I have worked with him for almost 3 years now, and I can confidently say he is one of the best UX Designers and Researchers with which I have had the privilege of collaborating.

Andy is not only skilled, with a wide breadth of expertise, but also a very quick learner, strategic, and can take something and run with it with little to no guidance. He is passionate about his craft, takes pride in his work, and is a continuously high performer. He is a dedicated practitioner, who leads his work with empathy and a constant focus on adding value for the user.

He has been praised by leadership teams not only for the high quality of his work products, but also with how responsive and how easy he is to work with. He is a kind and caring teammate who is always available to help others, and who provides suggestions with a nurturing and uplifting attitude.

I highly recommend Andy for any UX, Research, or Product Designer role. He cares deeply about his work and the people that will benefit from it. From all my experiences with him, he is not only a quality designer, but a quality person.

Shaun L.
Design Manager, IBM

Project after project, Andy has stood out as a designer with the skills to accomplish the job. He deals with senior executives like a more seasoned professional, he leads meetings and articulates design decisions with great ease. He has a friendly and winning personality and charms everyone who works with him. There hasn’t yet been a project or team that hasn’t immediately fallen in love with Andy and his work. I have loved having Andy on my team and it has been an honor to be his manager.

Andy rises to the challenge with the skills and professionalism for a designer well beyond his years. He was so successful in that very first engagement that the project teams tried to recruit him outright to join their division. Additionally, he created such thorough and succinct work products that we have incorporated these into our design methodology as templates.

He is regularly singled-out by your peers and other managers as being kind, thorough, organized, and dependable. He creates a great reputation for himself and I am both proud and humbled to have him on my team. Congratulations for being a stand-out employee and thank you for all you do! I am grateful.

George G.
Design Manager, IBM

Working with Andy at IBM was an incredible experience. He is a talented leader in UX research and design, known for his ability to turn complex challenges into clear, actionable insights. His contributions consistently elevated the quality and impact of every project he touched.

His strategic thinking stood out on WatsonX and AskIBM, where he defined workflows, mapped ideal processes, and uncovered AI use cases by researching user needs across diverse roles like consultants and sellers. On Project Thor, Andy gathered requirements, led usability studies, and delivered key insights that earned recognition from senior leadership, including the SVP and multiple VPs.

Beyond his technical expertise, Andy is an incredible colleague and friend. He is reliable, always willing to help others outside of his regular work, and quick to share his knowledge and support whenever needed. His collaborative spirit and genuine care for his team make him an invaluable asset in any environment. Whether in UX research, design, or product strategy, his contributions are transformative.

Nimsi G.
UX Researcher, IBM

Andy joined my design team for about four months while we were working on a complex project within Global IBM Hardware Sales. He quickly grasped the project’s context, scenarios and nuances. Within a week, he was already delivering research presentations and proposing ideas to improve the IBM Hardware Sales landscape.

I am amazed at how Andy understand such a complex landscape in only a few days. There are members that have been on the project for some time and still don't have the same understanding that Andy does. I cannot stress how much I am impressed with him. FOR REAL!

Despite the challenges within the project, such as difficult stakeholders and complex scenarios, Andy handled everything with professionalism and high-quality work. Beyond his exceptional professional contributions, he is an amazing peer. With a great attitude and positive energy, I truly enjoyed working with him, both personally and professionally.

Andy is one of the best researchers I've worked with, and I recommend him with my eyes closed. I have no doubt he can excel in any role and exceed all expectations!

Tales A.
Senior Product Designer, Rivian
Former Design Lead, IBM

Andy Yu is one of the most driven and insightful UX researchers I’ve had the pleasure of working with. During IBM’s AI visioning initiative, Andy played a crucial role in defining how AI could enhance productivity and decision-making. His ability to cut through ambiguity, ask the right questions, and synthesize complex findings into actionable insights made a tangible impact on our strategy.

What sets Andy apart is his ability to move beyond surface-level research—he doesn’t just collect data; he translates it into meaningful recommendations that drive product direction.

I had heard great things about Andy before we worked together, and he more than lived up to the praise. His impact during the AI visioning exercise was so significant that he was selected to continue leading ongoing research—refining concepts into deliverables after they had been approved through IBM’s rigorous path to production. His contributions were mission-critical, directly supporting the CIO’s goal of delivering client-zero user experiences and ensuring IBM remained at the forefront of AI-driven productivity.

Juan E.
Principal Designer, HubSpot
Former Senior Design Lead, IBM

I had the privilege of working with Andy at IBM. He is a quick-learner, strategic and sharp thinker who has a distinctive ability to create clarity out of complexity out of any UX challenge.

