worst evaluations • 12 profile attributes modeled
A controlled MaxDiff study quantified a stable feature hierarchy, showing that foundational identity signals consistently outperformed rich media profile features.
METHODS | MaxDiff Experiment · Survey Design · Chi-Square Validation · Bootstrap Analysis
Prioritizing Profile Features Using MaxDiff Tradeoff Modeling
16+ weeks of development saved • 115 participants • 1,035 best-worst evaluations • 12 profile attributes modeled
A controlled MaxDiff study quantified a stable feature hierarchy, showing that foundational identity signals consistently outperformed rich media profile features.
METHODS | MaxDiff Experiment · Survey Design · Chi-Square Validation · Bootstrap Analysis
Bringing Discovery Into the Home Experience
+44% sessions reaching profiles • +45% connection acceptance • 30-day post-launch evaluation
Log-level behavioral analysis revealed that the home feed was suppressing profile exploration, resulting in a redesign that improved discovery and connection outcomes.
METHODS | Usability Testing · Log Analysis · Two-Proportion Z-Tests · Behavioral Metrics
Bringing Discovery Into the Home Experience
+44% sessions reaching profiles • +45% connection acceptance • 30-day post-launch evaluation
Log-level behavioral analysis revealed that the home feed was suppressing profile exploration, resulting in a redesign that improved discovery and connection outcomes.
METHODS | Usability Testing · Log Analysis · Two-Proportion Z-Tests · Behavioral Metrics
Bringing Discovery Into the Home Experience
+44% sessions reaching profiles • +45% connection acceptance • 30-day post-launch evaluation
Log-level behavioral analysis revealed that the home feed was suppressing profile exploration, resulting in a redesign that improved discovery and connection outcomes.
METHODS | Usability Testing · Log Analysis · Two-Proportion Z-Tests · Behavioral Metrics
Reducing Onboarding Friction Through Progressive Profile Completion
~70% faster onboarding (~11 min → ~3 min) • 50+ hours of field research
Usability testing showed that users were asked for too much before experiencing value, leading to a faster onboarding flow with progressive profile completion.
METHODS | Field Research · Think-Aloud Usability Testing · Observational Validation · Behavioral Analysis
Reducing Onboarding Friction Through Progressive Profile Completion
~70% faster onboarding (~11 min → ~3 min) • 50+ hours of field research
Usability testing showed that users were asked for too much before experiencing value, leading to a faster onboarding flow with progressive profile completion.
METHODS | Field Research · Think-Aloud Usability Testing · Observational Validation · Behavioral Analysis
Reducing Onboarding Friction Through Progressive Profile Completion
~70% faster onboarding (~11 min → ~3 min) • 50+ hours of field research
Usability testing showed that users were asked for too much before experiencing value, leading to a faster onboarding flow with progressive profile completion.
METHODS | Field Research · Think-Aloud Usability Testing · Observational Validation · Behavioral Analysis
Product Strategy & UX Design
Sun Scooter: Designing a Full-Stack Micromobility System for Riders, Operators, and Cities
Designed rider and operations systems across mobile, IoT hardware, and backend services, using telemetry and real-world validation to diagnose failures and improve system performance.
2016-2020
ROLE | Head of Product
Sun Scooter: Designing a Full-Stack Micromobility System for Riders, Operators, and Cities
Designed rider and operations systems across mobile, IoT hardware, and backend services, using telemetry and real-world validation to diagnose failures and improve system performance.
2016-2020
ROLE | Head of Product
Sun Scooter: Designing a Full-Stack Micromobility System for Riders, Operators, and Cities
Designed rider and operations systems across mobile, IoT hardware, and backend services, using telemetry and real-world validation to diagnose failures and improve system performance.
2016-2020
ROLE | Head of Product
Kardder: Building a Research-Driven Platform for Real-World Social Coordination
Drove product strategy across onboarding, discovery, and social interaction systems using experimentation and behavioral analysis.
2020 - Present
ROLE | Senior UX Researcher & Product Strategist
Kardder: Building a Research-Driven Platform for Real-World Social Coordination
Drove product strategy across onboarding, discovery, and social interaction systems using experimentation and behavioral analysis.
2020 - Present
ROLE | Senior UX Researcher & Product Strategist
Kardder: Building a Research-Driven Platform for Real-World Social Coordination
Drove product strategy across onboarding, discovery, and social interaction systems using experimentation and behavioral analysis.
2020 - Present
ROLE | Senior UX Researcher & Product Strategist
Vision Science
Predicting the Perceived Depth of a Stereokinetic Cone
A rotating ellipse with an eccentric dot produces the perception of a 3D cone. Changing the dot’s position systematically altered its perceived depth, and a quantitative model predicted these shifts from the stimulus geometry.