Andy approaches UX challenges holistically but then is swiftly able to dive into the details and uncover root-causes and insights to address the problem. I was impressed by how quickly he was able to grasp, and meaningfully contribute, to our problem space by providing thoughtful and thorough design recommendations. His approach is grounded in curiosity, always looking to understand context before providing input. This was important on the project we worked on because it was complex, both in the work as well as team dynamics. Andy quickly ramped-up and became a core part of our team - he provided strategic insights and recommendations quickly, and created design artifacts that helped create direction for the team. For example, he created a vision plan for incorporating research into the product development cycle and successfully presented it to stakeholders. This artifact helped us highlight the importance of research and led us to ultimately inject a human-centered approach into a very technical team.

In addition to his UX technical skills, he is so great to work with - he is kind, reliable, genuine, thoughtful and remarkably smart! Andy is a great human who is also a highly skilled UX practitioner - any team would be lucky to have him. I hope Andy and I have the opportunity to work together again in the future.

Sara G.
Product Designer II, Microsoft
Former Product Designer, IBM

I had the pleasure of working with Andy on several projects at IBM, including AskIBM and CIO’s Watsonx submission portal. Andy consistently impressed our stakeholders with his ability to gather, execute and translate research insights into design solutions. Since Andy excels at both UX research and visual design, he understands how to deliver actionable insights that drive meaningful design changes.

On AskIBM, Andy led UX research to define personas, user needs, and identify key AI use cases/features. My team relied heavily on the solid personas that he developed, and his approach ensured AskIBM addressed user painpoints across job roles. As a result of the team’s cross-functional work, AskIBM increased user engagement to 130k queries/month and reaches 16k+ daily users today.

I also saw his contributions firsthand while working on the Watsonx Submission Portal for new AI use cases. This was during the early days of genAI, when the space was ambiguous and fast-paced. Andy’s research streamlined the innovation process, removing user challenges so that teams could get started building AI-driven products faster.

Gabby H.
Business Transformation Consultant, IBM

I had the privilege of working with Andy Yu in the CIO office on critical AI initiatives. Andy was a self-starter who wasn’t afraid to reach out across teams, acting as a bridge to uncover siloed knowledge. His efforts helped the organization make faster, more informed decisions on high-priority projects.

Andy’s contributions to our AI initiatives were invaluable. He quickly developed subject matter expertise in a domain that was largely undefined, enabling him to navigate challenges and drive significant progress.

Inherently collaborative, Andy is a joy to work with. He’s unafraid to ask questions, involve the right people in his process, and consistently deliver high-quality results. I cannot speak highly enough about Andy’s impact and character—any team would benefit greatly from having him on board.

Laura R.
Principal Product Designer, S&P Global
Former Product Strategist, IBM

I had the privilege of working with Andy on AskIBM, where his exceptional research skills, strong intuition, and ability to condense complex information into clear insights made a significant impact. Andy is an efficient and hard-working collaborator who brings clarity to ambiguity, making him an invaluable asset to any team. His ability to communicate findings effectively ensures that research translates into meaningful design improvements.

Beyond AskIBM, Andy’s research has shaped several IBM initiatives. He played a key role in defining the watsonx submission process, mapping AI adoption pathways and streamlining submissions. His work on Project Thor/Oasis included usability testing and interviews that directly influenced the Oasis PM tool, earning recognition from senior IBM leadership.

His collaborative nature, efficiency, and clear communication make him a standout teammate, ensuring that research not only informs design but also drives meaningful, lasting impact.

Eugene T.
Product Design Lead, IBM

I can confidently say that Andy Yu is an outstanding user researcher who brings immense value to any team. Andy has a sharp eye for detail and an innate ability to understand the importance of user feedback in shaping products. His approach is methodical and thoughtful, and he knows how to harness data to drive meaningful change.

In addition to his strong technical and analytical skills, Andy is a fantastic leader and team player. He thrives in collaborative environments and has a unique ability to foster open communication and alignment in teams.

His leadership is both inspiring and grounded in a deep understanding of the user, making him a true asset to any product development process.
I’ve truly enjoyed working with Andy and have learned a great deal from his expertise and work ethic.

He is an exceptional user researcher and a collaborative, forward-thinking professional who can make a significant impact on any team or project.

Sonal S.
Senior UX Researcher, IBM

His impact as a UX Designer and Researcher within our organization has been consistently positive and significant.

Andy possesses a remarkable ability to quickly immerse himself in complex problem spaces. Whether he was tackling the intricacies of internal sales processes and revenue recognition, or streamlining the complex workflows involved in documenting and preparing IBM products for customer sales, Andy consistently rose to the challenge. His dedication to understanding the user's perspective and his meticulous approach to research and design made him an invaluable asset to every project and team he worked with.

Andy's contributions were not only impactful but also insightful. He consistently delivered actionable insights and innovative solutions that improved user experiences and streamlined processes. It has been truly rewarding to witness Andy's growth and the tangible results of his work.

Marc W.
Head of Design, IBM

Thank you for multiple things:

- For the analysis to understand pain points in the current process.

- To come up with with an improved process.

- To create the draft site and turn around the feedback so quickly.

Thank YOU!

Lily R.
Senior Director, IBM