METHODS | MATLAB · Psychophysics Toolbox · Psychophysics · Repeated-Measures ANOVA · Multilevel Regression
Predicting the Perceived Depth of a Stereokinetic Cone
A rotating ellipse with an eccentric dot produces the perception of a 3D cone. Changing the dot’s position systematically altered its perceived depth, and a quantitative model predicted these shifts from the stimulus geometry.
METHODS | MATLAB · Psychophysics Toolbox · Psychophysics · Repeated-Measures ANOVA · Multilevel Regression
Predicting the Perceived Depth of a Stereokinetic Cone
A rotating ellipse with an eccentric dot produces the perception of a 3D cone. Changing the dot’s position systematically altered its perceived depth, and a quantitative model predicted these shifts from the stimulus geometry.
METHODS | MATLAB · Psychophysics Toolbox · Psychophysics · Repeated-Measures ANOVA · Multilevel Regression
Quantifying Stereokinetic Depth Across Measurement Methods
Two rotating, non-concentric circles produce the perception of a 3D cylinder extending in depth. Four methods for measuring the same percept produced systematically different depth estimates, revealing that perceived depth depends partly on how it is measured.
METHODS | MATLAB · Psychophysics Toolbox · Psychophysics · Multimethod Measurement · Reliability Analysis
Quantifying Stereokinetic Depth Across Measurement Methods
Two rotating, non-concentric circles produce the perception of a 3D cylinder extending in depth. Four methods for measuring the same percept produced systematically different depth estimates, revealing that perceived depth depends partly on how it is measured.
METHODS | MATLAB · Psychophysics Toolbox · Psychophysics · Multimethod Measurement · Reliability Analysis
Quantifying Stereokinetic Depth Across Measurement Methods
Two rotating, non-concentric circles produce the perception of a 3D cylinder extending in depth. Four methods for measuring the same percept produced systematically different depth estimates, revealing that perceived depth depends partly on how it is measured.
METHODS | MATLAB · Psychophysics Toolbox · Psychophysics · Multimethod Measurement · Reliability Analysis
Publications
Xing, Y., & Liu, Z. (2026). Quantifying stereokinetic depth: Divergence across methods despite robust within-subject precision. Vision Research, 244, 108817.
Xing, Y., & Liu, Z. (2026). Quantifying stereokinetic depth: Divergence across methods despite robust within-subject precision. Vision Research, 244, 108817.
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Yu, A., Zhang, R., Silva, A. E., Xing, Y., Thompson, B., & Liu, Z. (2022). Motion opponency at the middle temporal cortex: Preserved motion information and the effect of perceptual learning. European Journal of Neuroscience, 56(12), 6215-6226.
Yu, A., Zhang, R., Silva, A. E., Xing, Y., Thompson, B., & Liu, Z. (2022). Motion opponency at the middle temporal cortex: Preserved motion information and the effect of perceptual learning. European Journal of Neuroscience, 56(12), 6215-6226.
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Xing, Y., & Liu, Z. (2018). A preference for minimal deformation constrains the perceived depth of a stereokinetic stimulus. Vision Research, 153, 53-59.
Xing, Y., & Liu, Z. (2018). A preference for minimal deformation constrains the perceived depth of a stereokinetic stimulus. Vision Research, 153, 53-59.
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Erlikhman, G., Xing, Y., & Kellman, P. J. (2014). Non-rigid illusory contours and global shape transformations defined by spatiotemporal boundary formation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 978.
Erlikhman, G., Xing, Y., & Kellman, P. J. (2014). Non-rigid illusory contours and global shape transformations defined by spatiotemporal boundary formation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 978.
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Education
PhD, Cognitive Psychology — UCLA
2024
MA, Cognitive Psychology — UCLA
2017
BA, Psychology — UCLA
2013
About
I am a UX researcher and product strategist with a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from UCLA. My work explores how people perceive, behave, and make decisions under uncertainty, translating behavioral research into products that are intuitive, measurable, and grounded in evidence.
Across startups, connected hardware, and academic research, I have combined qualitative research, controlled experimentation, behavioral analytics, and computational modeling to understand user behavior and guide product strategy. Whether redesigning social discovery systems, improving fleet operations, or modeling visual perception, my work begins with understanding behavior and ends with clear, testable product decisions.
I enjoy working on complex systems where behavior emerges from the interaction between people, technology, and context. My goal is to transform ambiguity into structure by identifying meaningful patterns, evaluating competing ideas, and translating research into products that are both useful and scalable.
Connect
Feel free to reach out for collaboration, opportunities, or just to chat.
Email: yangxing92@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mac-xing888